Learning from life not textbooks

Greetings from rainy Randfontein! Over the last two weeks, several storms have doused the Gauteng province, but the rain is necessary to turn the landscape green again and help usher in spring. While the intensity of the thunderstorms is unlike anything I have previously experienced, I am not letting the rain put a damper on my work in Munsieville. Last week Courtney and I led part two of our surveying and research methods class, and we taught the class how to format and administer a survey. We included lessons on the layout and visual design of the survey, how to format questions and avoid bias, and the different methods used to administer questionnaires and interviews. There were eleven people in attendance, and everyone seemed engaged in the lessons.

The best part of the class was teaching interviewing techniques and conducting mock interviews to demonstrate the process. Courtney and I exemplified both a good and bad way to interview someone and then asked the class to name some positive and negative aspects of our demonstration. Next, Courtney and I paired up everyone in the class, gave them a mock interview scenario, and had them act out a good and bad interview based on what they had just learned. Everyone demonstrated understanding of what Courtney and I were teaching. All the groups really expressed their creativity, and I was pleased that the class was so engaged in the activity. Courtney and I also got to conduct two Garden Soxx® training classes in Mshenguville. Because Safira had some trouble contacting some of the families, the training had to be rescheduled several times. It was exciting to finally have not one, but two Garden Soxx® classes in the community. After so much interest was shown in the project at the first class, Safira, Courtney, and I decided that a second class would be beneficial so that more people could learn about the Garden Soxx® project.

Because Courtney and I had already created our own Garden Soxx® sock and knew how to assemble it, we went to the first class and demonstrated how to create the sock. Once we did the demonstration, we let the ladies there work together to assemble a new sock. At the second class, Courtney and I let the ladies from the first class teach the new members who were at the second class, and the ladies created three new socks together. We felt this was a good way to encourage the women of Mshenguville to take ownership of the project because they are now the ones instructing others on sock assembly. I am excited about the future of this project, and I think that it will be sustainable in the community of Mshenguville in Munsieville. I am also happy to report that some of the ladies at the Children’s Embassy are starting to use the vegetables from the keyhole garden to made salads for the community! It is exciting to get to see the bountiful results of a small initiative that was started at the beginning of my internship. One of the highlights of last week occurred on Thursday when I got to spend an afternoon with Mama Gloria, the sister of Archbishop Desmond Tutu! Desmond Tutu is the patron of The Thoughtful Path and a respected social rights activist who has earned several awards and recognitions for his work. His sister lives in Munsieville, just down the street from the Children’s Embassy. It was a pleasure to spend the afternoon with Mama Gloria and hear her talk about her daily life and the people in Munsieville. She is truly an inspiring lady, and I am fortunate to have had the chance to meet her! Even though I am using several skill sets learned in my public health classes, there are some lessons I am learning that have not come from my textbooks. I don’t recall there being any chapters on how to converse with the sister of an Archbishop or drive in a foreign country and navigate my way through new places. Henry Rollins, a performer and spoken-word artist, said, “There are lessons that you can’t get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight.” That quote has proven to be true for me over the course of this internship! Travel truly brings enriching experiences and new lessons to be learned.

New recruits join The Thoughtful Path team

Project HOPE UK is pleased to welcome several new recruits to The Thoughtful Path in Munsieville.

Joining Betty Nkoana, Director, Operations are:
Thuli Mpanza, Project Coordinator
Thandi Ngaloshe, Public Health Mentor
Saffiera Sello, Public Health Mentor
Imelda Phetoe, Mental Health and Well-Being Mentor.
Gladys Hanxa has also joined the team, supporting Betty as office assistant.
We look forward to reporting on their work in the coming weeks.