Young Adult Service Corps - Grahamstown
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Friday, December 21, 2012
Nativity Play
Happy Advent! It’s
summer here in South Africa, and it’s been nice to spend the month of December walking around in shorts and a t-shirt. We’re
officially on our “Summer Break”, but before we broke for the
holiday, the students at the Holy Cross School put on the first ever Holy Cross
Nativity Play for their families and friends at the monastery. The kids got decked out in all sorts
of shepherd, angel, wise men, and animal costumes. It was pretty awesome!
Simamkele the Wise Man |
A few of the animals |
The Angels |
The students worked
hard practicing the songs and speaking parts in the weeks prior to the
performance, and when the big day came, they nailed it. It was a treat to watch them perform.
The Shepherds |
The Stars |
Merry Christmas!!! |
Friday, November 30, 2012
Inkululeko
Inkululeko, which means freedom in isXhosa, is the name of
an up and coming Non-Profit Organization that aims to provide academic and
moral support to township youth in Grahamstown.
The mission statement for Inkululeko is as follows:
To provide South African township youth with the
skills, support and guidance necessary to apply, attend and succeed in
university; to challenge the bigotry of low expectations for township youth;
and to provide sustainable, positive change – student-by-student,
generation-by-generation.
For the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of helping my
friend Matt Kellen, a former Young Adult Service Corps Volunteer and one of the
Directors of Inkululeko, get the project off the ground and running. Inkululeko is doing some wonderful work, and
it's been such a great experience to be involved. When you get a chance, please check out the
website: http://www.inkululeko.org.
Below are some pictures of the youth who have been involved
so far.
Some of the youth showing off the new Inkululeko backpacks |
Zukisani |
Looking sharp in the school uniforms! |
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Buzwe
Meet Buzwe. Buzwe is a Grade 11 student at Nathaniel Nyaluza High School in the Grahamstown Township. Buzwe is a quiet, hard working, and extremely polite teenager who LOVES soccer. Almost everyday for the past year we’ve been working with Buzwe at the Holy Cross Resource Center (a place where Holy Cross scholarship kids can come for tutoring or homework help). His commitment to showing up on a daily basis comes from his desire to improve his English grade, which is by far his worst subject in school. Buzwe has the determination and motivation that teachers and coaches dream about in their students, and I'm so happy to share that on his most recent report card, Buzwe earned the highest grade for English he's received in years! I'm so proud of him. Way to go Buzwe!
Buzwe looking through the dictionary during an English lesson. |
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Pumba
Pumba is a wildlife game reserve that is about a half an hour
drive outside of Grahamstown. It's home
to what is known as the Big 5 in South Africa: the Lion, the African Elephant,
the Cape Buffalo, the Leopard, and the Rhinoceros. In South Africa game reserves are set aside
for conservation purposes and they also afford people an opportunity to see
some of Africa’s wildlife up close and personal. However, private game reserves can be quite
expensive, and unfortunately most South Africans are unable to enjoy the wildlife and beauty these reserves have to offer because of the high cost. As part of a social outreach effort, Pumba game reserve hosted the Holy Cross School free of charge on a game drive in
order for the students to see and experience the wildlife they only hear
about and see in pictures. Below are some
photos of our class adventure.
Mr. Lion |
Holy Cross students posing in front of the Land Rover |
Masixole enjoying the drive |
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