Busy
Busy Busy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow!
For the past two weeks I’ve been running around working on all sorts of
projects!
De Doorns has been busy, but mostly the CBO has been
planning their next moves. We’ve supplied them with the knowledge and tools,
and now they’re busy planning when and where to implement their programs. And
with their grant money now in the bank, they can finally start taking action on
their own!
They’ve just started the HIV/AIDS awareness program
(grassroots soccer) program in one school, and are planning to take the program
to further schools in the area. This has been exciting to watch unfold, as our
organization used to be the ones scheduling these programs, and now we can
really see their CBO taking responsibility and empowering themselves :)
The group is also working on screening a documentary to
the community, which should happen next week when we go out to visit. Again,
they’re planning everything out, so there have been hiccups and a few delays,
but it’s definitely a learning process for the young organization which will
make a strong foundation for the years to come.
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| Checking the carrots' progress-- (early April), should be ready soon! |
The garden is growing strong! A few things have been harvested (some more beetroot), but the carrots are getting there, and the maize too. But the tomatoes might still take some time!
Hopefully everything decides to grow fast, as winter is quickly approaching! And in De Doorns, they get some snow on the mountains. Hopefully we can harvest most of it in the next few weeks.
Another more visible aspect of the progress is their new Windy
House (/Tool Shed). The group decided to buy this shed to place in their garden
for tools and equipment storage but to also use as meeting space of their own.
With this shed they will become quite independent, not needing to wait on us to
gain access of the church hall for their meetings, or to store their paperwork/equipment
in our room at the church. I think this meeting place will really help the
organization to grow, as it’s a visible symbol to the community too that they’re
here to stay! The shed was delivered while we were away this weekend, but I’m
excited to see it next weekend!
The main focus that has been keeping me crazy-busy these
past few weeks is the Unite as One campaign—of which I’ve played a huge part in
getting it off the ground. One of our partner organizations seemed like they
were having trouble scheduling the start of our program (that was supposed to start
early March), so we had to step in and make things happen. So for the past few
weeks I’ve been calling tons of local schools, setting up meetings, and
scheduling school visits. Alongside that, I also I’ve also been organizing my
questionnaire and all of the paperwork needed for the campaign to come
together, but it finally has.
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| Me & 3 facilitators at a screening at a school in the Langa township. |
The campaign has really taken off
this month! In the past two weeks we have now started our School Project in 8 schools around the Cape Town area.
Each school received a documentary screening to start the program. The
documentary we used in partnership with STEPS organization, discussed the
diversity and cultural division in a local school. It was filmed a few years
ago by local high school students, interviewing their friends about their own
opinions of the divisions and discrimination at their school. After each
screening, our trained facilitators lead discussions in which, learners were
able to brainstorm ways to decrease issues of division and embrace cultural
diversity. Some of the facilitators were actually the girls that made the documentary,
so it was pretty cool to have them involved. They were able to really bring
these issues to the kids, and give examples of their own experiences as foreign
nationals here in Cape Town. The screenings were a great way to introduce the
campaign, and get the students thinking about our aims: PEACE, UNITY, and
HUMANITY!
The second step in the School
Project is cultural diversity workshops, led by our partners the Institute of
Healing of Memories (IHOM) has also started in a few of the schools. These workshops have continued with the aims
of peace, unity, and humanity. With an in depth workshop program, IHOM has been
able to break the learners into small groups to discuss the positive aspects of
cultural diversity at a deeper level. These first workshops have been well
received by the learners, and over the next few weeks these schools will
receive the rest of the 3 workshops.
Another part of the School Project
that will be starting soon is the mural creation. Three of the schools, and one in De Doorns (so far) will also take part
in cultural diversity workshops which will result in a mural. These murals will
be painted at each school, to encourage the rest of the school to embrace
peace, unity, and humanity too! At these schools, a core group of ‘artists’ have
been selected for this mural project and their workshops will begin in next
week and continue throughout May.
This month, the Unite as One
campaign has also had the 2nd filmmaking workshop over 2days last
weekend, with our 12 youth from a nearby township. These students have been
selected to realize short documentaries reflecting their own experiences with
cultural diversity. At the second workshop, all 12 students pitched their story
ideas to a panel of professional filmmaking judges. Of all the wonderful
presentations, 4 stories were selected. The learners then formed 4 groups, and
decided their different roles in the filmmaking process (directing, producing,
camera, sound).
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| Film making workshop |
After lunch, one girl’s group-mates had to leave early, so I
got to work with her. It was such a fun experience. As she was the director and
creative mind, I was there to help take notes, and prompt her with questions
that would further develop the “journey” that her documentary would take us on.
So while I was there to assist the filmmaker who was teaching the workshop, I
was also able to participate, and learn a lot about filmmaking!
For the second day of the workshop the students worked to
develop their stories and will continue with this process until their next
workshop. I am so very impressed with these kids and their stories. In some of
the documentaries, the students will be sharing their own personal stories of
discrimination and struggle or that of their close friends. Even just hearing
them pitch their stories made me very emotional. These learners have been
through so much, at only age 15-16, and have such strength to want to share
their story to help educate others. I am
so proud of them!
Sadly though, their next workshop won’t be until June, so
I won’t get the opportunity to watch the process unfold, but I look forward to
hearing about it, and seeing the finished product. These stories will be very
powerful documentaries and I am so thankful to have been part of this project.
So with quite a few busy pas weeks,
the campaign is right on track and has many more activities planned for the
next few months! But unfortunately these exciting parts are all things I’m
helping to plan, but won’t be around to see come to fruition. As my time winds
down here, I’m finally starting to feel heavily invested in the community, and
I know that it won’t be the end of my connection to Cape Town.
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| Cape Town-- view from on top of Lion's Head |
Aside from all of these busy
projects I’m working on at Scalabrini, I’ve also been busy writing my research
proposal and grant proposals for my PhD research. I’m planning to continue my
invested interest here in South Africa, and research ways to reduce prejudice
in the context of South Africa. I will
be continuing my Masters research, but in a new context, with an applied
methodology. The only thing holding me back so far, is funding (hah as usual),
so I’m busy writing research grant proposals and applying for scholarships too!
Wish me luck!
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| Cape Town/Devil's Peak--view from on top of Lion's Head |
While I’m starting to feel sad about leaving in a few
weeks (only 2 more De Doorns trips left), I’m looking forward to being able to
use my time here in a positive way. I hope the next time I come back I will be
much more impactful!
I’ll
write more soon!
For
now if you’re also interested in following the Unite campaign on Facebook here’s
a link: www.facebook.com/unite.as.one
Theres
a pretty cool video about the campaign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjwxMoHWeGA
& pictures on the fbook page too!
Lots
of love!
Laura
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