Leeds North West MP and Climate Minister, Katie White has paid tribute to the Bambisanani Partnership on a recent visit to its founding school, St. Mary’s, Menston.
The pioneering international partnership is celebrating its 20th anniversary, having brought together more than 40,000 young people from Yorkshire and South Africa.
The award-winning charity has grown to involve more than 60 schools and universities across both countries, using sport to improve education, develop leadership skills and build friendships between young people.
The entirely volunteer-run initiative has delivered programmes ranging from literacy and numeracy through sport to international athletics competitions, cycling projects and training for teachers and sports coaches.
Katie met founder David Geldart, school staff and sixth form students to hear how the partnership has developed and the difference it continues to make.
Katie White MP said: "What an extraordinary thing to have started right here in Menston. Twenty years ago, two schools on opposite sides of the world decided to work together. Today, more than 40,000 young people have been part of something really special. What I love about Bambisanani is that it's not about one school helping another. It's about young people learning from each other, building friendships and discovering what they're capable of. David, the teachers, volunteers and students should be incredibly proud of what they've built."
David Geldart, founder of the Bambisanani Partnership, said: "When I reflect on the Bambisanani Partnership and what it has become, I feel an enormous sense of pride, but also of gratitude. What began as a simple idea, bringing young people together through sport, education and friendship, has grown into something far greater than I could ever have imagined. Over the years, we have seen confidence grow, aspirations raised, friendships formed and barriers broken down. Perhaps most importantly, we have seen young people recognise that, despite differences in background, culture or circumstance, they have far more in common than they might have imagined.”
The partnership's name comes from the Zulu phrase meaning 'working hand in hand', reflecting the principle of mutual learning that has guided its work since the beginning.
It now works with schools and universities across the UK and South Africa, including the University of Leeds, and continues to provide opportunities for young people in the remote Nkandla region of KwaZulu-Natal.
