Marumofase High School Limpopo Reflection 3 – 28 – 15

Marumofase High School Limpopo Reflection 3 – 28 – 15

            The season is coming to an end of the Marumofase High School Limpopo Service. I am very proud to have served with a great team of people to collaborate with the Limpopo students on creating their amazing stories of the ‘Born-Free’. The final copies are still in the making to be printed in the upcoming week. I will be very proud to own a piece of history that I had a part in editing, proofreading, and serving as communications officer. Our final gathering with the Limpopo students is scheduled for early April. This is where the AISJ team will distribute the printed book and Raquel Wilson and I will give the school supplies we collected in the donation drive to the Limpopo students and staff. We hope the school supplies will enhance their education, and that our support has left a positive impact on them. Working with the Limpopo students has opened my world up to a culturally diverse community, where struggles and happiness coincide. This service allowed me to grow and enhance my writing skills by teaching and helping others. My organization skills of planning events and journalism articles have developed throughout the course of this project.

            By working with these Limpopo students, it opened my eyes to the inequalities and injustices that still exist in South Africa and that they still face every day due to poverty and disparities. Therefore, a skill I had to learn was to be sensitive to their stories and their voice. So that the edits in the short stories allowed their expression to be understood and not distorted. Sensitivity is a valuable skill in everyday life when you deal with people and I will be able to apply this in my daily life.

            We are hoping this project will be sustainable with the upcoming lowerclassmen of AISJ, as this service has great values. We would hope that we could make continuous volumes of the voice that need to be heard to create awareness.

            Our farewell visit with the Limpopo students in early April, we will be celebrating our great accomplishment – our book. We will be able to sign the books, get to share our stories, share some laughter, refreshments, and memories.

           

            

Limpopo Service Project 3 - 27 - 15

As an American Diplomat dependent, global involvement is important to me. Living in Johannesburg, South Africa has given me the opportunity to volunteer to create awareness of challenges brought about since the Apartheid Era. Apartheid was a system to segregate races, upheld by the South African National Party Government and abolished in 1994. In turn, memories of social conflict and the need for freedom still runs deep in many South Africans. From the destruction, rose the first South African ‘Born-Free Generation’ since Apartheid was eradicated. As an American, freedom is a belief we fight for, a belief in which all humans are granted the same rights. Therefore, I chose to volunteer in Marumofase High School Limpopo, a service project that I feel passionate to serve and to which I can connect with on a personal level at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ).

Marumofase High School Limpopo merges underprivileged students from Indermark Village with the AISJ students. Our mission is to publish a book on personal stories of students from the ‘Born-Free Generation’ to create awareness of the inequality that still exists in South Africa, despite the end of Apartheid. When the Limpopo students visit AISJ, we make our time as fruitful as possible, with the Limpopo students writing their ‘born-free’ short story drafts, the AISJ students editing, and English presentations.

I had the privilege to work one-on-one with Portia Tsherane on her ‘born-free’ short story, which focused on crime in villages and the triumph that comes with the perseverance in education. I learned that both of us, coming from two different cultural backgrounds, share a common belief – the importance of education and the pursuit of one’s passion through a career. However, that common belief also had a difference, for Portia education means rising above the disparity she was born into; while for me, I aspire to discover my purpose by continuing to pursue my passion as a zoologist and maintaining an open-minded perspective to live a fulfilled meaningful life. Ultimately, the Maruofase High School Limpopo Service Project has allowed me to participate in an issue of global importance that has shocked me with the ethical implications still alive in South Africa. It has strengthened my leadership skills and allowed me to grow. I hope through producing this book, with the teamwork from both the AISJ and Limpopo students, we create local, national, and international awareness of the ‘Born-Free Generation.’

Shumbashaba Reflection 3 – 9 – 15

Shumbashaba Reflection 3 – 9 – 15

            On Monday, March 9, 2015 was the last for seniors to Shumbashaba. Previously, the entire team – 9^th, 10^th, and 12^th graders – stayed afterschool at AISJ to discuss future plans for our service project. We were discussing the expansion of Shumbashaba as a service project by providing other opportunities. Some new ideas we’ve proposed to the 9^th and 10^th graders whom will continue this project include: side walker skills, walking horses, fixing the barn, murals, technology lessons for staff, grooming skills, 5km fundraiser run, and equine therapy. A side walker is an individual to walks horse with the disabled individual. This is advanced responsibility, and we would take lessons on Saturdays with the farm owner to become certified to be a side walker. The barn has some minor repairs needed like painting, door hinges, media, loose nails, and cleaning windows. Along with painting, we proposed creating colorful murals like the African Ndebele tribe to excite the children whom visit Shumbashaba. A lot of the staff don’t have the availability to interact and work on a computer. Therefore, this is where the AISJ volunteers would step in to enhance their skills in basic computer programs. A journalist could also be part of this organization by writing articles for Shumbashaba’s blog weekly and keeping the Facebook page up to date. These are some collaborative ideas that are communicated and formed with the 9^th and 10^th graders to build on and to use to encourage others to join. I hope to pass on the knowledge I’ve learned in the past two years volunteering with Shumbashaba to the 9^th and 10^th graders.

            In conclusion, it was an honor to be part of the Shumbashaba team and to work one on one with the horses and staff. I have learned a tremendous amount of knowledge about working with large animals, that I will be able to bring forth in my future career, zoology. There this has benefited both Shumbashaba and myself. Therefore, I am grateful for this opportunity and will cherish these memories.

Shumbashaba Reflection 2 – 23 – 15

Shumbashaba Reflection 2 – 23 – 15

On Monday, February 23, 2015 the new four new members from grades 9 and 10 joined our Shumbashaba team. We were delighted and welcomed them. These four new members had a head start, as they are already proficient horseback riders. Therefore, they have knowledge of grooming techniques and safety while around horses. We are hoping they are able to share their expertise to the rest of the team, as well the 6^th graders who they will take over. On the other hand, we will share and immerse them into what we have learned. Additionally, on the very first day we briefly ran through the ethical implications to our new members and the sensitivity that is needed when working with the horses. I feel this is a great start to the sustainability of the project. With these four new members we encourage them to share the Shumbashaba Service Project by word of mouth to all of their friends in hopes that we would get even more dedicated volunteers. Therefore, this would enhance AISJ’s relationship with Shumbashaba and our continuous commitment to the horses and staff.

Our new members reflect our learnt collaboration as a team and communication to initiate and integrate the members into Shumbashaba. Therefore, our walk-through video was successful. We are proud of our hard work and dedication that we provided. And, I am happy to be part of a sustainable project. My attitude is positive to encourage the new members to step forth with a positive, ready, and willing to help outlook. Today, this new learning experience is similar to the beginning of the year when I taught the 6^th graders how to groom horses.

Shumbashaba Reflection 2 – 2 – 15

Shumbashaba Reflection 2 – 2 – 15

            On Monday, February 2, 2015 I volunteered at Shumbashaba by grooming the horse Cotton. I began by using the currycomb brush in gentle circular motions to lift the dust and dirt from the horse’s hair. Then, I used an oval body brush to sweep off the debris. This is very relaxing and enjoyable for the horse. It builds trust between the human and the horse. And, it is also a social interaction between the horse and the human. I also collaborated with Michael Maree and Danielle Deoitte in hanging up white boards on each horses stall. Ultimately, this is to allow the staff to write special instructions if needed per horse. Additionally, I had the opportunity to observe a farrier, a skilled individual in the art of horseshoe making, fit the horseshoes to size and fit the horse’s hoof.

            With the brushing techniques, I was exercising a learned moment from the past to apply my knowledge and expertise today while grooming the horse, Cotton. I took the opportunity to engage myself with the observation of the farrier, during his horseshoe fitting session. I experienced a limitation while nailing the white board onto the stable door. My hand and I coordination needs some practice. There was no outstanding issues. During our next visit to Shumbashaba, we will be instructing the new members on the tasks we do here.