Archive for the South Africa Category

Volunteer Profile: Cycle 3 - Joy Sampson

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Name: Joy Sampson

Age: 18

What were you doing before ICS: I am currently on my gap year between Alevels and university, so before ICS I was working at the Harry Potter studios teaching people how to ride broomsticks. Alongside this I helped in my local primary school with the reception class assisting to colour in princesses and build with Lego.

3 facts about you: I had the opportunity to fly a Tutor aircraft during aerobatics. I competed in National Athletic finals twice with schools. I finished the Tough Guy Assault course in Wolverhampton, one of the world’s most demanding survival ordeals which involved walking through fire, crawling in potholes and swamps- all after a cross country run.

Which ICS Groups are you in?: I’m in Sports and Monitoring and evaluation

Favourite Experience on ICS so far: My favourite experience of the project so far has got to be the night we spent performing at Candos where we all thrived off each other’s positive energy. It was lovely to support each other and witness the hard work paying off as we presented a meaningful message to the community. As well as this, driving through the safari at Kwantu was beautiful and eye opening to the see animals in their natural habitat- especially the elephants and giraffes.

What have you been doing this week?: This week the sports team hosted a soccer tournament at the local primary school where we had an array of activities for children such as facepainting, dance performances, music and a lot more. It was a successful day which ended with the ICS girls playing the local girls team! Aside from that, we performed at Candos Arts centre where some of us acted, others sang and I performed a poem addressing the issues surrounding alcohol and substance abuse. It was an exciting evening and the showcase of arts really brought to light how much talent the group holds.

Volunteer Profile: Cycle 3 - Robert Mohale (TL)

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Name: Robert Mohale

Age: 27

What Were You Doing Before ICS?: Before I applied for ICS, i was just sited at home waiting for my BAHonoursin Psychology results. Then I saw an advert on internet for volunteering post for latitude ICS. Then I applied and called for interview wherein I became successful.

3 Facts About You?: I love working with young people, empathetic and treat people with the same respect. I have honours degrees in Youth development and Psychology.

Which ICS Groups Are You In?: I am the team leader for Latittude ICS (Human Dignity Center).
Favorite Experience on ICS So Far?: My favorite experience in the placement is when the Latittude ICS (HDC)co-host the night with Candoz art center wherein all the group members have participated on various acts such as poetry, drama, and singing.

What Have You Been Doing This Week?: This week I have been having meetings with all the groups, checking all their plans and ensuring that they finalize everything that they have planned in these two weeks left.

Volunteer Profile: Cycle 3 - Mandilakhe Yaka

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Name: Mandilakhe Yaka

Age: 24

What were you doing before ICS?:I was managing a group called Shizzo Manizzo in Grahamstown(Vukani Location), where we express ourselves through Art(Hip Hop, Poerty, Soul/Gospel and being Dj’s). As I am a Poet so I was performing almost every Saturday near the Town Hall and also having events so that the voices of the youth could heard.

3 facts about you: I like working with the youth to take them away from the wrong paths and let them use their God given talents, To toil is what I like most and get the job done.,I am a Poet and a DJ.

Which ICS Groups are you in?: I’m in the Culture and Video groups

Favourite Experience on ICS So Far: When we successfuly held the Candoz event.

What Have You Been Doing This Week?: This week we’ve been busy organising the event for the Pre-Candoz and also trying to book an apointment with the Department of Arts&Culture as the Culture group.

Volunteer Profile: Cycle 3 - Bukiwe Nako

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Name: Bukiwe Nako

Age: 22

What Were You Doing Before ICS: Studying

3 Facts About You: I am hardworker work well with small groups,I commit in any work am given and i am very good listener.

Which ICS groups Are You In?: Sports and Social Media

Favourite Experience on ICS So Far: Having the dance off with Joy.

What Have You Been Doing This Week?: Monday i had a class in grade R at human dignity centre.
Tuesday,wensday and thursday went to teach in walmer high school about
sexual health.

Volunteer Profile: Cycle 3 - Qiniso Phakathi

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Name: Qiniso Phakathi

Age: 25

What Were You Doing Before ICS?: Looking for a job

3 Facts About You: . I have worked with my community for 2 years I was a youth Ambassador, I’m a poet and I have entered the writing competition, I love children

Which ICS Groups Are You In?: Arts and Culture group and the photography subgroup

Favourite Experience on ICS So Far?: My favorite moment in placement is being in class teaching Life Orientation, the kids are great

What Have You Been Doing This Week?:I taught at HDC grade 000 and have been teaching grade 9s at Walmer High

Volunteer Profile: Cycle 3 - Effy Hayle

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Name: Steph (Effy) Hayle

Age: 18

What Were You Doing Before ICS?: Just finished 6th form in Bath, and having a year off before attending York University in October to study Criminology.

3 Facts About You: I own 3 alpaca, I once worked at the World Cheese Awards and I’m 6ft 1, the tallest member of the HDC team!

Which ICS Groups Are You In?: The Research Team and the Social Media Team.

Favourite Experience on ICS So Far?: I loved the Research teams meeting with Sue from the Pregnancy Crisis Centre – she was such an inspirational and selfless person, giving us a full tour of the centre and telling us her story even when we only swung by to arrange an interview. It was a really eye opening meeting and she was so kind and welcoming- she made me want to be a better person. I also love the simple moments where all the volunteers get to relax after work, or during our breaks when we can chill and play cards. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a really great opportunity to bond with everyone, which is so important when you work so closely with each other.

What Have You Been Doing This Week?: This week I’ve been working with Grade 3s at HDC, teaching them English and working especially on Alphabetical order of words. I’ve also been teaching Drama at John Masiza Primary, working on productions about risky behaviours with the grade 7s for their end of term assessment, as well as conducting further interviews with the Research Team before we compile our research report. It’s been a long week, but really interesting and great fun, especially the drama classes!

Up and Coming Africa

As our returned volunteers from the likes of Malawi, South Africa and Ghana will know, many African countries are far from the skewered portrayal they too often receive as archetypes of impoverishment, disease, conflict and corruption.

You visit a country like Ghana or Botswana as I and many Lattitude volunteers have done and you find a vibrant and exciting culture, a happy people and increasingly visions of wealth, prosperity and success.

Dancing Cropped

Africa is a continent of over 1 billion people and 54 countries. It has some of the greatest supply of the most valuable natural resources in the world and has some of the most varied and dramatic natural beauty and biodiversity. Looking to the future, many African countries look to be the generators of global economic growth with their high proportion of young people and consistent growth rates of 7-8%.

African’s, for the first time, are excited about their future prospects and this is being translated into a burgeoning confidence of self-expression through all manner of means, both on the continent and within it’s diasporas across the world, including hubs of African culture in cosmopolitan societies like the UK. When this is compared to the grimmer outlook of the rest of the world, this African vibrancy and cultural confidence is becoming increasingly alluring.

None are more so emblematic of this trend than the British-Ghanaian Afro-Beat artist Fuse ODG, who with hits such as Antenna and Azonto has been bringing Ghanaian music and dance to the forefront of popularity in the UK. It is no secret that African culture has often punched above its political and economic weight in the past, namely through the success of African-American artists in the US and UK who have systematically been the instigators of sequential popular music trends the world over; from blues to funk, disco, hip hop and rap. Furthermore artists such as Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon have been instrumental in exposing the world to more traditional African music. However, unlike in the past, this latest expression of African culture by artists like Fuse ODG comes directly from Africa and importantly is being identified with particular countries such as Ghana.

As Fuse ODG is keen to make a point of through his campaign ‘TINA’ (This Is New Africa) and in his recent interview on Newsnight - Africa is changing, it is different and it represents a positive and aspirational outlook, which in much a reverse to the past, the rest of the world is increasingly looking to.

Now more than ever it is an amazing time to volunteer in countries such as Ghana and Malawi and it is important to realise that as a volunteer you will not only be helping within the community you will be based in, you will also be gaining a lot from the experience – being exposed to an exciting cultural environment, which will be playing an ever more important part in what the world of the future will look like.

My Life

These past couple of weeks have made me realize how amazing South Africa is, and I keep having to pinch my self to believe that I am really here!! You have to think on your toes out here, as things can change with a click of a finger. One minute you can be hiking on a mountain with a school group basking in the sun, the next thing you know your being confronted with a massive lightning storm, and your rushing to evac all the kids from the mountain! It’s all about quick thinking and problem solving here!!

There’s always something to do at Entabeni, when there’s a course in, you get fully involved, teaching kids about Ecology, the importance of wetlands and tree, Cranes, and taking them on activities that tests their team work and communication. And if it rains and you can’t do what you originally planed, you find something else to do, such a grass surfing on the mountain (which turns out to be more fun than the original activity)! When there’s not a course in you will always find something to do, weather it is to plan a new course, create a new orienteering route, fix any thing that may be broken, look after the Cranes, looking after the Wetlands (cutting down alien plants such as brambles and burning them), and even painting the staff house!
And when you’ve got free time, you’ve got the world at your door step! You can go hiking in the highest parts of South Africa, absailing, rock climbing, cliff diving, swimming in rivers 2000 meters above sea level, have a briie in the sun set whilst watching a lightning storm in the far distance, play football in the local village against the locals, and even go for a road trip!! Anythings possible!!!
Yesterday was the first free day we’ve had in over a week, so me and the gang celebrated by going to a pub and watched the Eng-Iri game which was a nice chance to relax.
It’s probably not hard to see that I’ve fallen in love with this place! Things are not restricted by overly complicated health and safety, if you want to do something; you do it it! Just use your head.
Till Next Time…

Sophie’s blog, Sophie volunteered in South Africa in 2012

Jonny’s blog, Jonny volunteered in South Africa in 2012