Teaching at Teboho Trust

Saturday, July 26th – Day 8 (but whew! It definitely feels like a lot more!)
*** Teboho Trust in Soweto (The only place in the world where 2 Noble Peace Prize Winners grew up on the same street: Nelson Mandela and Bishop Tutu!)
It is an NGO that works with disadvantaged and often orphaned children. It has existed for over 7 years and now has 230 students. A place where children learn that education is freedom! During the week they go to school with a poor culture of teaching where the teachers are not passionate and not motivational. I am sure that this is one major factor which has lead a majority of the kids look down upon teaching as a future position/ profession.

Today we meet the students at the High School building. Actually our timing could not have been better. As it turns out, a teacher's mother has passed away on Friday and so as is customary of the area, friends and family come to pay their respects to those left behind for much of the day. Many ceremonies and traditions are practiced throughout the ceremony. Therefore, there were no teachers that day! All of the teachers that work with Teboho Trust are volunteers. Students have learned to be self-guided and peer leaders as well. Therefore the program continues but the primary focus and purpose of Teboho Trust is to create a safe place away from home, comfortable and supportive environment, and an opportunity to instill hope in children.

Jose Bright is an ingenious and very motivated man, but I'm sure he would have had a much more difficult day. I am blown away with how giving he is to the children and willing to go beyond his means to achieve his goals.

The kids are given the opportunity to dabble in the world of business and marketing. They promote jewelry, soaps and lip balm that had been hand made by the kids. They practice business and marketing right on the spot. Additionally, I was impressed to see their excellent packaging and labeling.

While in the classroom teaching a combined class of 6th and 7th grade I looked out the window and saw a group of women praying for at least 3 hours throughout the day. The stayed in a circular area and at one point a few women were laying on the ground. Upon asking the students who the women were we learned that they were Zionists. Furthermore, we had previously learned that Zionists are prominent in black areas and that the congregation is about 100% female while the minister is a male.

The power of cultural capital. Who ends up on top and who is not given the opportunity?