NEWS
Best exam results ever bring joy to Mnyakanya School
There were remarkable scenes of joy recently at Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu-Natal when the annual Matriculation (Matric) results were announced with the school gaining its best results ever.
There were remarkable scenes of joy recently at Mnyakanya High School in rural KwaZulu-Natal when the annual Matriculation (Matric) results were announced with the school gaining its best results ever.
Together with St. Mary’s School, Menston in the UK, Mnyakanya helped found the Bambisanani Partnership in 2006. Two years ago, 72% of students passed the Matric exam, which was the best to date, last year the record was broken again with 86% of students passing the exam. This year has seen the school make even further progress with a record 90.5% of students gaining the coveted pass.
The national Matric exam is based on Grade 12 students (final year) having to gain passes in a wide range of individual subject areas. Of 105 students at Mnyakanya, 54 obtained a ‘Bachelor Pass’ which is the entry requirement for university. 28 students achieved a ‘Diploma Pass’ which is the entry requirement for Technical Colleges and 14 students gained the ‘Higher Certificate’ which can provide access to Vocational Colleges.
The spectacular year on year improvement in attainment has brought widespread praise for the school from all parts of the province and beyond. Over the past three years, enrolment at the school has almost doubled with students often travelling many miles, and others even relocating to attend the school. All this has been achieved in the context of the school serving one of the most challenging remote, rural areas in the country with high levels of deprivation, unemployment and health issues. Add to this the impact of Covid, water shortages and daily power outages then what is happening at Mnyakanya is nothing short of remarkable. Teachers at the school have relatively limited resources, yet provide many extra hours of teaching and support for students late into the evening and at weekends.
The Circuit Chief Education Specialist Mr SW Mthethwa visited the school in person to pass on his congratulations: “I decided to leave all that I was supposed to do in my office to come and pass on my sincere words of gratitude to all the teachers who worked extremely hard to shine a light on the name of our circuit, our district and our province as a whole. The hard work and commitment of teachers and learners is highly recognised by everyone.”
The Principal of Mnyakanya School, Mr SV Ngubane said: "It is an honour for us as a school to get these results. These are the results of hard work from both teachers and learners. The commitment of our teachers and students to their work was extraordinary. Our teachers sacrificed their own spare time that they would have been spent with their families, in order to teach our students. Without their remarkable effort and dedication, we wouldn’t have obtained this pass percentage.”
Mrs Pk Zondi a teacher and the Bambisanani Partnership co-ordinator at Mnyakanya said: “Words cannot explain the joy that the Mnyakanya community has because of these the results. They make everybody proud to be at Mnyakanya. It is also amazing that student enrolment has increased by almost 50% in 2023 because of our continued improvement and growing reputation. With the help of the Bambisanani Partnership and Rotary International we have been able to introduce computers to the school and computer-based subjects; this is helping to transform learning and raise levels of aspiration. Such developments are improving the self-esteem of our learners and their hope for the future. I wish to thank everyone who has contributed positively towards the development of our school."
David Geldart, Founder of the Bambisanani Partnership added, “This success is remarkable but not surprising. At Mnyakanya we have teachers that go the extra mile every day for their students. We have students that are prepared to walk two hours to and from school each day because they value and appreciate education. We have been able to bring the internet and computers to the school and the teachers and learners have seized the opportunity; opportunities that many young people in the world would take for granted. Given the new resources it is not at all surprising that these intelligent and resourceful young people are now achieving more. Since the beginning of this partnership, I have been constantly inspired and humbled by the determination and desire of Zulu students to study and learn. Students from other parts of the world have much to learn from these outstanding young people. Massive congratulations must go to the wonderful teachers and learners at Mnyakanya School. These glorious results are nothing less than they deserve for all their hard work!”
Happy St. Patrick’s Day 2023 from all at the Bambisanani Partnership
May the strength of God pilot us,
May the wisdom of God instruct us,
May the hand of God protect us,
May the Salvation, O Lord, be always ours,
this day and for evermore,
Amen.
– St. Patrick
May the strength
of God pilot us,
May the wisdom
of God instruct us,
May the hand
of God protect us,
May the Salvation,
O Lord, be always ours,
this day and for evermore,
Amen.
–St. Patrick
South African visit strengthens Bambisanani Partnership
Members of the Bambisanani Partnership team have recently travelled to South Africa in a post Covid ‘Research and Development’ visit to reinstate programmes and to develop new ones.
Members of the Bambisanani Partnership team have recently travelled to South Africa in a post Covid ‘Research and Development’ visit to reinstate programmes and to develop new ones.
Catherine Chattoe, Bambisanani Partnership Coordinator at St. Mary’s, Menston, Barbara Pounder, Bambisanani Trustee and Brogan O’Connor and Barry Rizza from the very latest Bambisanani partner institute, Newcastle College, were able to spend valuable ‘in person time’ with old colleagues and friends as well establishing new contacts and relationships. This follows on from a very effective Research and Development visit made by Bambisanani team members from the University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University last year.
A key element of both trips has been to plan and prepare for the resumption of student volunteer visits later this year. For Newcastle College these would be the first student visits ever to South Africa. Student visits from all four Bambisanani partnership UK based institutions have subsequently been confirmed to the Nkandla region of KwaZulu-Natal from June to August this year.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education has been an important Bambisanani partner since the inception of the initiative seventeen years ago. This has been led by Chief Education Advisor, Tony Moodley. The team were able to meet with Tony and his colleague Priscilla Guliwe to be updated on the challenges faced in the deep rural areas. These meetings were incredibly successful and afforded the team the chance to explore emerging opportunities for South African and UK Bambisanani partners to review and strengthen existing programmes as well as to consider new collaborations with both existing partners and potentially new ones.
After three years it was an emotional return to longstanding Bambisanani partners Mnyakanya High School, Ntolwane Primary School and to Doremi Day Care Centre for orphans and vulnerable children. Again, based on local needs, existing and potential programmes were discussed. The visit to Mnyakanya School was aptly timed so that Catherine Chattoe and the team could support the final part of the International Rotary Grant that provided Mnyakanya High School with equipment for a ICT suite of 40 computers and the finances to fund a teacher to deliver the newly introduced Computer Applications Technology (CAT) course at the school. Catherine and the team were on hand to help set up and install the final 20 computers into the suite and meet with the newly appointed CAT teacher; Phakamani Mbambo, the day before teaching would begin at the school. This development, over several years, has contributed to a significant improvement in educational attainment at the school and so it was timely to see new computers arrive and hear about how all of this will further raise standards in the future.
Tony Moodley and Mr Dlamini, Principal of Thembinfundo Special School
Just before the outbreak of Covid the partnership had started to explore the idea of working with Thembinfundo Special School to develop a programme of adapted Physical Education and Sport. The opportunity to visit the school, see the children and meet with the Principal Mr Dlamini simply could not have been replicated by any number of Zoom meetings. Barbara Pounder, who is a specialist in this area, said, “The meeting and whole experience was very positive. There is enormous potential at Theminfundo Special School to support considerable curriculum development and to create volunteer opportunities for UK students. To work with children with such a range of Special Needs in such a warm and encouraging environment could be one of the ways the Bambisanani Partnership makes a significant difference in the future.” The partnership has already committed to providing specialised equipment to the school with support of the Rob Stephenson Trust and there are now plans to start volunteer visits in July.
Several meetings also took place with ‘new’ schools that are keen to join the partnership, these included: Ngqamzane Primary, Thembalesizwe Primary, Enyawoshane Primary, Kwa-Manqondo Primary, Ndukuyakhe Primary, Magqama High and Matholamnyama High. These meetings enabled the team to listen to different partnership possibilities and to explore other areas to develop the Bambisanani Cycling initiative, Cycling for Success, which teaches young people how to both ride and maintain bikes. These meetings were particularly useful for Newcastle College who are looking to establish completely new additional partnerships links within the Bambisanani family.
A major area of success for the partnership during the ‘Covid years’ was the development of the Bambisanani International Athletics Challenge that linked primary schools in the UK and South Africa in fun Athletic Challenges. During the visit the team were able to visit Vumanhlamvu Primary School and provide a Training Workshop for teachers from schools already part of the programme and for schools that will join the programme this year. The training was a great success as indicated by the Vumanhlamvu Principle, Mr William Vilakazi, ‘We feel so blessed to be reconnected in person after Covid 19. Thank you very much for the coaching session you delivered to our local primary school educators. Educators know exactly what to do when it comes to delivering the International Athletic Challenge; they have confidence now and will pass this on to other educators. There was a little bit of confusion previously with some elements of the programme but not now. It has helped our educators a lot. You instilled the love of Athletics to both my educators and learners. It has increased the competition in both sports and in classrooms. Together with the equipment provided we can now interact, compete and learn with educators and learners in the UK on equal terms. We are now well placed to grow the programme further.” William has been instrumental in a number of Bambisanani developments and has coordinated the Athletics Challenge in the area with many schools that had no previous experience of Athletics. Whilst at the school the team were able to deliver more Sinnott 25 football shirts in memory of Jordan Sinnott. Jordan was a big supporter of the Bambisanani Partnership and the Jordan Sinnott Foundation now works in close cooperation with the charity.
A particularly rewarding part of the visit was when Catherine and her team were able to deliver handmade kits designed to help girls who are menstruating. Over 80 South African girls were gifted a kit that provides menstrual care and allows them to manage their periods so that they can attend school every day. The kits were made by a group of volunteers from Aireborough Rotary Club and delivered by the Bambisanani team; the two institutions have been working closely together for 17 years. The South African girls were delighted with the kits and many claimed it allows them to live their lives with dignity.
Other valuable meetings took place with Nick Phillips and Graham Chennells from Eshowe Rotary Club. Nick and Graham are vasty experienced in rural development projects have supported and guided the partnership in a range of projects and programmes over the years. Their insight and advice are a phenomenal asset to the partnership and greatly appreciated.
No Bambisanani visit to South Africa is ever complete without spending time with the longest serving Bambisanani supporters, Logan Govender, Rajes Govender and Mahesh Naidoo and this visit was certainly no exception in that regard. The team were welcomed into the country at the airport by Logan, Rajes and Mahesh and also spent time with them at their home in Durban on the final day of the visit. Every encounter with members of this amazing family encourages, empowers and inspires the work of the partnership and the individuals involved.
Summarising a remarkable week in South Africa, visit leader Catherine Chattoe said, ‘The whole experience was so invaluable, existing connections and friendships have been strengthened and very importantly new relationships have been formed during the visit. We had worked really hard with virtual meetings during the last three years to maintain existing relationships and indeed to develop new ones but nothing quite compares to the very special human connection when meeting and spending time with people in person. The visit has enhanced the capacity of the two countries to work together, existing programmes can now flourish and new ones will be created. The vision for the future looks very exciting.”
Bambisanani Trustee, Brogan O’Connor added, “The visit has been absolutely invaluable for me personally, for Newcastle College and of course for the ongoing development of the partnership. Reconnecting with old friends and creating new contacts was a great learning experience for me. That experience will now certainly lead to a visit to South Africa by staff and students from Newcastle College this summer as we become the latest members of the partnership from the UK. As with every visit to South Africa we have returned home with great positivity, motivation, and a greater understanding of a fascinating culture; all four of us are inspired by the possibilities that lay ahead. We now have a clear vision for the future of Newcastle College as a member the Bambisanani Partnership and we will be spending the next five months working towards making that a reality.”
David Geldart, Founder and Chair of the Bambisanani Partnership was full of praise for the team, “Massive thanks must go to Catherine, Barbara, Brogan and Barry. They have worked extraordinarily hard and have clearly moved the partnership forward, creating a tremendous platform on which to launch our most ambitious year to date. It is difficult to believe that they did so much and achieved so much in such a short time. Their outstanding work will create so many more opportunities now for educators and learners from both countries to ‘work together and learn together’ in the true spirit of Ubuntu and Bambisanani. Their enthusiasm, determination and proactivity are inspirational and are the very reason that we are continually able to achieve so much. Thank you also of course to our amazing and rapidly growing team in South Africa who were so welcoming and made the week so positive and productive. We will build on this.”
The Bambisanani Partnership has this week appointed Richard Giles to its Board of Trustees.
Richard is the Chairman of the highly successful Ilkley Town Community Football Club and former partner at PwC.
Richard is the Chairman of the highly successful Ilkley Town Community Football Club and former partner at PwC.
With over thirty years’ experience in business and finance, at the very highest-level, Richard also has an exceptional record working in both education and sport development. As a Board member he has vast experience of working at national, regional and local level in a variety of settings.
Richard Giles
Richard said: I am absolutely delighted to be joining the board of the Bambisanani Partnership. It is a brilliant Charity that through its focus on sport and education has a transformative impact on the lives of the people and communities in South Africa and also the students from the UK that are involved in its programmes. Some years ago, one of my own children was part of the Bambisanani group from St. Mary’s School to visit South Africa. He came back a different person with a much wider understanding of the world and its different challenges. I believe my experience in business and community sport can help the Partnership in the next stage of its development. Working with many Boards in different roles has given me the experience of working in partnership with many stakeholders to achieve results. It also gives me an understanding of the importance of governance and the role of non-executives in providing oversight to management. I am really excited at the prospect of contributing to an organisation that genuinely does change lives and the way that young people, in both countries, see and engage with the wider world.”
David Geldart, Founder and Chairman of the Bambisanani Partnership added, “Richard is vastly experienced in working with and developing high performance teams in a variety of contexts. He absolutely understands what we are about as a charity and is keen to play his part in helping us have an even greater impact in the future. Richard recognises, and is highly motivated by, the enormous potential of sport to make a positive difference in the world. He is both passionate and proactive about this and we know that he will be a great asset to the team as we embark on our most ambitious plans to date.”
Bambisanani Partnership schools lead the way in Pope Francis’ call for Sport for All
Member schools of the Bambisanani Partnership from the Nkandla region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and from Leeds in the UK have become the first schools in the world to pledge their support to Pope Francis’ global appeal to make sport more cohesive, accessible and inclusive.
Member schools of the Bambisanani Partnership from the Nkandla region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and from Leeds in the UK have become the first schools in the world to pledge their support to Pope Francis’ global appeal to make sport more cohesive, accessible and inclusive.
At the Global Sport for All Summit last September, Pope Francis outlined the potential of sport as a positive force in society. The Summit was a multifaith event attended by 250 delegates from 40 countries representing the world’s leading sporting organisations and practitioners. The aim was to discuss and promote the social and inclusive dimension of sport in society. It was in response to Pope Francis’ encouragement of sport that is socially responsible and his appeals to foster sport as a means of human, educational and spiritual growth. The Summit produced a Declaration calling on all those involved to commit to making sport more cohesive, accessible and tailored to each person. With the momentum and guidance of the experts convened at the Summit, participants pledged to walk together – communiter – to achieve common goals and aspirations. On the final day of the Summit, delegates signed the Sport for All Declaration in the presence of Pope Francis. As such, signatories committed to bringing the Declaration to life. Fundamental to this task is the understanding that the Declaration is not just a statement of principles, but a Declar-Action, an invitation to concrete actions; using the power of sport for the future of society. Subsequently, an online version of the Declaration has become available to sign.
In his speech to delegates Pope Francis said: “I encourage you to strive to make sport a home for everyone, something open and welcoming. In this home, never lose the family spirit, for in this way, we may find brothers, sisters and friends in the world of sport. I am close to you in this mission; the Church supports you in this educational and social commitment.”
The first group of schools from the UK to sign the Declaration was The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust of 13 schools from Leeds, including individual commitments from high school, St. Mary’s, Menston (Bambisanani Partnership Founding School), and primary schools: St. Mary’s, Horsforth, St. Joseph’s, Otley; St Joseph’s, Knaresborough and St. Joseph’s, Harrogate. The first schools in South Africa to sign were Mnyakanya High School (Bambisanani Founding School) and Vumanhlamvu Primary School.
David Geldart signing the declaration at the Vatican
The Bambisanani Partnership charity works with schools in the UK and South Africa using the power of sport to promote education, health, global citizenship and leadership; bringing young people from both countries together in order ‘to work together and learn together’. The charity has gained international acclaim for its pioneering work and its Founder David Geldart was a delegate at the Summit. David said: “It was a great honour to attend this landmark Summit and of course to meet Pope Francis who truly believes in the potential of sport as a force for good in the world. I am absolutely delighted that our schools from Leeds and the remote Nkandla region of South Africa have become the first schools in their respective countries, and indeed the world, to sign the Declaration and show their commitment to the power of sport within education. Hopefully more schools throughout the world will now follow.Organisations and individuals from around the world have now signed the Declaration. First to sign the Declaration at the Summit was Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, so we are in good company! The potential of high quality, inclusive Physical Education and Sports programmes in our schools, colleges and universities to make a unique and significant contribution in this area is enormous. Educational establishments throughout world that value sport and believe passionately that it should genuinely be for all; cohesive, accessible and inclusive, should sign the Declaration, they could add so much to what needs to be a ‘team effort’. I would love to see a network of schools, colleges and universities through the world commit to this challenge and work collaboratively as advocates to share best practices, celebrate success and support each other in solidarity. In our small way the Bambisanani Partnership has got the ball rolling. If you share this vision of sport, you are very much invited to play!”
Darren Beardsley, CEO of the Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust said: “As an Academy Trust of 13 schools, we are delighted to be able to support the Sport for All summit declaration. We witness the power of sport in our schools on a daily basis and how it can be used to enhance the wider skills and development of our pupils. Sport plays an important role in social cohesion and this is particularly important when we take into account the challenges faced by wider society in today's world. The declaration highlights the importance of sport being cohesive, accessible and tailored. Our schools are welcoming organisations, where we work with our communities to meet the needs of all individuals, therefore our values and mission align with that of the declaration. Finally, the Declaration is a call to Declar-Action and we are privileged to be part of such a dynamic agreement.”
Those who wish to support declaration can sign it on the website www.sportforall.va
Also see related:
Bambisanani Review 2022: Charity Leader praises volunteers and supporters for outstanding year
2022 has been an outstanding year for the Bambisanani Partnership, the Menston based charity that continues to gain national and international acclaim for its work in South Africa using the power of sport and education to change lives.
2022 has been an outstanding year for the Bambisanani Partnership, the Menston based charity that continues to gain national and international acclaim for its work in South Africa using the power of sport and education to change lives.
Despite considerable challenges posed by Covid 19, the charity has demonstrated great determination, resilience and creativity in not only sustaining its ground breaking work but developing it in many significant areas. This year saw the number of young people from South Africa and the UK who have participated in Bambisanani projects and programmes rise to more than 10,500 over the past 16 years.
Leader of the partnership, David Geldart said: “Despite the frustration and disappointment of student volunteer visits to South Africa not being possible for the third successive year because of Covid we have continued to focus on what we CAN DO rather than on what we cannot. The amazing Bambisanani team from both countries has grown to more than fifty volunteers as a result of new projects being developed on the ground and new relationships being established. Members of the UK team have managed to visit South Africa in order to develop these relationships and begin preparations for no less than five groups of students to visit in 2023. We have used the last three years to develop a fantastic base from which to launch future initiatives, in fact we have never been in a stronger or better position to advance the work of the partnership. All of this is only possible because of our remarkable team and our supporters; my sincere thanks must go to each and every one of them for their unique contributions that continue to take us forward together in a spirit of Ubuntu. Much has been achieved and indeed recognised externally in 2022 but our focus now is on the year ahead. We are really excited by the prospect of 2023 and making our most ambitious plans to date a reality. We are committed to bringing young people together from both countries in order that they may work together and learn together. With your continued support we fully intend to ‘go far’.”
Bambisanani Partnership Highlights from 2022
A very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the Bambisanani team🎄
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Zulu Proverb
🎄
Members of the Bambisanani team from the UK and South Africa would like to wish you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
uKhisimusi omuhe nonyaka omusha omuhle
Many thanks for all your tremendous help and support that enables us to do all that we do
Ngiyabonga kakhulu
Shirts for Jordan: Sinnott 25 Football Shirts bring joy in South Africa
The tragic death of professional footballer Jordan Sinnott in 2020 gave rise to the now famous ‘Shirts for Jordan’ campaign. An idea that was initially discussed around the Sinnott kitchen table went global.
The tragic death of professional footballer Jordan Sinnott in 2020 gave rise to the now famous ‘Shirts for Jordan’ campaign. An idea that was initially discussed around the Sinnott kitchen table went global.
It was hoped that a few shirts would be donated by some professional clubs in memory of Jordan for children in need. Very quickly all the Premier League, Championship and Football League clubs had donated shirts bearing Jordan’s name and age: Sinnott 25. Leading players and managers paid their respects to Jordan. The intention was that the shirts would go to children who needed them - where they would be appreciated and make a real difference. The world of football responded nationally and then internationally. More than 882 shirts from professional, amateur, youth and school teams were donated from more than 28 different countries. These shirts were displayed at Jordan’s funeral which was held at Bradford City FC. The shirts have subsequently gone around the world to some of the poorest children on the planet who love the game of football and other sports.
Jordan was a great supporter of the Bambisanani Partnership that started in his former school, St. Mary’s, Menston. For the last sixteen years the multi award winning charity has worked in one of South Africa’s most deprived rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal using the power of sport to change lives. David Geldart who founded the partnership had worked with Jordan since he was at primary school through to him becoming a professional footballer. Sinnott 25 shirts have recently arrived at two Bambisanani schools in South Africa, Mnyakanya High School and Vumanhlamvu Primary School, where they are being used for football, netball and PE lessons.
David said; “When I first visited South Africa it was remarkable to see just how important football was to the Zulu community. My first experience was watching a large group of youngsters playing barefoot on rough ground using plastic bags tied together as their football. Despite few homes having electricity or TV’s the children had an amazing knowledge of world football and in particular the Premier League. Over the years, in partnership with the local community, we have been able bring some much-needed football equipment to the area to develop the game and coach education. In addition to this we also use football-based resources to promote literacy and numeracy in schools. To have a ‘real’ football shirt is something incredibly special for these children and perhaps more appreciated than in more affluent parts of the world where such a possession can all too often be taken for granted. Jordan cared about many things and he was certainly very taken with our work in South Africa and the power of sport to make a real difference in the world. Jordan’s mum, Mel, gave the partnership 100 of these shirts for South Africa but Covid struck and effectively stopped our visits for almost two and a half years. I didn’t dare risk posting such precious cargo and wanted the shirts to be delivered in person by some of our team which we were able to do recently. It is absolutely amazing what joy and excitement these shirts have brought to Mnyakanya High School and Vumanhlamvu Primary School, both set in the remote rural hills of Nkandla. The impact is simply phenomenal and really has to be seen to be believed. Jordan would have loved to see this and I know how much this amazing legacy means to Jordan’s family.”
William Vilakazi Principal of Vumanhlanvu Primary School said, “It is an absolute honour to have these famous shirts that remember Jordan in our school. We serve a very poor community where sports equipment is difficult to come by. These shirts will be kept at the school and used by different learners for sports; we will use them for soccer matches as well. We have annual awards in memory of Jordan and the football shirts will be a constant reminder about striving to be the best that you can be. These shirts connect young people globally in sport; what a wonderful legacy that is for Jordan and his family!”
“To have young people in South Africa with the Sinnott name on their backs makes our whole family very proud.” Tom Sinnott, Jordan’s brother
An absolutely wonderful book has been produced which includes photographs of all the shirts donated. All proceeds go to the Jordan Sinnott Foundation Trust
Also see related articles:
Jordan Sinnott honoured in South Africa (17/12/2020)
Bambisanani Awards remember Jordan in South Africa (10/12/2021)
St. Mary's Menston Bambisanani Hamper Raffle Winners
Results Announcement
Results Announcement
Congratulations to Olivia Healy who is a Year 12 student at St. Mary's Menston and the winner of the Luxury Christmas Hamper . Olivia is pictured with Poppy Phillips and Eleanor Rock who organised the raffle to raise funds for The Bambisanani Partnership.
Congratulations to Eleanor Caden who is a Year 9 student at St. Mary's Menston and the winner of the Christmas Chocolate Hamper. This raffle was organised by the Year 12 and 13 Bambisanani students who will be working in South Africa next year.