Soul of Africa

PROGRESS ON BUILDING AT MNAMTHA SCHOOL, KWA-ZULU NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA…

After the Blessing of the Mnamatha School building last month, building of the toilets and classrooms quickly got underway – great excitement ensued a little frustration as builders faced problems not unusual to projects in rural South African Townships.  This, however, did not deter builders and the Clarks, Soul Of Africa Mnamatha Project is fully underway.

The Clarks Kicking for Soul Of Africa Campaign over the World Cup Period has enabled Soul Of Africa to bring a positive change to this little school in Botha’s Hill, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa where the HIV / AIDS pandemic is waging war.  Clarks donated 50p on their children’s training shoe brand called CICA, to Soul Of Africa for the specific use on the Mnamatha School Project.  The total amount raised throughout the duration of the campaign has been an incredible R580 000.00 (£50,000.00).  This money is being used to build a new toilet block for the children who (all 441 of them) are sharing 6 noxious portable toilets (see Clarks Kicks for Soul Of Africa World Cup Campaign Huge Success Press release on www.soulofafricacharity.org); 2 staff toilets, a new classroom and a brand new computer room.

The first hurdle builders faced was NO water!  Someone in the community thought it was a rather good idea to tap into the schools water system and divert the water from the school to their home instead of having to pay for water.  The local council has been very supportive and the problem should be rectified by this week.

The new classroom and computer room were going to be built onto the existing classroom structures, but when the foundations to the existing classrooms were checked - there weren’t any!  Nothing deters the Mnamatha Builders (who are part of the community), so, an extra two walls have been built, and both of the classrooms will be free-standing units.

Despite the hurdles faced, the energy at Mnamatha is unmistakable, and excitement grows on a daily basis, as Patrick (Mnamatha’s Headmaster), staff, pupils and Soul Of Africa watch the building progress that is going to make such a big difference in these children’s lives.

More information about the Mnamatha, Clarks Project can be found online at hyperlink http://www.soulofafricacharity.org

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something…. Author unknown

Clarks Kicks for Soul of Africa World Cup a Huge Success Part 3

By now I’ve created quite a stir and have a small group of children all wanting to tell me just how much of a difference Clarks are making in their lives.  Patrick tells them that its time to go back into class but I stop him and ask if I could chat to just a few more of the children.  Patrick agrees but gives the children a stern look.  “You should be in class learning but I suppose this is a special occasion,” he says.

Lanky and tall, Sanele Ndlovu, aged 14 tells me in broken English that he lives with his mum and two brothers aged 16 and 18.  Sanele’s big dark eyes are shy yet filled with determination. “There are too many kids and too few toilets so I’m very happy to have new ones.  The old ones smell really bad and I don’t like to go to them,’ says Sanele, “I am excited about the new classroom and computer room as I will be able to do projects on new computers which will help me become a teacher when I grow up”.  There are currently 58 children in Sanele’s classroom.

Below:  Sanele Ndlovu

Londeka Mthiyane, aged 13 lives with her mum, 3 sisters and 3 brothers.  Patrick tells me that Londeka has the potential to go far as she is such a diligent student.   “I don’t like the old toilets as the smell and are dirty.  Dirty children don’t flush them properly and there are no taps to wash your hands.  I’m very happy to have new toilets,” Londeka tells me.  “A new classroom will mean more space and less kids in one class so more time learning with the teacher”, says Londeka, “and I feel glad that we will have a computer room as I can have more knowledge than I have as it will help me find out more information.”  Pulling her shoulders back, Londeka proudly says, “I want to be a nurse when I leave school and learning computer will help me get a job.  I want to help people as lots of people are sick and with disease”.  Londeka currently has 63 children in her classroom.

Below:  Londeka Mthiyane

I hear Patrick bellow from behind me, “Right children!  Back to class – you need to be learning!”  But Ntombenhle Cibane has her feet firmly plated in the dusty ground and she’s determined that she’s not going back to class until she tells me her story.  I smile at Patrick’s defeated look as this feisty little girl with the huge smile starts telling me how grateful she is to Clarks and Soul Of Africa for giving them what they need most.  Aged 12, Ntombenhle lives with her mum, 1 sister and 2 brothers.  Her mum is unemployed and it is left up to Ntombenhle’s brother to provide for the family.  She proudly tells me that her big brother buys her school uniform for her.  Again a fleeting look of sadness passes through Ntombenhle’s eyes as she tells me she doesn’t know who her dad is.  This doesn’t last long and that big smile is back as I quickly change the subject by asking about the new toilet block.  “I am feeling so excited about new toilets because children write graffiti on the old ones and they smell really bad and make me feel dirty.”  On the new computer room Ntombenhle says, ”I am happy for a new classroom as I don’t like to be squashed in class.  There is too much noise. Some kids don’t want to learn so make a lot of noise and trouble so the teacher has to deal with them.  If we have a smaller class we can learn more.”  Ntombenhle currently has 63 children in her classroom.

Below:  Ntombenhle Cibane

Below: Handover. Patrick, Stephanie Keast (Soul Of Africa General Manager) with pupils

 I watch silently as Father Madlala blesses the ground with holy water, and as we bow our heads in prayer I find my eyes fill with tears and I say thanks… thanks to Clarks for the difference they are helping us make… thanks… that I am blessed enough to be part of the Soul Of Africa project… to be given such an enormously wonderful opportunity to be able to bring change into the lives of children who have nothing not even the simple things in life…

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared.”  Buddha 

Clarks Kicks for Soul of Africa World Cup a Huge Success part 2

Next Patrick takes me to the proposed site for the new computer room that we’ll be building thanks to Clarks. “We are a Primary School with a High School next to us.  The High school has computers and when our children get there they are totally unprepared as most of them will never have turned a computer on before.  Some other primary schools in the area who join to the same High School will have a few computers so they have experience but our kids are left behind before they start,” says Patrick. 

Housing 25 computer work stations, most of which have already been donated by a local bank, the computer room will help take this school to another level.  Unemployment in South Africa is rampant and these children need all the help they can get to prevent set backs later on in life. 

Below:  Proposed site for new computer room

“We will get a new computer person to come in and help teach the children, they will be able to teach other subjects so we will be able to “kill 2 stones with one bird!”  I have the hugest smile on my face but don’t have the heart to correct Patrick’s mistake.  “I have already been talking to the local resource center so we can set up training courses,” he says.  “We will also allow the community to come in between 1.30 and 3.30pm so they can also benefit as the resource center will hold computer courses for older learners.”  As Patrick grins and puffs out his chest he says, “This will help all the children go further in life and allow them a better chance to get a job when they leave.  I feel so proud.”

Below:  Patrick and pupils shouting their hello’s and thanks to all at Clarks.

The bell sounds end of lunchtime and as the children are trundling back to their classrooms, Patrick stops 13 year old pupil Purity Slungile and asks her in Zulu to tell me just how much the changes thanks to Clarks and Soul Of Africa, are going to be bringing to her life.  A tall girl with a shy smile Purity tells me in English that the old toilets are terrible and that she feels very happy to be having new ones.  “A new computer room means a lot to me as it means I can learn and get a better job when I leave school.  If I have a better job I can help my family to buy food and clothes.”  There are currently 63 children in Purity’s classroom.  “A new class room will mean we will have not so many children in one class so we can learn better and hear the teacher.”  When I ask about her family, I note a fleeting sadness in Purity’s eyes, “I live with my grandmother,” she says, “My dad died and my mum ran away.  I have a sister who is 18 and two brothers who are 15 and 13.”

Below:  Purity Slungile