Feedback from the University of Fort Hare students
The Nelson Mandela Institute (NMI) works closely with a group of students from the University of Fort Hare. These students are part of the Grounding Programme and they also assist in learner leadership development programmes. Here is their feedback on working with the Institute.
“To me the NMI means “changing the direction of the wave of development”. When you look at the wave of development, it seems to heading in one direction, that is, moving away from rural areas. It does not have to be that way and the NMI has clearly shown this through its work. It has made an amazing contribution to rural development and education.
“Through the ilima project, it has shown that development does not necessarily mean putting layers of concrete on African soil but using the resources that it already has (such as land) to good use. It has shown society the greatness in giving (without taking), which is a core principle of ubuntu. Usually it is the things that we cannot see, like energy, that adds more to people’s lives. What is amazing about the projects is the sustainability. The NMI means self-empowerment because that is what it has helped society to realise – invest in your own future, “plant a seed and help build a green future”. You can’t take away what the NMI has given to these communities.
Most inspiring is how it used creative writing as a way of tapping into what learners from rural areas had to offer to the world. It amplified the sound of distant voices so that the world could hear. It has helped in inculcating a culture of reading and writing which is priceless. Personally, it has presented me with the opportunity to see the world through a different lens.”
- Khanyisile Ngalo, University of Fort Hare
“I first started working with the NMI in June 2008 and from then on I haven’t looked back. The NMI helped me realise and understand that I have a social responsibility towards the world I live in. The painting of the school in Qunu made me understand the importance of humanity in the learning environment. When I left the school on Sunday I knew I had made the learning experience of other learners bearable. I believe the work that NMI is undertaking is inculcating a spirit of ubuntu in the volunteers and the communities concerned. I undertook my first Ilima when xenophobic attacks were on the increase but I was touched and amazed at the hospitality that we received at the school and at the Institute.
I would like the Institute to grow further and be established in other provinces as it is doing a great job in building a better South Africa for all.”
- Thandeka Dube, University of Fort Hare
“My first encounter with the NMI was in June 2008 and my outlook on education and related matters has never been the same. The efforts made by the Institute in uplifting the rural young through education over the past few years has aroused hope for the young who come from underprivileged backgrounds. In so doing the Institute has also given hope to South Africa as a whole. It has shown that one deed and a commitment towards the right direction is sufficient to get the rest of the world to, firstly, think about the status quo of our education system and, secondly, to do what needs to be done in ensuring that we move forward as a country.
One of the initiatives taken by the NMI which has had a major impact on the lives of young people has been the Phemba Mfundi campaign. This campaign supports young learners in becoming better readers and writers, with the highlight of this campaign being the first publication of the learners’ poetry journal in 2009.
The Institute’s efforts in rural education are phenomenal, given their limited resources, both human and financial. I am particularly a great fan of the Institute’s Ilima Lokufunda. The interactions and cooperation with the communities on these iilima leaves one with a deep sense of unity and belonging. Halala nge Nelson Mandela Institute, halala!”
- Nqaba K Mpofu, University of Fort Hare
“In my first engagement with the NMI, at the Mqanduli ilima, I learnt and adopted the phenomenal heart of social responsibility, particularly a high sense of significantly existing for the benefit of not only yourself, but those around you. In this particular ilima, I believe as we painted Qunu Primary School’s walls in all beautiful, bright colours, we were equally painting beautiful smiles on the children’s faces. This makes a more motivating and conducive environment for learning, where learners and teachers feel well appreciated and loved.
The NMI has struck me as the hand that gladly invites all people to be the fingers which together can make meaningful prints in the South African educational sector to create a better world. A world which makes space for new ideas, new knowledge, ubuntu and development in all areas.”
- Thembile Mlobane, University of Fort Hare
“I first heard about the NMI in 2008 when I joined the Grounding Programme Students Round Table. I joined ilima, which involved trips to Qunu to renovate schools.
“At first, I went to get away and just pass time but I found it to be more than that. An ilima experience is priceless and fulfilling. Apart from learning or unleashing skills that I didn’t know I had, such as painting and drawing on buildings. I learnt to work with diverse people as a collective to reach a common goal. The act of doing something out of free will to make less fortunate people happy was like winning the lotto or buying a first car, so fulfilling.
The NMI has given me a spirit I did not have or tried to find, togetherness, compassion and giving. Through the LKA programme, my knowledge has been used in the act of trying to make the learning of future students more enjoyable and humanistic. I am a facilitator and have made new friends and have learnt to be a good listener and to be patient. I hope the legacy continues.”
- Abigail Mhanogo, University of Fort Hare
“My primary engagement with the Institute was encouraged by my zeal for concrete and purposeful academic development, as a tool to sustain and maintain human communities. Bearing in mind the African situation with relation to current literacy levels amongst the young and elderly, institutions of higher education such as the University of Fort Hare have a pivotal role to play in general curriculum renewal and institutional development (which is already taking place in the form of the LKA/GP and SP2008 at UFH). My thirst was quenched as my journey began to take shape in the direction of social regeneration. Since 2007 the NMI has exposed me to experiences (learning) such as youth leadership conferences for young teenagers, the rural ilima lokufunda (repairing, equipping and furnishing schools), curriculum development for tertiary institution level and basic literacy and numeracy skills facilitation for primary and high school learners.
Through the various experiences, certain patterns and functionalities emerge that in reality construct and shape the reasons and means for the educational development efforts that we generate. For example, concepts like “high winning bar” and the Vygotskian education theory that emphasises collective learning modes and the notion that “there is no wrong or right answer, just relevant opinions” are some of the basic working principles that mould the spirit within NMI educational development efforts. As a person and as a young academic, I have had emancipating experiences in the field work that I have been conducting within literacy and numeracy skills development in particular. My research and my writing and precise articulation capabilities have been tweaked most definitely.
In reality, if there is going to ever be a just and civil society that respects the basic humanising and reconciling elements about it, individuals and groups and eventually communities are going to have to initiate and participate in their maximum and willing capacity. We have a responsibility to develop and nourish the treasure of the learning culture amongst all. This learning culture is not a privilege, but a basic necessity for all.”
- Sbusiso Mnyanda, University of Fort Hare