NEWS
Bambisanani Football Shirt Collection 2017
We would be grateful for any spare/second-hand football shirts to take out to South Africa for the Bambisanani Partnership. The shirts would be, preferably, suitable for students of around 11 years old, smaller sizes would be donated to the local orphanages in South Africa. A collection box will be placed in the Pupil Reception area, can donations please be in by 16 June.
We would be grateful for any spare/second-hand football shirts to take out to South Africa for The Bambisanani Partnership.
The shirts would be, preferably, suitable for students of around eleven years old, smaller sizes would be donated to the local orphanages in South Africa. A collection box will be placed in the Pupil Reception area at St. Mary's Menston. Please can donations be made by 16 June 2017.
Bambisanani Concert 2017
Another great Bambisanani Concert at St. Mary’s, Menston
Another great Bambisanani Concert at St. Mary’s, Menston
£470 was raised at the now annual Bambisanani concert on Friday, the evening was a tremendous success with some stunning performances from our very own St. Mary’s students and an amazing set from The Leeds Youth Jazz Rock Orchestra (LYJRO).
The monies raised will be used to support the work of The Bambisanani Partnership in South Africa and LYJRO’s work in Germany. It was a fabulous evening with a showcase of brilliant musical performances.
The Bambisanani Quiz Night 2017
The second Bambisanani Quiz night at St. Mary's was again a huge success.
The second Bambisanani Quiz night at St. Mary's was again a huge success.
Mr Tunnecliff returned to St. Mary’s as the quiz master to a packed hall. The quiz winners were the English department, with The Best Team Name Award going to ‘The Sauvignon Blanks’. The student winners were ‘The Bambisanani 2017 Team’. Everybody had such an enjoyable evening and over £500 was raised.
Thank you to everybody who supported this event!
Whatever happened to the Mnyakanya students studying at night in 2006?
An inspirational update about one of our favourite Bambisanani stories
An inspirational update about one of our favourite Bambisanani stories
Photo: Studying at Mnyakana High School in 2006
““Following years of requests for information about Thembeka Luthuli - the girl who wanted to become a nurse that I found revising with her friend late at night - I have just heard from Pk that SHE DID indeed become a nurse! You will remember that she walked to school and back twice that day (about 8 hours in total!). Just to make the story even better it turns out that the boy in the picture - Senzo Nzuza went on to become a teacher!
It is an unbelievably uplifting inspirational story. I always feared that that all the determination and dedicated might not have been enough to combat a system that is stacked against such students. This really is amazing stuff.””
The story of the initial meeting in 2006:
““The desire of students to learn is palpable; students in the UK have much to learn from Mnyakanya students who demonstrate quite unbelievable aspiration, motivation and commitment. One night, I saw a light on in a classroom and went over to investigate. I found two students in the room studying for the forthcoming matriculation exam. It transpired that the female student had walked two hours to school that day for a 7.30am start.
At 2.30pm, the end of the school day, she walked home to make a family meal before returning to school to revise. She came back into school because her friend had a text book and there was an electric light. The students were studying science and informed me that they would work through the book probably finishing about midnight. The girl then had the two hour walk home over rough tracks in the dark. The student would walk eight hours that day because she wants to be a nurse. She was in school next morning for the 7.30am start.””
Sawubona! Report on St. Mary's visit to South Africa June 2016
Read our latest newsletter
Read our latest newsletter
Photo: Jayda and teaching poetry at Mnyakanya
Our Newsletter 'Sawubona' meaning Hello in Zulu is available below:
The report contains moving quotes by St. Mary's and Mnyakanya pupils.
Internet connection for Mnyakanya
Bambisanani Partnership brings the internet to remote Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu-Natal
Bambisanani Partnership brings the internet to remote Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu-Natal
The culmination of three year’s work and fundraising has brought the internet to Mnyakanya School in the latest phase of development to use computers and the internet to enhance teaching and learning in this remote rural school, which has large class sizes and relatively few resources. Over the past two years, the St. Mary’s School based charity, The Bambisanani Partnership has worked closely with Tony Moodley from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, Uthungulu District Office and William Vilakazi, Principal of Mnyakanya School to develop a comprehensive plan to utilise Information Technology to raise standards at the school and provide students with the necessary skills for the modern world. The plan initially involved providing training for teachers on integrating technology into their classroom teaching and introducing tablets to the school. Access to the internet now provides teachers and students with teaching and learning opportunities that would be taken for granted in the UK and indeed many schools in South Africa.
The foundations have been laid for a more comprehensive ICT rollout at the school so that the entire school and, hopefully, the surrounding community begins to benefit.
““Thanks to the Bambisanani Partnership, we are the first rural school in the remote Nkandla region to have access to the internet. For the first time ever, we are now literally connected to the rest of the world and have access to resources that in time will support all aspects of the curriculum. Our Educators and Learners are very excited and motivated by the prospect, a prospect that many thought would be impossible to achieve.””
““Our aim has always been to establish a Beacon of Excellence in ICT at Mnyakanya for its own learners and the surrounding community. Training, some hardware and now the internet have given us a firm foundation to develop this work further. This innovative project has the potential to provide a blueprint for success for remote rural schools throughout South Africa. The project has been fraught with difficulties and frustrations but has also provided the opportunity for valuable lessons to be learnt; all those involved in The Bambisanani Partnership deserve great credit for their determination in making it happen.””
““I have always been blown away with the desire and determination of Zulu children to learn and at the same time am heartbroken by the sheer number of barriers that prevent them from doing so. In the global village, these children are disadvantaged in so many ways and the absence of computers and the internet to aid their learning only serves to compound this. The ‘left behind’ have been increasingly left behind and the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ has got wider. Access to this technology has the potential to transform teaching, learning and study at the school which in turn has the potential to transform the life chances of its students. The staff and students at Mnyakanya will seize this opportunity with both hands. None of this could have happened without the amazing work of Tony Moodley and William Vilakazi on the ground; they have my utmost admiration and gratitude.”
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““This is the latest stage of ICT development at Mnyakanya that will establish a sound foundation for future plans. Our aim is to ultimately provide ICT opportunities for teaching and learning at Mnyakanya which any school in South Africa would be proud of.””
New Trustee for The Bambisanani Partnership
The Bambisanani Partnership this week appointed Andy Lockwood, Professional Development Manager at the University of Leeds, as a Trustee.
The Bambisanani Partnership this week appointed Andy Lockwood, Professional Development Manager at the University of Leeds, as a Trustee.
Andy became involved in the partnership in 2014 and visited South Africa in 2015 with students and staff from St. Mary’s School, Menston. Inspired by the visit, Andy wasted little time in organising a visit for students from the University of Leeds to South Africa to further develop the work of the Bambisanani Partnership. The visit, in June 2016, introduced a Leadership programme to over one hundred junior school children and pioneered a unique cycling programme (Cycling for Success) at Mnyakanya School. It was a resounding success.
Andy has worked tirelessly with the Bambisanani team over the past two years and has made a significant contribution to forging the partnership with the University. His personal commitment to fundraising has been amazing and last year he ran the 127 miles of the Leeds Liverpool canal route! Andy was clearly delighted with his appointment:
““Over the last two years, I have had the privilege of working with the partnership, initially as a sponsored guest and more recently as a fully-fledged project partner through my role at the University of Leeds. I can quite honestly say that the partnership has had a profound effect on me as an individual and the way in which I view the world. Through my visit with the partnership in 2015 and the delivery of my own project in 2016, I have seen the positive effect the partnership’s work has on the young people and communities it comes into contact with, whether it be supporting young people in South Africa to develop their leadership and coaching skills or supporting our students to develop their skills and broaden their horizons. The charity has an impact upon everyone it comes into contact with. It continues to leave a lasting and growing legacy both in KwaZulu-Natal and Leeds. It is something that the charity should be very proud of. Sport has an amazing power to change and enrich the lives of young people and this is something that I am incredibly passionate about. I am committed not only through my role at the University of Leeds but personally to the continual development of this work and the good that it does. I believe that my passion and experience will help to develop the partnership further and that I will be able to contribute to its ongoing success. It is a great honour to be appointed to the Board of Trustees and I look forward to playing my part in this amazing charity.””
““Andy is an outstanding young man who has gained national recognition for his work in Sport Development and Leadership. He has demonstrated great commitment and personal investment to the partnership and has the vision and enthusiasm to make a significant contribution to the charity, both strategically and operationally. Andy is both a fantastic team player and leader and it is a privilege for us to have him on board.” ”
The Bambisanani Partnership is a multi-award winning charity which uses sport as a catalyst to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership in one of South Africa’s most deprived rural areas. Andy Lockwood will join Founder Trustees David Geldart, Darren Beardsley, Katie Campbell, Barbara Pounder and Diane Maguire on the Board.
Bambisanani Partnership Charity Appoints New Board Member [DIOCESEOFLEEDS.ORG.UK]
First ever Bambisanani Bronze Award goes to Caitlin Copsey
Caitlin (Year 9) is the first student to complete all the tasks required to achieve the award.
Caitlin (Year 9) is the first student to complete all the tasks required to achieve the award.
Photo: Caitlin Copsey (Year 9) with her Bronze Award which was presented during assembly
Mr Wilkes launched the Bambisanani Award Scheme last year. He asked for students to sign up for the award because they wanted to do something positive for themselves as well as helping people who are less fortunate than we are.
Students had to, in their own time, complete the following tasks:
Complete a research project
Raise over £50 for The Bambisanani Partnership charity
Show on 5 occasions that they could demonstrate excellent leadership skill
Deliver a presentation
All these tasks require you to take some of your own time and devote it to:
Planning
Preparing
Researching
Making
Baking
Selling
Leading and presenting
Supporting and helping
The bronze badge was presented to Caitlin in assembly by Mrs Chatttoe.
““I am delighted to be able to present the first ever Bambisanani Bronze Award to Caitlin Copsey. She has actually exceed the requirements of the award and is so thoroughly deserving of the Bambisanani Bronze Award.””
The Bambisanani Partnership celebrates its Tenth Anniversary
2006–2016
2006–2016
In 2006, David Geldart, the then Director of Physical Education and Sport at St. Mary’s, Menston, visited South Africa as part of a British Council and Youth Sport Trust initiative to promote sport in the country’s most deprived areas. As a direct result of that visit, St. Marys and Mnyakanya High School in KwaZulu-Natal developed a unique partnership using sport to inspire young people in both countries. The two schools named their collaboration the ‘Bambisanani Partnership’ – Bambisanani being the Zulu word meaning ‘working hand in hand’. The partnership has subsequently gained international acclaim for its ‘pioneering and inspirational work’ using the power of sport to promote education, health, global citizenship, enterprise in one of South Africa’s poorest rural regions. Ten years on, the partnership has become a multi Award winning charity chaired by David Geldart and led by Mrs Catherine Chattoe at St. Marys and Mrs PK Zondi in South Africa.
Mnyakanya High School is situated in the rural and remote Nkandla region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The school, in the heart of traditional Zululand, was opened by Nelson Mandela in 2004 and is located in one of the most deprived areas of South Africa with high rates of HIV/AIDS, unemployment and adult illiteracy. The area has one of highest rates of AIDS orphans in the world. Class sizes are in excess of 60 and the school has very limited resources. Despite all this, Mnyakanya provides an oasis of hope in the area and many students walk two hours, each way, for the opportunity to receive an education.
Sport has driven the Bambisanani Partnership and has been the catalyst for whole school developments at both St. Mary’s and Mnyakanya. Over the course of the past ten years the Bambisanani Partnership has become part of each school’s identity. Teacher and student exchanges, joint learning projects involving almost all areas of the curriculum have enriched teaching and learning at both schools and empowered the partnership. A fundamental factor in this success has been whole school involvement, engagement and support of Governors, Senior Leaders, teachers, parents, students and the wider community including supporters and sponsors.
The visits to and from each country have had a significant impact on those involved. Students from St. Mary’s who visit South Africa prepare for more that eighteen months in advance. In addition to the necessary fund raising and advanced leadership training, students are involved in a learning programme that covers topics such as Apartheid, South African history and politics, Zulu culture and traditions, HIV/AIDS awareness and Zulu language. When in South Africa the students (normally lower Sixth Form) mentor twenty Mnyakanya students through the ‘Bambisanani Leadership’ programme, taught through sports activities. At the end of the programme, the students from both schools have the responsibility of jointly planning and delivering a community Sports Festival and a community Reading Festival for over 150 primary school children from the Nkandla region. Significantly, even the Reading Festival uses sport to great effect. Beyond the leadership mentoring, St. Mary’s students also coach a range of specific sports and teach academic subjects at Mnyakanya, and sports and reading at Ntlowane Primary School and Zulufadder Orphanage.
The annual visits to South Africa have also included primary and secondary colleagues in order to encourage this kind of development in other schools. Business sponsors and supporters have also visited the project.
David Geldart said:-
“The process of the young people working together using sport for the greater good never fails to remind us of the awesome power of sport. The impact on all those involved is truly inspirational.”
Quotes from St. Mary’s students:
“My world has just got bigger, I realise it is my duty to be a global citizen.”
“Much of our life in the UK has become obsessed with materialism and ‘celebrity’. We have lost touch with things that really matter. My visit to South Africa has given me a much more meaningful perspective on life.”
“How can my life ever be the same again? I have been given the most wonderful opportunity and I have a responsibility now to continue to make a difference in my life.”
Quotes from Mnyakanya students:
“We have worked together …. people of different colours, countries, religions and cultures …. we have proved it can be done.”
“My view of the world has changed. I can now see what a difference it makes when you love and respect people.”
“We have all learned so much from working together. We have learned to be leaders and to work in the wider community. We have made friends and now have greater confidence in the world.”
Beyond annual visits, the majority of Faculty areas at St. Mary’s have used the partnership as a stimulus for learning. Exceptional work in Religious Education, English, Languages, Humanities, Technology, Drama, Art and Music has further embedded the collaboration. Joint learning projects in Art and Creative Writing based on the theme of ‘The Power of Sport’ inspired over 650 students from both schools to voluntarily enter age related competitions. The work has since been exhibited in both countries and prints sold internationally.
‘Bambisanani Enterprises’ is a student led business that exists in both schools with the purpose of teaching enterprise skills and raising funding for the partnership. Business sponsors in both countries have given their time to mentor students involved. The partnership has also developed the Bambisanani Award scheme. To gain the awards at Bronze, Silver and Gold level, students have to successfully complete independent learning projects on Leadership, Social Justice, Global Citizenship, Enterprise, Volunteering and Community Engagement.
The charity supports Aids orphans into school and is currently funding four students through University. Simphiwe Ndlovu is now in his second year at University training to be a teacher. Simphiwe said, ‘I knew that I wanted to be a teacher when I completed the Bambisanani Leadership Programme. I was really motivated to succeed in my studies at school to gain entry to University. To become a teacher is my dream. I want to be one of those good teachers that the world needs.’
St. Mary’s and Mnyakanya both now work with other schools to encourage them to also develop international partnerships. This involves working with schools individually and speaking at conferences about the Bambisanani Partnership and the benefits of such work.
Both the University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University have become involved with the Bambisanani Partnership. Led by Andy Lockwood, staff and students the University of Leeds have recently returned from South Africa where they pioneered a unique cycling project at Mnyakanya School, teaching students how to ride bikes safely and maintain them. In addition to this, the team delivered a Sports Leadership programme to over 150 primary school children and volunteered at Zulufadder Orphanage.
In its tenth Anniversary year, the Bambisanani Partnership has ambitious plans to extend its work and influence. In addition to the annual exchanges, supporting students in need and the provision of a wide range of new learning activities in both schools, the charity is working with the University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University to develop leadership programmes with its own students in South Africa. At Mnyakanya School the charity is currently working on the instillation of Wi Fi and computers to enhance teaching and learning in this remote rural area. It is also the aim to create a football pitch for the school and wider community on land nearby. The partnership's long term relationship with Zulufadder Orphanage will be developed through the building of a new Hostel for the most vulnerable of vulnerable children who need immediate care and accommodation. Additionally the partnership is also working with the South African Commission to the UK to help establish a Sport and Education Forum linking the UK and South Africa with the British Council and Youth Sport Trust to support other schools develop sustainable partnerships.
William Vilakazi, Principal of Mnyakanya School, is in no doubt about the importance of the partnership:-
“The Bambisanani Partnership continues to be an inspiration to our school and community. It is difficult to put into words the impact of the partnership. Some of the impact is physical and very practical; some of the impact is psychological, influencing attitudes, confidence, motivation and aspiration. We all learn from working together and the focus on developing young leaders is changing people’s lives. We are working in an equal partnership where there is mutual respect. There is a saying in Zulu culture: ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’ – meaning, ‘we are what we are because of others’. We are genuinely working hand in hand and I believe that both school communities are enhanced as a result. What this partnership teaches cannot be learned from books.”
The partnership's founder, David Geldart added:
“This work is not easy, indeed it is fraught with difficulties and frustration; yet the prize is great if you have a team that is determined to succeed. This is not really about charity, it is much more than that; it is about people from different parts of the world working together and learning together. The Bambisanani Partnership will not change the world but it has changed the world for some people; it has changed the lives and perspectives of many. It is testimony to the unique power of sport and of education as to what can be achieved by working hand in hand in a genuine partnership. We have learned so much from our first ten years of working together; not least that we can achieve even more in the next ten years.”
Three remarkable books have been published about the work of the Bambisanani Partnership. The fourth book, Bambisanani: Ten Years of Working Together and Learning Together, is currently being written and will be published early next year.
Cardinal Plus Annual Golf Day 16 September 2016 will raise funds for The Bambisanani Partnership!
This year’s event takes place on the prestigious championship golf course at The Mere, set in 150 acres of Cheshire's finest parkland.
This year’s event takes place on the prestigious championship golf course at The Mere, set in 150 acres of Cheshire's finest parkland.
Photo: Thank you Cardinal Plus for supporting us, Sports Festival at Mnyakanya High School, 2016
Cardinal Plus is the UK's fastest growing logistics provider.
Throughout the day they will be raising funds for The Bambisanani Partnership to develop a sustainable and effective partnership that allows both our schools to work together and learn together for the mutual benefit of both communities and beyond.
Very special thanks must go to Cardinal Plus for their outstanding contribution to our charity over many years.
Cardinal Golf Day 2016 [CARDINAL-PLUS.COM]