By Mbali Nkosi | Project Contributor and Choir Conductor-in-Chief
A debt of gratitude to every donor who continues to make this project possible. It is through your generosity that I am able to be a part of this project , and for the Isiphethu Sothukela Legacy Project to continue leaving its significant footprint across around the beautiful Drakensberg. There was much excitement amongst the learners and schools when the school choir and song program was introduced earlier this year. At many of the schools, halls were packed with chorister hopefuls to try their luck at auditions. The learners love having a choir at their schools. They always show up to choir practice, full of keen anticipation.
As the choirs continue to improve and establish a choral culture at their schools, they will be encouraged to prepare for entry into the ABRSM Initial Choral examination next year, while their conductors continue to receive training at the quarterly Music Teacher Empowerment workshops. Our seven schools in the Berg this year are all primary schools and include Sifisosethu, New Cannan, Bhekuzulu, Emadolobheni, Inkosi Mjwayeli, Celimfundo and Meadowsweet. We take music to these most rural parts of South Africa, involving travel through sometimes tough terrain. But..... music education is not only for those who can afford it, or even for those who value it, who make time for it, or who know it can be the difference between a positive education or a negative one. Music education is for everyone.
Our quarterly Music Teacher Empowerment workshop last term was a great success and an important learning opportunity for the teachers, as visitors to the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. An extension of gratitude to the Head of Music Vaughan and his deputy, Liza on the great work they continue to do with these workshops. I have witnessed the teachers use of the knowledge gained from the workshops and watched them grow in leaps and bounds on the path towards becoming choral conductors and leaders in their respective schools. From being timid and unsure of what is required to run a choir, the teachers today have the skills and confidence to stand in front of their choirs and conduct a song.
The Child Safeguarding Workshops for Principal Leadership Development, continue to be centered around the subject of Food Security and Nutrition. They are held quarterly and are facilitated by Grant and Bongekile of Masivuselele. Our deepest gratitude to RISE UP, a recently established Non Profit Company in the Champagne Valley for providing a wonderful venue and catering in the beautifully renovated Champagne Valley Trust's school hall for our recent workshop.
In addition, we are also researching the co-learning process of agriculture and song with the Institute of Natural Resources (INR). Together with the INR team we have visited each school to introduce the learners to tower gardens. This is happening under the UKRI Transforming Education for a Sustainable Future(TESF) program. This exciting project involves the planting of tower gardens in each school and the learners are thoroughly enjoying getting their hands dirty.
Once again, our deepest appreciation for your gifts of kindness!!!
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
