Bambisanani Partnership teams learn and make a difference in South Africa
The 20th anniversary year of the Bambisanani Partnership has seen four groups from St. Mary’s School, Menston, the University of Leeds, Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College visit South Africa.
Across more than two months, 44 students and 11 staff worked with 29 primary, secondary and special schools, reaching more than 4,400 young people through a range of sport, education, leadership and literacy programmes.
All Bambisanani projects are ‘needs led’, with South African schools and communities involved in their development and delivery. At the heart of the partnership is a shared belief in the power of sport and education to connect young people and enable them to ‘work together and learn together’.
St. Mary’s School, Menston
The partnership began 20 years ago through a collaboration between St. Mary’s School and Mnyakanya School in Nkandla. The relationship between the two schools has continued to grow despite the distance between them, creating opportunities for friendship, international collaboration and reciprocal learning.
This year’s visit to Mnyakanya formed part of special 20th anniversary celebrations organised by members of the Zulu community, reflecting the spirit of Ubuntu (shared humanity ‘I am because we are’) and the unique bond between the two schools.
Students from both countries worked together on the Bambisanani Leadership Through Sport programme, culminating in student-led Sports and Reading Festivals for 120 pupils from Ntolwane Primary School. The St. Mary’s team also delivered its annual Athletics Festival for more than 200 children from 10 local primary schools, as well as a Sports Day at Thembinfundo Special School alongside students from Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College.
A visit to uMlalazi Day Centre and Creche, run by the Zulufadder Children’s Trust, was another important part of the St. Mary’s programme. The partnership has worked closely with the centre for 20 years, providing students with the opportunity to learn from staff, including Popi Buthelezi, who has dedicated her life to supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS.
St. Mary’s teacher Charlotte Wood said the students had been “a credit to the school and Bambisanani Partnership”, adding that they had developed valuable skills in leadership, teamwork, resilience and communication.
University of Leeds and KZN Cycling
The University of Leeds has been a key member of the Bambisanani Partnership for more than a decade and has played an important role in developing the internationally recognised Bambisanani Cycling programme with KZN Cycling. This programme has seen more than 14,000 young people being taught how to ride and maintain bikes.
Increasing girls’ participation in cycling has become a key priority. During this year’s visit, the team worked closely with girls and women in local communities to better understand the barriers to participation and explore ways to address them.
KZN Cycling appointed Noxolo as a female development officer, coach, mentor and role model, while Dr Poppy Bhengu, a Bambisanani volunteer and researcher from the University of Western Cape, supported engagement with local communities.
Led by Suzzi Garnett, the team delivered 20 cycling clinics across six schools, involving 819 young people. Most notably, girls accounted for 57% of participants during the visit, compared with just 5% in the preceding months.
The partnership will continue to research and develop approaches to improve girls’ participation and retention in cycling. During the visit, the university team and KZN Cycling also received the prestigious International Physical Education and Sport Charity of the Year Award on behalf of the partnership.
Dr Poppy Bhengu said the experience demonstrated the importance of “collaboration, listening and understanding the communities we seek to serve”, particularly when addressing the barriers affecting girls’ participation.
The university team also delivered a successful Sports and Leadership Festival involving three primary schools in Eshowe.
Newcastle College
Newcastle College has been involved in the partnership for several years, with lecturer and Bambisanani trustee Brogan O’Connor leading student groups to South Africa for the past four years.
This year, students and staff spent three weeks working with Matholamnyama Secondary School, Ngqamzana Primary School, Thembinfundo Special School and uMlalazi Day Centre and Creche. Through sports coaching, leadership workshops and literacy sessions, they engaged with 846 children.
Brogan described the experience as “transformative for all involved”, while students highlighted the impact of learning from the resilience, positivity and enthusiasm of the young people they met.
Barry Rizza, Enrichment and Development Manager at Newcastle College, said it had been particularly rewarding to see students who had never worked together develop into a confident and supportive team, demonstrating leadership, adaptability and professionalism in an unfamiliar environment.
Newcastle Sixth Form College
This year also marked the first South African visit for Newcastle Sixth Form College. Supported by Brogan O’Connor, 12 students and two members of staff, Ashley Knowles and Lyanne Fellows, worked with schools and communities in Eshowe and the Nkandla region.
Using sport, leadership, literacy and education, the group helped create opportunities for young people in both countries to learn from one another.
The team supported sports activities involving an impressive 1,391 South African children, while 12 young people took part in leadership activities, 25 in reading and literacy sessions and around 150 in activities across other areas of the curriculum.
The group worked with Gratton School, Vumanhlamvu Primary School, Thembinfundo Special School and Magqama Secondary School.
For the students, adapting to teaching and coaching in a different environment was a significant part of the experience. Charlie Burgess described the growth in his confidence as he worked with younger children, while Arian Cheikh Daoud highlighted the enthusiasm of the South African pupils and the way sport brought students together.
One of the highlights was a joint Sports Day at Thembinfundo Special School, where students from Newcastle Sixth Form College, Newcastle College and St. Mary’s delivered 10 activities, including javelin, parachute games and boccia. Around 250 students took part before the day ended with singing, dancing and an awards presentation.
The visit also gave the UK teams the opportunity to see the progress of a major Bambisanani project, developed with the local community, which has provided clean water, toilets and showers at the school.
Ashley Knowles reflected on the experience, saying that the enthusiasm of the young people demonstrated the importance of providing genuine opportunities to learn, engage and succeed. She also emphasised that the learning was mutual, with the visiting students returning home having gained new skills, perspectives and relationships.
Celebrating 20 years of partnership
The four visits have demonstrated once again the lasting impact of the Bambisanani Partnership and the opportunities created when schools, colleges, universities and communities work together across international borders.
David Geldart, Founder and Volunteer CEO of the Bambisanani Partnership, praised the students and staff involved, highlighting the commitment of the partner institutions to providing experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom.
He said the visits help young people from both countries “see the world differently, and indeed their place in it”.
Since 2006 more than 44,500 young people and 62 schools, colleges and universities from both countries have participated in the various Bambisanani programmes and projects. As the partnership enters its third decade, it continues to demonstrate the power of sport, education and international friendship to create opportunities, develop confidence and bring communities together.
