Education South Africa Project #57248

Ubuntu Education Fund

by Ubuntu Partners Trust

Project Report | Oct 24, 2024
Music in the Drakensberg Mountains South Africa

By Barbara Borgman | Project Manager

Kuhle singing

South Africa is home, they say, to 40 000 choirs. Sing, South Africa, sing! It is also said that music is the true language of the soul, and why not? to lift every voice and sing is to set the soul vibrating and humming in sync with the universe.. Music heals, inspires, restores and opens a door to a fuller life.

Ubuntu Education Fund had had a small part to play in providing this young boy from rural Loskop a place at the prestigious Drakensberg Boy Choir School located in our local area. The DBCS choir is world renowned, performing at a high level of sophistication and creativity, bringing diversity and joy of many genres of music to a packed auditorium, on national and international tours, representing South Afria as a nation of music.

Young Kuhle Mazibuko ( not his real name) , without any formal background of music, was chosen for his vibrant spirit, flashing eyes and love of singing out of the Legacy choir of Mjwayeli Primary School. He steadily met the rigorous milestones of DBCS in pursuit of achieving concert choiri status within 8 months. His joy of singing and agile dancing have fit in well with the color and snap of the singing, dance stepping choir. The boys are required to try out instrumental music and Kuhle chose to learn to play the piano. Academic studies at this boarding school have required tutoring for him, preparing him for eventual invitation to a private high school.,more opportunity for a bright future than he would have otherwisve have had.

I meet his grandmother, at her small home in Dabe, Loskop. She has raised him since his mother passed away. She lifts a delicate, veined hand in thankful gesture, as I visit to make the link between Kuhle's new world and the dusty village life from which he comes. We sit on a small verandah, her questions clarified by my Zulu speaking colleague. It is my joy to see the light in her old eyes as she recognizes the opportunity Kuhle is being given.

Like most traditional cultures, Zulu youth are expected to maintain close links with elders, socially obligated to share future financial resources with parents and elders. This social cohesion and safety net is time honored and effective, guarnteeing a safety net for the elderly. In this way, Ubuntu Education Fund supports not only an individual talent and dream, but activates a ripple effect of financial support for parents and grandparents, and other siblings on down the line. Value upon value.

Kuhle dreams of being able to continue at the DBCS in 2025, as he enters 5th grade. We at Ubuntu Education Fund hope we can raise funds to keep him singing his way to a bright future, as we participate in Giving Tuesday in early December. 2024. Music creates possibility, weaves the future and restores our community. Celebrate its power!

Kuhle in concert dress with a friend.

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Jun 27, 2024
THROW THE CAPS IN THE AIR!

By Barbara Borgman | Project Manager

Finding that important connection

Our last report was 'the long walk to freedom'. three of the pnotos of our diligent learners were featured.

THE GREAT NEWS OF TODAY is that our 6 Electricians-In-Training have passed their final Trade Test. Along with this test, comes the coveted Electrician Qualification. With that in hand, each one can enter the job market with confidence, pride and gratefulness.

Not only is there a piece of paper in hand, but the 3 years of training has tested personal responsibility, tedious diligence, honesty, finance management, goal setting, faithful reliability, loyalty to the housemates and to the landlord. Growing up in character and decision making takes mentoring, interior resources and honesty to admit mistakes. Our mentors have traveled the road with them, which is pot holed here and there with poor judgement, and helped the leaners reset when things went wrong. More is learned than can ever be anticipated as young people test their character and judgement in the big world.

We wish these 6 wonderful, thoughtful, earnest South African youth all the best as the join their cohort in building a strong South Africa. This age group is taking leadership in demanding a government that puts the needs of the country before its own divisive agenda.

Wouldn't you recommend we have a blow out of a congratulatory party end of July? We think so.

Your donations are the backbone of success for all our students. Thank you. We pray that you are able to keep marching with us on this long road to freedom .

We have one more ask. Please would you give thought to sharing our story with friends or family, to help our goal to add 8-10 more monthly donors to our Education Fund? We do appreciate your help.

Shalom ....and may you all survive the hot boreal summer in the North!

Electrical service with a smile

Electrician in a woman-hole

I know everything about this big box

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Feb 14, 2024
Mentors Hold Up the Fort-itude

By Barbara Borgman | Project Manager

This mentor also teaches high school

Mentors Hold Up The Fortitude

It all comes of extending that parental kind of care. You know, the nurturing and watching over hatchlings, fussing over the details. Without sufficient watching over we flounder, with it we flourish. While nurturing isn’t limited to what only women can do to help younger people flourish, it just so happens that we four people managing this education funding program are, at the moment, all women. (But that is not going to stay that way.)

We turned what works, into policy at Ubuntu Education Fund: every beneficiary be under the watchful care of a mentor, a nurturer. This year we are giving formal attention to this ‘organically grown’ part of our program. We are discussing what works, finding out from students what interactions work well, what the commitment is, how to get better at it. We will take a good look at collected ideas of mentoring from outside sources, to improve our ‘serve’.

Students breathe easier when there is a listening ear at the other end of the cell phone. “I’ve just found out’…..and the momentary loss of breath and clear thinking is shared with someone experienced in navigating twists and turns of institutional life. It takes fortitude to reach the end of a school course when your background hasn’t provided all you actually need. Mentors help you get through the challenging moments.

‘Without you, Ma’am, I would never have been able to keep getting back up after failing that class.”

“She was always there where I could reach her, with a plan and a way to help me with my problems.”

“The job I have now I would never have without graduating, and if it weren’t for his counsel , I would give up because [school] was so hard.”

“He always said, yes, we can make a plan. He drove us to Johannesberg to enrol in our electrical student program.”

While the funding has been critical to paying for daily needs, registration, books, travel and costs of being away from home for all our students, it is the mentoring, the counsel, admonishment, praise and affirmation that has made all the difference in character, perseverance, recovering from failure.

Who doesn’t thrive under being held accountable by someone who is motivated by love for us?

We shout out a big thank you to the mentors of the students funded by UPEF. Your time, your heart, your caring are a gift to all of us and to our community.

a mentor of mentors, our hero

He is always by their side

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