The Background

In June 2018, two staff and seven students from Leeds Trinity University (LTU) will travel to KwaZulu Natal, South Africa for the inaugural International Volunteering visit. Preparation for this visit started in 2017 when Chris Rowley (Lecturer in Sport) and Diane Maguire (Lecturer in Primary Education) accompanied St. Mary’s Menston high school on what was their eleventh yearly visit to the region as part of the Bambisanani Partnership (https://www.bambisananipartnership.org). During this visit, they spoke to teachers and pupils within the primary and secondary schools in the region, as well as meeting with key Bambisanani partners from the University of Leeds, with a view to establishing future opportunities for LTU to make an additional contribution to the wider work of the partnership. The blog that Chris and Diane wrote during this initial visit documents some of the heart-warming, inspirational and genuinely rewarding experiences that they had on this visit, and can be accessed via the following link: https://chrisrowleyltu.wordpress.com

Following on from this initial visit, plans were put in place for LTU students to accompany their counterparts from University of Leeds on their 2018 visit, to help assist with the sport and leadership orientated programmes that they run with a number of primary and secondary schools in the area. In addition to this, the inclusion of four LTU Primary Education students within our travelling party will allow us to spend more time within the classrooms of the corresponding schools, collaborating with the teachers in these schools to allow for the sharing of ideas and good practice. This development represents an extension of the great work that the Bambisanani partners already carry out within the region, and will hopefully be of mutual benefit to all those involved from both South Africa and importantly, LTU.

KwaZulu Natal is one of the poorest, rural areas of South Africa, with approximately one in three adults infected by HIV/AIDS, 90% unemployment rates and an adult illiteracy rate greater than 60%. The primary and secondary schools in the region typically serve vast ‘catchment’ areas, with many students walking two hours to and from school each day. Class sizes are often in excess of sixty students, and corresponding resources are often, unfortunately, at a premium. In spite of this, the commitment and enthusiasm that pupils show in relation to their education is absolutely exemplary, and goes some way towards illustrating the perceived importance of education within the region.

Staff took so much inspiration from working with individual pupils within the South African schools as part of the visit last year, and we are genuinely so excited about the prospect of continuing work in the region this year alongside students from LTU. To our mind, whilst the work that the Bambisanani Partnership has done over the years has undoubtedly left a tangible impact on individuals and infrastructure within the region, there will also have been a reciprocal benefit for any individual lucky enough to have been involved in a visit.

Our Mission

The aims of the wider Bambisanani Partnership are;

• To develop empathy, trust and respect for others through collaborative activities, celebrating cultural variety and richness

• To use sport to promote education, health, global understanding and leadership

• To embed the concept of Global Citizenship and the importance of international links within whole school development planning and pedagogy

In line with these principles, as well as the corresponding vision and objectives of the partnership, LTU staff and students will be working with colleagues from the University of Leeds across a range of sporting and leadership programmes, as well as spending time within classrooms to help facilitate the two-way sharing of teaching practices and broader cultural appreciation. Across our two week visit, key activities will include;

• the delivery of curriculum lessons within a range of primary schools in the region;

• the running of a week-long ‘Cycle to Success’ cycling skills and bicycle maintenance programme at Mnyakanya High School

• the delivery of a week-long ‘Inspire through Sport’ inspirational leadership and sports programme to over 100 students from across four primary schools

• a visit to Zulufadder orphanage for HIV and AIDS orphans

• as well as a visit to a local game reserve and a Zulu cultural centre

This broad spectrum of work seeks to help the South African pupils develop key practical skills relating to a whole range of sporting activities, in addition to promoting the continued development of communication skills, leadership ability and confidence. In return, staff and students from LTU will have the privilege of spending an extended period of time within a unique and enlightening culture, developing their own cultural appreciation, as well as key employability and inter-personal skills also.

Purpose of this Fundraising

Whilst the necessary funding has already been secured for the 2018 visit, there are a number of ways in which the project could benefit from additional funds to help ensure the success of our first official visit, and with a view to ensuring the future sustainability of the project also. More specifically, we are currently seeking funds to purchase branded sports kit for staff and students to wear whilst on the visit, and an array of sporting equipment (footballs, netballs, rounders equipment) to be used across the various activities listed above, before subsequently being donated to the partner schools in South Africa.