The Bambisanani Partnership

Partnership Links in South Africa

St. Mary's work in South AFrica began in 2006 when David Geldart, Assistant Headteacher was invited, as part of a Youth Sport Trust and British Council Delegation, to help develop a School Sport Partnership system, based on the UK model that St. Mary's has been so instrumental in developing.  The South African system, known as the School Sport Mass Participation Programme, is currently being developed in the eighteen most deprived areas of South Africa.

Mr Geldart went on to develop a specific school partnership in one of these areas with Mnyakanya High School in the remote rural and desperately deprived Nkandla region of Kwa Zulu Natal.

The collaborative work between the two schools has become known as the Bambisanani Partnership.  Bambisanani is the Zulu word for 'working hand in hand' which aptly encapsulates what the two schools are hoping to achieve.

With the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Bambisanani Partnership will use sport as a major catalyst to develop international links to promote education, health and leadership.

Mnyakanya School serves a desperately poor community.  Rural and remote, the area is ravaged by HIV/Aids, with the official figure of one in three adults infected.  Many children are infected and there is a high percentage of Aids orphans.  At least 20% of children in the area do not go to school because they cannot afford the £7 a year school fees, uniform and stationery.  Class sizes are in excess of sixth and the school has little equipment.  Unemployment in the area is in excess of 90% and at least 60% of adults are illiterate.  The majority of people live in isolated clusters of round, grass roofed dwellings with most having no water or electricity.

The development of education in the area is the only hope of breaking this cycle of deprivation and all that goes with it.  Mnyakanya School offers an oasis of hope to a generation of young people.  Children in the area are desperate to learn and regard education as a privilege.  Most children walk at least two hours to and from school each day.

Shortly after David Geldart’s initial visit to South Africa, the Principal at Mnyakanya School, Mr Lucas Dubé, made his first visit outside of South Africa to visit St. Mary’s.  Following the visit, Lucas said:-

“This partnership offers the greatest hope to my community of improving the education of young people.  It has the capacity to raise both aspirations and awareness.  I challenge both school communities to still be working together in one hundred years time.  If we achieve this, we will make such a difference to so many peoples’ lives”

 

Partnership ideas developed over the coming months and in 2007 Mr Geldart took the first students from the St. Mary’s School Sport Partnership to South Africa.  During their stay, the students had the opportunity to gain a unique insight into Zulu life.  The students had the opportunity to attend lessons, teach lessons and coach sport and leadership skills to fellow students and sports coaches.  Students described the experience as “truly life changing”. 

 “My world has just got bigger.  I now recognise that it is my duty to be a Global Citizen”.

                                                            Libby Aspden, 6th Form Student

 

“The experience was life-changing in ways that I would not have imagined.  The experience has changed my outlook and perspective on life; I have learned so much and I am inspired to do more”.

                                                              James Scott, 6th Form Student

 

"We all have so much to learn from this partnership.  Developing young leaders through collaborative activities in both countries will be a major feature of our work moving forward.  An annual visit has now been established to South Africa".

                                                                                     David Geldart

 

Over the past year, the St. Mary’s School community and wider School Sport Partnership has raised over £3,000 to fund Aids orphans into Mnyakanya High School and to provide much needed equipment. 

Mrs Thora Jacobs of the British Council in South Africa, has described the work of the partnership as “inspirational”.  Lord Carter of Coles, former Chairman of Sport England, has offered his support to the initiative:-

“This is a very worthwhile partnership that will use sport to bring about a greater good.  I fully support this work and urge others to do so”.

 

Support for the Bambisanani Partnership has also come from St. Mary’s alumni; top band the Kaiser Chiefs, Joe Sayers, Yorkshire CCC highly rated opening batsman and Matthew Lewis who plays Neville Longbottom in the Harry Pottter films.