First week

(actually into third week now - very sporadic internet in kaNyamazane)

My first week as lekazi project co-ordinator has just finished. I was looking forward to undertaking the daunting task ahead as one half of a mean PC partnership, but I now left along thanks to a visa problem from another PC, and my partner having to go and cover for her. The week has been very busy. I had meetings with all 14 lekazi principals in the first two days – some warm and welcoming, and others more formal. Some of the meetings were more like a friendly chat, and others felt more like an interview, as if I had to justify my taking up the principal's time. I will try not to let a pricipal's cold demeanour shroud my uncovering a healthy and productive partnership at the level of the educators and the children.

This week's task will be to investigate more fully, the state of the relationship with tenteleni, and the potential of volunteers to have an impact in each of the schools, and it has become clear that this is more complicated than simply asking around. Occasionally, a principal or teacher will demonstrate a degree of perspective, in saying how lucky their school has been to have volunteers, and that it may be the turn of some other (more poorly performing) schools to benefit. The paradox is that those principals/teachers who demonstrate such perspective seem to be the ones who understand the volunteer role most effectively, and therefore would be most likely to productively employ the volunteers. I'm sure that this kind of understanding is one of the things which has allowed their school to perform so well, and be less in need of voluntary assistance. Volunteers will likely benefit from feeling that there is much to accomplish in a school, meaning that such highly performing schools will less satisfying, yet principals and educators who better understand the volunteer role and put them to good use will be more satisfying to work with. I believe the key will be to find poor schools who have a few excellent educators for volunteers to work with; who exist in an environment of great need, and who can point volunteers towards that need.

As far as the schools to be moved into are concerned, an impression has still to be made. I'm sure such educators exist within these schools, and so the challenge will be to inspire them to involve and invest themselves in Tenteleni as much as possible. I hope that the initial presentations will stimulate interest, and that the follow up workshops will allow them to further understand the volunteer role and realise it's potential within the classroom and beyond. In simpler terms, I need to find a Toockey within these new schools, someone who need not be a senior member of staff, but whose input really makes the project work.

On a less high-brow note, I had an excellent kick about with some local guys who responded to my request, “ufuna dlala ibola” Although for the most part, I had no idea what they were on about, the international language of football transcended the language barrier. Whether you support the kaiser chiefs or dunfermline athletic, a goal is goal, a hack is a hack and a nutmeg is embarassing.