School days and an empty vlei

In comparison to yesterday’s fynbos adventures, I must admit that today felt a bit more domestic. Maybe it’s because we’ve focused on the closer Cape Town based projects, maybe because I miss the nuggety characters we’d met at the Heiveld co-op, maybe it’s just the mizz winter weather we’re experiencing at the moment. Having said that I don’t want to detract from the two education-based projects we covered today. Each project has a fine story in its own right.

Tsakane Ngoepe (17) is a little slip of a thing. She’s so slender and tiny that it’s easy to imagine she could be overlooked, that is until she smiles at you with that wide, mega-watt grin. Tsakane, or TK, as her friends call her is one of those über-brainy students, she has a lively energy which is curious and intelligent.  In 2010, she was the top learner in Limpopo province graduating with seven A’s. Her eyes are clear when she talks to you, her answers are thought-filled and there’s an easy laugh on her lips. I sat thinking to myself whilst chatting with her:  she must be every teacher’s dream, a young person with a hungry, agile mind who is capable of critical thought and opinion. 

Tsakane Ngoepe, University of Cape Town

TK is a graduate of Dendron Secondary High, a township school in Limpopo. Dendron has basic resources and makes do without such luxuries as a science laboratory, yet despite this continues to produce some of the best matric pass rates in the country. The Old Mutual Foundation has supported the excellent work of Dendron school since 2007 and in 2010 provided funding to initiate the building of science and computer labs. Today, a graduate pupil like TK is sitting on the steps on Jameson Memorial Hall at the oldest university in South Africa, studying Actuarial Science through a full scholarship with Old Mutual.



TK works the camera, she's a natural...

I watch TK as she walks away, I’m not even her parent and I feel proud of her. Tim and I chat as he’s packing up his gear, he tells me he encourages his daughter with her homework, trying to get her to understand that she shouldn’t  just do only what’s asked, but to try and go that little bit further, read the next chapter. It’s not easy to be a parent …

Avuyile Maseko talks with John Gilmour at LEAP Maths and Science School.

Avuyile Maseko (16) is one of the top Grade 12 student at LEAP Maths and Science School in Pinelands. She smiles shyly and tells me that she wants to study Actuarial Science, (what is it about this subject I think?) she likes working with numbers and solving problems. Avuyile lives in Gugulethu township with her aunt, two sisters and a cousin. Her home life hasn’t been easy and her parents live in the Eastern Cape.


LEAP is a school that encourages academic and personal excellence. The school’s schedule includes double-contact time in key subjects, a full day of lessons, Saturday classes and also requires social responsibility involvement and participation in Life Orientation classes that focus on personal development and communication. Avuyile confirms this, “The most difficult thing when I came to LEAP was learning to talk about myself and my life. Now I understand myself more than I did, I can talk about things to my friends. I have changed and am still changing.” 

LEAP has such a vibrant, caring atmosphere as a school. Not only does it produce exceptional academic results but founder John Gilmour is mostly passionate about the process of personal life transformation. He says, the the greatest success in his terms, would be to see his students growing up to become good mothers and fathers, active leaders in their communities. I can't help wishing that I could’ve attended a school like this when I was a schoolgirl. But even if I didn't get to go, it's good to know that LEAP has been supported by the Old Mutual Foundation since it's inception in 2004 which has enabled it to now open other schools, so there are two in Cape Town and and two in Johannesburg. Viva LEAP!



Oh boy, school days ...

On a different note, I’m learning that road trips don’t go to plan and that’s all part of the adventure I guess. Didn’t Gandalf say something along those lines to Frodo when they were about to set off on their journey?

First example…  It would seem that June may not be the best time to plan a road trip. First of all, it’s exam time for most schools and after exams there are school holidays in July - so not an easy time to get appointments. The nett result of this is that our Free State/Northern Cape leg of the journey (Projects 22 and 23) has been postponed. The M² Coffee Shop project in Kimberly is an excellent after-school education centre which will be closed in June (for exams), but is open in July (for a winter school programme). So we’ll definitely visit them as they’re one of our projects, but a wee bit later than planned. 

Second example…  This Thursday we’ve planned to document the most wonderful youth sailing project in Grassy Park. Upon phoning yesterday to confirm our visit with all the necessary folk, I’m informed there’s no water in the Zeekoevlei. I report this solemnly to Tim and Mark, upfront in the car. Tim just looks straight ahead stoically, he’s an old hand at this. Mark turns to me quizzically:

OK, let me get this straight, so we’re going to document a sailing project and there’s no water?
- Yes, I nod, apparently they’ve flushed out the vlei.
What do you mean, did they pull the plug out somewhere, like a bathtub?
- I don’t know, apparently there’s just no water for the yachts at the moment.
So are we going to photograph kids marooned in their yachts on dry land?
- We’re just going to have to make a plan….

Third example…  If you’re ever planning to document a project based in the Karoo, don’t do it on a Friday or over the weekend. I hear this information as I’m on the phone to our Karoo-based project confirming our planned arrival on Friday at Barrydale. No, I’m told, everyone in the area will be dronk verdriet, no-one will be any good for interviews over the weekend. Argh, by now I’m feeling inclined to throw my hands in the air and join them!

Let’s see what tomorrow brings :)

PS: Wow, thanks to all those people out there who’ve taken time out to read our blog. I’m amazed to see that our road trip has garnered readers from afar afield as UK, US, Germany, Israel, Norway, Canada and Malaysia. Thanks also to Kirsten who’s holding the fort at the business end of our blog while we’re out of office. She’s posted easy-peasy instructions (for those who like me who are technically challenged!) on how to post comments or leave a note. We’d love to hear your comments …and hi to Peter Walsh from far away Stoke-on-Trent, so glad we could bring a little touch of Africa into your day.