Since the last time I wrote an update on our community work, we have been able to make meaningful progress at Soshanguve South Secondary School! We have had the opportunity to talk to grade 11 and grade 12 students about applying to universities and colleges. In order to do this, we had to research the South African application process as it is very different from the one we are used to in the United States. Luckily, Junior Tukkies, University of Pretoria's outreach program, was helpful in giving us background on the process as well as providing some resources for us to handout to the students. We also shared how to apply for financial aid and scholarships as many of the students told us that financial problems would be their biggest challenge to apply to and attend university.
Although we had originally hoped to talk to small groups, we were glad that it ended up with us presenting to full classrooms. After listening to all of the students questions and interest, we realized it would have been a mistake to single out just students that teachers though were interested to hear the information. At the aftercare we made progress on the garden by transferring the beet plants from the cups into the actual garden. We also harnessed the kids energy and love of dancing by bringing our loudest speaker and choreographing a short dance for them. At both sites, the kids have been full of energy as the vacation approaches and we can't blame them as we are all very excited for our trips to Swaziland and Cape Town!!
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3/11/2018 2 Comments Kruger national park!!This weekend we drove 15 hours round-trip to Klaserie Nature Reserve (private land connected to Kruger National Park) to meet the Provost of Fordham, the Dean of Fordham College Rose Hill, and the Assistant Vice Principal, went on 4 game drives that were 3 hours each, went on a 1 hour bush walk, laid on the ground in the reserve to take in the stars, ate our meals at the lodge as monkeys and elephants and warthogs and antelope and hyenas walked past, and saw more animals than I could have dreamed of seeing in three days! Before I share all the photos I took that keep me in awe of what we experienced, I want to try to describe the feeling of being the visitors in an environment, something that we rarely do as humans. Beginning at the smallest level of coexistence I witnessed, we were able to watch the interactions of the animals in groups and see just how social they are. Usually we think of being social as a human trait but this weekend we saw how untrue this is. Elephants are fiercely protective of their calves who are rarely far from their side. We were lucky to observe a lion pride. First the eight females and young males lounging around together in a manner that moved between cuddling and playing. The next day we happened across the two alpha males walking together marking their territory. To see an entire pride of lions and hear the guides easily identify the pride by the number of lions emphasized how important the social groups are to them when usually lions are simply thought of as fierce hunters. Similar to the lions were the African wild dogs. We were told they were a rare sight but we somehow managed to see the pack on each of our game drives. Although they were often just laying around we also saw them marking territory and play fighting. As explained to us by the provost, Dr. Freedman, the process of play is just as important to these animals learning as it is to humans. Beyond the coexistence within a species, we were also able to see many examples of coexistence between species. Our first experience was when we were watching the wild dogs and a giraffe peacefully walks maybe 50 feet behind them. This was so special as we are so conditioned to imagine animals as we see them in the zoo: separated by fences. Later as we were reflecting at the lodge we caught a special moment of elephants, antelope, and monkeys all near a small watering hole at the same time. Once again, seeing animals that are usually characterized by their predator-prey role so easily being near each other really shifted my perspective. This level of coexistence also includes the plants and insects I would usually not give a second thought to but all prove to be fascinating when you take the time to look at them. The most important part of my new understanding was reflecting on how we were also coexisting within the ecosystem. When we were on drives the animals were surprisingly calm around the vehicle; the guides explained that the animals were raised with the vehicles around and simply viewed it like another harmless animal. When we went on our walk (accompanied by three guides with rifles) the animals such as impalas seemed more frightened of us. Most likely because we, just by walking without even talking, made more noise than any other animal group in the park. Being on the same physical level showed that it is not impossible for us to coexist as well. This makes sense as, Dr. Freedman explained, we evolved to our current species in this exact environment.
The cherry on top was having clear skies on our second night and being able to see so many stars and feel human smallness even more than watching the grace and social nature of the animals by seeing our place in the universe. Okay, now for the fun part... 3/8/2018 0 Comments Feeling 50/50As we finish our fourth week of community work, I'm feeling very "fifty-fifty" since at one of my sites we have been able to make rewarding progress where as at the other we are still stuck in square one. At Soshanguve Secondary School, as a result of miscommunication, there has been confusion as to what we are doing there and who is our contact person. We had spent 3 weeks trying clean up the library even though it was obvious that, as space at the school is limited and the library is being used as a staff room, students were not able to access it. After finally talking to the deputy principal last week we learned that a current need of the school was assisting in a grade 8 English class that had been without a teacher for 3 weeks. We decided that this was an area we could help in and, even though we are not certified teachers, we are better than no teacher. After a weekend of brainstorming what we could do to engage 60 eighth graders, we arrived on Tuesday to learn that they had finally found a replacement teacher the day before. Although we are glad that the class now has a permanent teacher, it sent us back to the beginning in regards to planning a meaningful project. This week we talked with the vice principal for the first time who apparently is the usual contact person for Fordham students but we had not been aware of this. She explained that, in the past, Fordham students had designed an informational project to share in life orientation classes. Possibilities for this include health education, career counseling, or university application assistance. After learning this we wished we had been explained this option earlier as we know are pressed to brainstorm, plan, and implement an idea quickly. Obviously that is the frustrating part of my "fifty-fifty" sentiment. On the first day at the aftercare for primary school students, we were given a list of achievable projects: restarting the garden, painting a birthday chart, creating an application form, and helping the students with reading English. So far we have begun working in the garden as this is the most time sensitive project. The students have been amazing to spend time with. When we are working on the garden they are very eager to help with anything from weeding to planting to watering. We have planted carrots and beetroots so far and are hoping that, despite some unfavorable conditions, they sprout soon. Our long term plan is to help the students learn the life skills of planting a garden and leave them with instructions and seeds to start their own. While at the aftercare we also spend a lot of time helping the students with homework and encouraging them to read books. After a frustrating morning at the secondary school, I am always happy to sit with the students who are eager to read to me in English. I also enjoy seeing the older students willingness to help younger students with homework. The aftercare is a strong community with a positive atmosphere that I am grateful to be a part of.
Luckily, we were able to change our schedule to spend more time at the aftercare place and less at the secondary school so we feel that our time is being used better. Although sometimes I would like to drop the secondary school all together, I know that it presents an important learning curve and makes me appreciate my afternoons at the aftercare. |
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