Saturday, March 28, 2009

2007 GLOBAL SCHOOL REPORT

1. eSayidi FET College: Dell Pendock, Lynne Footit & Pauline Duncan
The eSayidi FET College has played a central role since 2005 when the 2005 Global School Journey made the tourist hotel at the Gamalakhe campus as its home, with the significant support of the rector, Dr Sipho J Nzimande, and staff.

· Accommodation: Judith Nqoko and team
Good accommodation is essential for the success of the Global School Journey, and this year, as in the years past, we have been blessed with excellent caring, catering and support from Judith Nqoko and her team. In fact, the eSayidi FETC Tourist Hotel soon became ‘home’ and every effort was made to make the GSJs comfortable.

· Décor: Dell Pendock
The art on the walls from Port Shepstone Junior Primary was both delightful and very colourful. This year the GSJs were invited to select items to take home.

· Entertainment: Phumzile Mgojo & Masakhane Youth Development
The Gamalakhe-based group provided excellent singing and dancing, and by the time the GSJs left, they were ‘competent’ Zulu singers and dancers too!

· Farewell Function: Dell Pendock & Bash Naidoo
The entire Global School Journey came together in celebratory fashion on Friday 26 October 2007 when a member of each host family booked into the eSayidi FET College Training Hotel and attended the final function, together with all stakeholders in the project. Singing, dancing, awarding of certificates of recognition, acknowledgement of roles played and laughter made the function memorable and significant, and highlighted the achieving of twinning and Global School Journey objectives in a superb way. The function ended with a meal of both South African and Swedish dishes.

· Transport: Lynne Footit, Nelly Zungu & Pauline Duncan
Safe and reliable transport is critical to the success of the Global School Journey. Apart from one incident on the first day, everything went well and all credit goes to the drivers from eSayidi FET College and Ziphakamise, Nelly and Lynne for their reliability and commitment.

· eSayidi FETC: Gamalakhe campus: Ms M Zama & Qaphela Mavundla
The Global School Journey delegates were made to feel very welcome on the campus and apart from the formal tour of the campus, they also met countless members of staff and students of the college, and guests staying at the hotel. Ms Zama was a gracious host whose frequent presence was appreciated, as was the support given to the GSJs by Qaphela Mavundla and his fellow students. Mr SS Nhlumayo and Mr Cele gave the GSJs a much appreciated and excellent insight into traditional Zulu apparel and weapons

2. Co-ordinators: Gulshera Khan & Pauline Duncan
The co-ordinators played a critical role in ensuring that the stay in rural homes and the programmes for the visits were of the highest order. This year the programme was expanded to include an additional co-ordinator for each rural area, as well as additional host families. This ensured the growth of the project within each hosting community, and spread the impact of the project.

For security reasons, Izingolweni was excluded as one of the rural areas and was replaced with Bhomela. The co-ordinators and co-co-ordinators are to be congratulated on the highly efficient execution of their responsibilities, and the support of one another. A number of planning meetings were held to prepare for the visit of the GSJs. These were well-attended and the level of discussion was excellent. All credit to the co-ordinators:
Mfazazana: Gertrude Lushaba and Mrs TA Gumede
Ekubusisweni: Londi Ngubane and Zodwa Shezi
Nyandezulu: Mzi Ndwalane and Dudu Malinga
Magog: Sibongile Zamisa and Nompumelelo Mvubu
Ezinqoleni: Joyce Majola and Nompumelelo Mzimbovu

3. Host families: Co-ordinators, Gulshera Khan & Pauline Duncan

The expansion of the 2007 programme led to the involvement of other families in the respective rural areas who welcomed the GSJs into their homes and their lives. Over the 3 years of the Global School Journey delegates living in homes in rural areas, the ideas to host and entertain them have developed and the hospitality shown has been outstanding. It has been regarded by both the guests and the hosts to be a privilege to be part of the process, and epitomises the objectives of the project.

4. Rural programme: Co-ordinators, Gulshera Khan & Pauline Duncan
The rural programme differed in a number of ways from that of 2005 and 2006, and these changes were generally an improvement. They included the following:
· Only one evening was spent in Gamalakhe following the GSJs’ arrival before leaving for rural visits.
· The rural stays included weekends, which allowed more interaction with the respective communities and attendance of churches and functions usually held on Saturdays and Sundays.
· The visit by each group to join South Coast Hospice teams on their visits to patients in rural areas required considerable planning, including transport, lunches etc but were successfully executed.
· The programme included the Swedes spending a day with the children of their host family or neighbours, including schools.

5. Safety and Security: Daniel Malishe
Victor Chetty and the Directorate of Hibiscus Coast Municipality Protection Services and the relevant SAPS police stations once again were outstanding with their support in terms of safety and security issues.

6. Doctors on call: Gulshera Khan & Pauline Duncan
Dr Kevin Naidoo and Dr Hilton Horsley once again volunteered their services, with the former doctor being visited by a number of ill Swedes and the latter, by the SA 2007 GSJ convenor! There is no accurate record of how much illness was caused by tick bites.

7. Gamalakhe: Clr Doctor Njoko
Another development in the 2007 programme was greater involvement of the Gamalakhe community in a number of ways. Clr Njoko, supported by Clr Sibusiso Zulu, organised the events. The GSJs enjoyed the early morning runs around Gamalakhe and the friendliness shown to them by the community.
· Tin Town: Ntombifuthi Shomela and Margery Njeje
The tour of Tin Town highlighted the history of the Group Areas Act that led to forced removals in the late 1960’s
· Dinner in Gamalakhe homes
The 5 groups of GSJs were hosted to dinner in different homes in Gamalakhe by members of the community.
· Church
The GSJs attended the church service held at the Gamalakhe Lower Primary School

8. South Coast Hospice: Christa Nightingale
Carol Immelman co-ordinated the visits by the groups. This part of the programme arose from a specific request by the 2007 GSJs when planning their visit.

9. PSHS and PSJPS: Dell Pendock
A request was made for the 2007 Global School Journey delegates to visit schools in Port Shepstone, as well as in the rural areas. This was organised for the days of their return from the rural areas and for practical and transport purposes, Port Shepstone High School and Port Shepstone Junior Primary were selected. However, other schools in Port Shepstone were also visited as part of the rural programme.


10. Port Shepstone: Bash Naidoo, Gulshera Khan & Pauline Duncan
The 2007 Global School Journey programme expanded on the 2006 day in Port Shepstone so that the GSJs would get an insight into various aspects and history of our society, namely local government, religion, non-governmental organisations and the town itself.

The day started with a diet of no meat at breakfast or at the tea hosted by Hibiscus Coast Municipality, in order that the GSJs could enter the Hindu temple later that day. The respective hosts were most gracious and generous, and the various visits fulfilled the stated purpose. And the shopping was much enjoyed by all! The programme was as follows:
· Hibiscus Coast Municipality: Deirdre Rankin, Xolani Dlangalala &
Annelien Richter
· Port Shepstone Jumma Musjid: Ridwan Peer
· Practical Ministries: Devi Munsamy
· Port Shepstone Hindu Temple: Bobby Naidoo
· Safety & Security: Port Shepstone Protection Services

11. Speakers: Gulshera Khan, Lynne Footit & Pauline Duncan
The 2007 programme did not include formal workshops as in the past, but rather invited respected and involved members of the community and organisations to talk to the GSJs. This was most successful as it allowed for interaction and participation.
· Rev Dr and Mrs KEM Mgojo: SA history from a personal perspective
· Mayor SB Cele: Ugu District Municipality
· Dr Nhlumayo: Zulu culture
· Lynne Footit: Ziphakamise
· Mabuyi Mnguni: Ugu District HIV & Aids
· Shamitha Ramsuran: Child Welfare South Africa
· Christa Nightingale: KZN Department of Health: Oral Health

12. Publicity: Bash Naidoo
The local press was most co-operative in reporting on the 2007 Global School Journey and attending a number of functions.
· South Coast Herald
· South Coast Fever

13. Certificates: Lynne Footit
Certificates of Recognition were presented to the various individuals and organisations involved with the project, as a gesture of gratitude and acknowledgement of their kindness and contribution to the success of the 2007 Global School Journey.

14. Finances: Gulshera Khan
This is a critical area and all due care was taken that the financial aspects were dealt with with utmost care and integrity.

15. Lake Eland
On the final Saturday of the visit, the entire delegation and Pauline Duncan went to Lake Eland where they stayed in the log cabins overnight.

16. Oskarshamn Municipality delegation
A delegation of 5 from the Oskarshamn Municipality, led by Mayor Peter Wretlund, and
accompanied by OSAK chairman, Tormod Nesset, joined the 2007 GSJs at the hotel on the
last night. The GSJs sat in their 6 municipal groupings with an individual member of the Oskarshamn delegation, and reported on their experiences of the past few weeks. Mayor Shusha, Clr C Mqwebu and Victor Chetty of Hibiscus Coast Municipality attended this most appropriate and meaningful end to the 2007 Global School Journey.


17. Bo Hellström and the 2007 Global School Journey delegates
Every year we think, “That was the best ever.” And this year was no exception, but allow me to hasten to add that each GSJ group has been the best ever!

The miracle of the Global School Journey each year is that it is so successful. And this we attribute to the excellent leadership and preparation of the groups by Bo Hellström, my counterpart in Sweden, and the excellent selection of delegates, better known as GSJs. We are very grateful to you all in Sweden for your outreach to us, and we are sure that you know how much our lives have been enriched as a result of the Global School Journeys. We hope that yours have been similarly enriched.

In ending this report, I would like to say the following:

In giving thanks and credit to everyone who has helped to make the 2007 Global School Journey such a success, I can think of no better way of doing this than describing ubuntu, the philosophy of morality, humaneness, care, understanding and empathy, of sharing and hospitality, of honesty and humility, as defined in Mike Boon’s The African Way.

Ubuntu is best explained through the expression: umuntu ngumuntu ngamuntu, which means:
A person is only a person because of other people. Rank means nothing unless one’s spirit and humanity are of the same stature.

Ubuntu is not empirical. It does not exist unless there is interaction between people in a community. It manifests through the actions of people, through truly good things that people unthinkingly do for each other and for the community. One’s humanity can therefore only be defined through interaction with others.

It is believed the group is as important as the individual, and a person’s most effective behaviour is in the group. All efforts working towards this common good are lauded and encouraged, as are all acts of kindness, compassion and care, and the great need for human dignity, self-respect and integrity.

And so the success of the 2007 Global School Journey is your success. Congratulations and thank you.

Pauline Duncan
Convenor: 2007 Global School Journey