NEWS
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 Suzzie 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.
Newcastle Sixth Form College students make an impact in South Africa
With the support of Newcastle College, Newcastle Sixth Form College have become the fifth UK Educational institution to become involved in educational visits to South Africa as part of the Bambisanani Partnership. Students and staff from Newcastle Sixth Form College have recently returned from an unforgettable 18-day visit to KwaZulu-Natal.
The team, comprising 12 students and two members of staff, Ashley Knowles and Lyanne Fellows, travelled to Eshowe and Nkandla region to work alongside local schools and communities. Throughout the visit, the group used sport, leadership, literacy and education to build relationships and create opportunities for young people from Newcastle and South Africa to learn from one another.
A major focus of the visit was using sport as a way of engaging young people. Across the visit, an incredible 1,391 South African children engaged in sports-related activities delivered and supported by the team. Alongside this, 12 young people participated in leadership activities, 25 took part in reading and literacy sessions, and around 150 were involved in activities across other areas of the curriculum.
The team visited and worked alongside several schools during their time in KwaZulu-Natal, including Gratton School, Vumanhlamvu Primary School, Thembinfundo Special School and Magqama Secondary School, with the visit also providing an opportunity to establish a relationship with a new school.
For the Newcastle Sixth Form College students, adapting to coaching and teaching in a completely different environment quickly became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience.
Charlie Burgess said:
“It was a great experience, right from the coaching and working with the children through to taking in everything that South Africa had to offer. I definitely found my feet when it came to teaching the younger children, which was a big surprise for me. It wasn’t something I expected to feel so comfortable doing, but as the trip went on my confidence really grew. Seeing the children enjoying the sessions and getting involved made it even more rewarding, and it’s definitely an experience I’ll remember for a long time.”
For Arian Cheikh Daoud, the enthusiasm and engagement of the South African students particularly stood out:
“I was really taken aback by how engaged the students were and how much they genuinely loved to learn. Seeing how sport could be used to bring everyone together and help the students learn while having fun was something that really stood out to me. Their enthusiasm made every session enjoyable and made the whole experience even more rewarding.”
The welcome the group received from the schools and communities was another lasting memory. Andreea Sandu particularly enjoyed the team’s time at Gratton School:
“I absolutely loved our time at Gratton School and seeing how they approached education in a different country. What stood out to me most was how welcome everyone made us feel. From the moment we arrived, the students embraced us and made us feel like we were part of their school rather than just visitors for the day. It was amazing to see their enthusiasm for learning and how proud they were to share their school with us. The warmth we received from both the students and staff made Gratton one of the most memorable parts of the whole experience for me.”
The team enjoyed a memorable time at Thembinfundo Special School when they joined forces with students and staff from St Mary’s School, Menston, at Thembinfundo Special School. The UK students worked together to deliver a carousel of 10 different activities, including javelin, parachute games and boccia, giving everyone the opportunity to get involved and experience something new.
Over the course of the day, 250 students from Thembinfundo took part in the activities, creating plenty of smiles, laughter and memorable moments for everyone involved. The day came to a fantastic end with singing and dancing, followed by an awards presentation celebrating the achievements and enthusiasm of the students.
Reflecting on the visit, Ashley Knowles from Newcastle Sixth Form College said:
“I loved every moment of this experience, from touching down in South Africa and meeting the rest of our travel team, to the safari and, most importantly, the time we spent in the schools. The welcome we received was incredible, and what struck me immediately was the enthusiasm of the young people we worked with. They simply did not want to stop. Whether they were playing sport, learning something new or working alongside our students, they wanted to be involved in everything we offered. “As an educator, that was incredibly powerful to see. It reinforced something I strongly believe regardless of their background, environment or circumstances, when young people are given genuine opportunities to learn, engage and succeed, they will take them. One of the proudest parts of the experience for me was watching our own Newcastle Sixth Form College students develop over the 18 days. We saw their confidence, communication and coaching skills grow with every school we visited. They had to adapt their sessions, communicate with young people they had never met before and step outside of their comfort zones. Seeing them become increasingly confident in their own ability to lead and teach was something I will be incredibly proud of for a long time. The learning went both ways. Our students travelled to South Africa to contribute, coach and support others, but they have come home having learned an enormous amount themselves. Experiences like this offer something that is very difficult to recreate inside a classroom. They challenge students, broaden their perspective and give them an opportunity to discover skills and qualities in themselves that they perhaps did not realise they had. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of the Bambisanani Partnership and to everyone who made us feel so welcome. I know the experiences, relationships and memories we have brought home will stay with both the students and staff for many years. I certainly hope this is only the beginning, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to return, visit the schools again and continue building on the relationships we have made. Across the 18-day visit, the experience gave the 12 Newcastle Sixth Form College students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a completely different culture while developing their confidence, communication, leadership and coaching skills. More importantly, the visit continued the work of the Bambisanani Partnership in creating meaningful and lasting connections between young people in the UK and South Africa. From classrooms and sports fields to singing, dancing and conversations between students, the experience demonstrated the power that sport and education can have in bringing people together, regardless of where they come from.”
