The following is an update by Lehigh alum and SAEDI representative in South Africa during the summer of 2010, Frank Koos.

South Africa Education Development Initiative 2010

Week 1

Paarl is an area of contrast. The beauty of the mountains, the vinyards, and the old, Dutch architecture are a rouse as you drive to Amstelhof Primer for the first time. I was thinking, “this ain’t so bad,” as I soaked up the scenery and marveled that I was in Africa. As we crossed the Berg River, from the pleasant little town’s main street, the landscape began to change dramatically. The school’s surrounding neighborhoods were quite a shock.

We met with the senior management team of four trusted and long-tenured teachers for the first time in Mr. De Jager’s small, functional, modestly decorated office. We were greeted warmly, but also with a quiet curiosity. “Why were we here?” was clearly the look on the teachers faces. After a brief period of introductions and exchanges of roles and expectations, we were off on a tour of the school. The facility was clean and in fairly decent condition. The classrooms had tables, chairs, and chalkboards like you would expect, but clearly the furnishings were from another decade or two, or even three earlier. The temperature was very cool in the building. It is not fully enclosed and, more importantly, we quickly learned it has no heat (or hot water). As we entered the classrooms the students were directed to stand and greet us in English, “Good morning sir, Good morning ma’am.”

We walked outside for a tour of the grounds. Most of the building was in need of a fresh coat of paint, a few new windows, and the grounds in need of some landscaping to hide the barbed wire topped fence which surrounds most of the facility. The lack of any real formal play area was highlighted. Mr. de Jager’s dream is to build a modest sports field for the kids to play soccer, net ball, rugby, and cricket.

Ever present is the backdrop of the “squatter camp”. This neighborhood consists of small, squalid flats patched together from corrugated tin, cardboard, and any gathered material that has been minimally fabricated together to form a wall or a roof. The flats have no running water or electricity, with the exception of a few that have electricity that is illegally and dangerously wired in from bootlegged connections. The water is sourced from a community faucet and the residents share a shanty outhouse. Most of the children, however, seem to be somewhat unaffected by their surroundings as they almost always have warm, welcoming smiles, and an ever present curiosity, and eagerness about them. “Hello, Frank!” they love to say as they await my response with a large grin.

After the tour we recapped our expectations and agreed, in addition to working on the Lehigh Science Saturday project, we would help in immediate and tactical ways such as: setting up a school library, reading to the kids in English, assisting in the launch of the sister school program with Asa Packer Elementary School in PA via Skype and video journals, facilitating computer/Internet training for both teachers and kids, and helping out wherever needed. We were on our way!

Driving in the opposite side of the car on the opposite side of the road has been a fun challenge. Everyone has been very friendly, welcoming and accommodating, which has made navigating around and meeting people much easier than we expected. The weather has already changed quickly as it’s the start of winter and I have discovered there is minimal heating in many of the homes and businesses, to include where we’re staying. Note to self, pack warmer clothes next time.
As the week progressed we met many of the teachers, many of whom have been teaching for many years, some for as long as 30 years or more. A few have taught at Amstelhof for their entire career. Mr. de Jager is clearly the leader and is motivated to continually improve the quality of every aspect of the school for the ultimate benefit of the children.

On Saturday mornings, the students most in need walk to Amstelhof Primary School to receive a serving of warm, hearty soup and slices of bread. The children arrive sometimes with younger brothers and sisters tagging along, their friends, and sometimes even a parent or grandparent, all seeking something to eat. This sponsored program provides the only meal many of these kids will have all weekend.

On our first Saturday to provide a lending hand for the soup function. A few children were already in line when we arrived. While they waited for instructions to be seated, many shivered relentlessly, as they were dressed in insufficient clothing for the winter weather. As more children arrived, we noticed many had no shoes, had torn clothes, or wore clothes that were simply inadequate for the cold, wet, blustery conditions. We could only imagine how hard life must be for these little ones, and yet as they stood in line, they smiled, played, laughed and looked forward to their bowl of soup and slices bread with great anticipation.
Throughout the morning as we interacted with the students, teachers, and other volunteers, we were overwhelmed with emotions of great joy, sadness, guilt, and angst, but mostly a strong desire to help these children.

Week 2

It has been another productive and very busy week here. In addition to our work at the school, we travelled to Stellenbosch University for meetings with different groups working to provide teacher enrichment and science programs for the students at Amstelhof. These programs have already been researched by the Lehigh SAEDI team and we followed up on a few open items. On Friday we visited a nearby primary school, Mbekweni, located in an impoverished black township, to discuss possible partnerships between the teachers and students at Amstelhof, Mbekweni and Lehigh. Although both schools teach English, Amstelhof is primarily Afrikaans speaking while Mbekweni is Xhosa speaking – there may be an issue with the language barrier for the younger students who haven’t learned English, which is usually taught starting at the 3-4th grade levels. Overall the meeting was productive as the school embraced the idea of collaboration with both Amstelhof and Lehigh. We have some next steps as details will be discussed after the teachers and administrators return from the winter holiday in July.

There are an overwhelming number of dogs lying on the side of the road, roaming through the streets, searching on the ground for food, and avoiding people they have been conditioned to fear. Last week we stopped by the local SPCA to see if there was anything we could do to help. Every Tuesday and Thursday the SPCA visits Paarl communities to provide a “dip” service to rid the dogs of fleas and other parasites, to conduct a brief check-up, and to educate on the importance of spaying/neutering the animals. We were able to schedule a “dip” service to be provided for the students and teachers at Amstelhof Primary School to bring their dog for the complimentary service. As part of our offer to help, we will provide snacks as an incentive for the children to attend and purchase food and treats for the dogs to have a nourishing meal.

Also, next week begins the start of the 5 week holiday for all the schools in SA. This is an especially difficult time for some students in the poor areas because this means there are no daily meals that they routinely get during the school day, there are no structured activities to occupy all their free time, and many kids are influenced to use drugs and alcohol at such a young age. To help address this concern, the teachers have volunteered to make the school available to students on Tuesday and Thursday from 10-2pm. We will be at the school on those days to organize watching the World Cup, playing different sports, watching movies, and providing other structured activities. A new project has emerged to help the school enhance their website. We will look to some of the expertise at Lehigh to help with this endeavor.

We have found that there is still a lot of discussion about Apartheid, from the teachers and older generations. They feel it is important for outsiders to understand some of the history that continues to exist in SA. The terms coloured, black, and white are used frequently and there is still a legacy of Apartheid and segregation based on where people live, where the kids go to school, and how people generally conduct their lives. However, one thing that remains consistent is the excitement around the World Cup. Ironically, we’ve heard the largest contingent of visitors will be from the US.

A pleasant surprise and highlight to the week was a visit to the school by another Lehigh Alumni, Toni Marraccini. Toni is a graduate student in Cape Town at the University of the Western Cape where she is focused on public health studies. Toni discussed plans with the staff at Amstelhof for the school garden initiative which was very well received.

Week 3

All South Africans were a part of history when the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa kicked off Friday afternoon. There has been much anticipation and preparation for the start of the World Cup as the school break was extended for 2 additional weeks and businesses closed early. Local people and dignitaries in the Paarl area joined in the spirit and festivities at a rally sponsored by the municipality that included a hosted opening day celebration, complete with a jumbo outdoor screen to view the opening ceremony and game, local dancers, and concession stands. There was a lot of excitement, flag waving, cheering and people dressed to support the home team, Bafana Bafana. There was also a moment to honor Madiba, Nelson Mandela, for his legacy in ending Apartheid and creating a democratic country. This event has captured the attention and imagination of the whole country. It has literally transcended all classes and races, uniting the people. It was exciting to be included in such an important and proud moment in the history of SA. Many of the teachers and students from Amstelhof were in attendance at the festivities.

Earlier in the week, the teachers organized a traditional Braai, or roast, the African version of the American barbeque. The Braai consists of a hot open fire using wood for fuel, where the men slowly grilled Snoek, a popular local ocean fish, chicken, lamb, and sausage. At the “Bring and Braai” the women brought a favorite prepared dish, which were mostly salads and vegetables. We chose to bring pizza (haha) since we have no real kitchen. The gathering lasted many hours into the night and there was much socializing, music, and dancing.

Also, the school assembled in the spirit of the World Cup where each grade performed a traditional or modern dance. The 7th graders performed to Micheal Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us”, mastering the famous moonwalk and other signature (need I say more) moves. Most of the students and teachers have learned the Diski Dance, the popular soccer-inspired dance choreographed for the World Cup. The students have lots of questions about “America,” especially about Michael Jackson, Rhianna, Oprah, California, the Lakers, American Football, and the Yankees.

I’ve found myself being captivated by the people and the culture and enthusiastically cheering for Bafana, Bafana!

Week 4

This was the first full week of the break. Tuesday was the first day of the school open out of session and it rained most of the day. To our disappointment the SPCA rescheduled the “dip” at the last minute due to the inclement weather. Many students had already bought their dogs to the school so there was a festive atmosphere as the dogs and children played in the rain, and enjoyed a relaxed day. David Abrahams, the assistant principal, rolled out the worn ping pong table and many students gathered around to play as others watched videos. Many boys played rugby on the parking lot surface as the girls played netball. We sponsored the lunch for the students and the dogs and a good time was generally had by all.

We also visited the Western Cape Primary Science Program in a town called Philippi about 35 minutes outside of Paarl near Cape Town. This was also a follow-up visit for the SAEDI team. The program is run by a small and diverse team of talented and dedicated education professionals and is independently funded mostly by grants from local businesses. We were impressed by the enthusiasm and expertise of the staff and the materials for the teacher enrichment programs.

On Thursday we helped train some of the staff on the editing functions of the video cameras and helped to produce two complete videos from the various clips from the previous weeks. We also we were invited to join a small group of the teachers at a local restaurant and enjoyed a few glasses of beer and wine and shared stories and information about our lives and experiences. Plans were also made for future get togethers while everyone is on break!

Very cool, the SAEDI work is very exciting. Also nice that the school is staying open during World Cup to minimize disruptions.