Rural

It has been four months since the future leaders team refreshed the program and added some crucial elements to its content. The last four months have proven to be an exceptional period for both the Future Leaders and the staff team. Ploughing through uncharted territory has proved to be both challenging but tremendously rewarding.

The newer elements that were auxiliary to the already mind expanding and character building Future Leaders program were psychosocial groups, video tracking and an HIV support group. All of these were added to improve the holistic growth potential of the Future Leaders, where they are viewed not just as volunteers for NAG at Community Based Organisations and UNISA students but also as people with psychosocial elements to address.

One of the core principals in this approach has been to establish a sense of individualization in a team setting. We have seen Future Leaders step up and form a choir that is full of life and excitement, we have seen Future Leaders take lead in meetings and facilitate their own ice breakers and claim their worth and space in a shared environment. All of that being done without stepping on toes. We have also seen an emerging culture of brotherhood and sisterhood and both personal and peer accountability.

Sane demonstrating workflow board at AGM

Many of the Future Leaders have shown improvement in their work ethic. Meaning that the Community Based Organizations they serve are making administrative and at times logistical progress which in-tern improves the services provided to the community. That is a great deal dealt with by Nelisiwe Rabukana and Nosipho Gumede. They work tirelessly to asses and fuel the Future Leaders while guiding them as to what is expected of them, then help them achieve it.

The journey has not been without its challenges, tireless working and constant affirmation and rectifying. The psychosocial process has been an adventure that Sthembile and I ventured on four months ago. Little could have prepared us for what lay ahead. That being said, we had the brilliant Maria Liggett on our side to guide us and help us regroup our minds.

The journey has been filled with tears, uncontrollable laughter, confusion and a growing sense of closeness. There has also been a reciprocated principle of respect. We have learnt that we are all flawed humans and we need to support each other. We all carry burdens and no one’s problem is more special than the other’s as everyone’s pain is real to them. We reach out through one on one counselling and everyone has a story, we share similar traits but our circumstances are tremendously unique.

The journey continues. We are growing stronger, all of us, the staff team and the Future Leaders. We are finding our feet, our place and our voice together. Strong relationships for a strong program.

We go on camp again this week and we are all so excited. To learn more, to love more, to live more.

Me changing a tire with Msizi. Team work. But he looks concerned with the way I am holding that spanner. 🙂

Imagine…

Imagine you were born in a place where dreams go to die. But you were strong willed and determined. When you grew up you had big dreams and you were going to realize them all, you would become a teacher or engineer or even a social worker.

Life Happened

You finished high school and your family could not afford to send you to University, the only reason you made it through high school was because it is a human right in South Africa so school fees were very low. The longer you sit at home watching the sun rise and fall after numerous years and attempts to find some kind of employment and education opportunities you begin to get weary.

You find yourself desperately trying to hold on to some kind of hope, you feel it slipping out of your hands, like you are trying to catch the wind. You are living on your grandmother’s pension and if you are lucky your mother also works as a cleaner in some suburb for a family or two all to keep you fed and alive, you and your child and your siblings who also have children that need to be fed and clothed.

Almost every family in your community bears a similar struggle, born at a place where potential hides in hands that eventually pack groceries. Ambitions are low, any job will do. School being no longer of the essence, you are desperate to elevate the financial burden at home but you can’t even find a cleaning or gardening job, all of those are taken as well.

Various curve balls are thrown your way, abuse, poverty, loss, break ups, sickness and many more but that does not stop you from holding on to that last droplet of hope.

You hear of a Life Skills training that will take place in your community hosted by Network Action Group, you eagerly await the training. You wake up every day for 3 weeks and listen to someone teach you how to build courage and discipline and why you should engage yourself with various community organisations. Every day you dress us up and show up, eager to participate more empowered the next day than the day before. Then your confidence accumulates again, the bucket of hope is refilled.

Out of the 30 participants in your class you are one of the 3 that has been selected to serve as a volunteer in community based organizations under the guidance and mentorship of NAG, you will earn a stipend and you are also given an opportunity to pursue a degree in Humanities through University of South Africa where half of your fees will be paid for and if spent wisely your stipend could definitely cover the rest.

The reality

There are 50 Future Leaders who come from circumstances that are similar to the one above and this is their blog, their stories and their current events. I am privileged enough to have a computer I can use and internet so I will do most of the posting for them until further notice. This blog is not meant to induce pity but rather celebrate the power of will and perseverance. Some of the stories will be anonymous and others not. There will be various authors and most of the photography will come from the Future Leaders themselves. FL Portraits

I am just the messengers and I am excited to embark on this journey with you. I hope it brings you laughter and courage.

Regards

Zola Songo

A team member at Network Action Group

The Journey Must Go On.

Reset and Resume. ( Future Leaders )