Pan-Commonwealth Schools Project

 WHAT THE CHILDREN ARE SAYING TO US

Many squares stress friendship and accord between the different cultural groups and different faiths within communities and, in Northern Ireland, between the two traditions in the Province. Similarly, there are repeated themes of the whole world representing one big family and of the need to protect and conserve the natural world. No doubt teachers have played a role in encouraging these positive attitudes, but the obvious enthusiasm and sincerity with which they are expressed can only offer great encouragement for the future.

  Testimonials - "What they say"

      Masizame - We try 

The Masizame Arts and Crafts Centre was started six years ago by myself in an effort to provide the children of the area with a safe haven in which to express themselves creatively. The children we work with are mostly desperately poor and live in an informal settlement just outside the town of Knysna. Their self‑esteem was often very low, and lack of mental stimulation and things to do often led to vandalism and crime.  

It is wonderful now to see the pride in their faces when they create a picture or craft work entirely on their own, and learning these simple disciplines has instilled in them a new confidence and hope for the future. There are seventy children, aged between 5 and 19, and we have a junior and a senior group. As well as painting, drawing, papier mâché work and wire work, we also have pottery lessons once a week. 

In addition to the arts and crafts lessons we also have the MADaboutART Centre, run by Dr Larry Gurney, which is used for teaching and running courses on HIV/AIDS and other health‑related issues. 

There is also a small library and a sewing and knitting group for women, run by volunteers. Our hopes for the future are to have sufficient space and teachers to introduce drama, singing and dancing lessons. The local children have so much natural talent, I am sure that their dreams will be fulfilled. Masizame is a Xhosa word, meaning ‘we try’, and at the end of the day that is all that is required! 

Yesterday we started working on step one of the Golden Tapestry, planning our canvas. We are working on Our School and Community in August. 

I started off the lesson by explaining to the children what the Commonwealth actually is – using a map of the world, as well as the video you supplied. They were very excited about it, and one little girl actually did a drawing of the Queen! When all these drawings are done we shall start making the tapestry. It is going to serve as a wonderful educational tool, not only about how the Commonwealth works, but also in learning new disciplines for the making of the tapestry. 

Lyn Beaton
Masizame Arts and Crafts Centre
Knysna
Western Cape
South Africa

                                                 18th June 2004 

For more information about MADaboutART, please follow the link in the ‘Just for Teachers’ section on the Just for Schools page.

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Namibia calling... 

I am the teacher responsible for the Golden Tapestry in Izak Boys School. GlaxoKlineSmith is sponsoring two schools in our rural area, and our school is one of the privileged schools. We are loving every minute of it.   

The school is situated in the Kalahari semi‑desert in a minute village called Leonardville. We have 65 primary pupils and 77 secondary pupils. Our classes are combined. Grades 1 and 2 are in one classroom, Grades 3 and 4 in one classroom, Grades 5 and 6 are together and each classroom has only one teacher. Since there are few pupils, they get a lot of individual attention, and our school has delivered its full quota of sports people, artists and leaders. The pupils have competed in a lot of art competitions, and their work has been exhibited worldwide, even though we don't really have sufficient facilities or materials. The children come from cattle farms and are excellent observers. Although TV and computers are accessible to them, they prefer the great outdoors where they can explore and play. You can just imagine how much they are enjoying the tapestry!  

We are still in the planning phase but intend to start work on the canvas soon. The whole primary department is involved.  The kids have the most tremendous ideas.  The materials we received also stimulated a lot of ideas and we were very impressed with all the information. We hope we will be able to convey our beautiful surroundings, the sand dunes and camel thorn trees, wild and farm animals. Actually, we have problems getting all that we want to show in just one square metre! 

Good luck, and we hope that all the schools are enjoying themselves as much as we are. 

Mrs Loraine Kotze
Izak Buys Junior Secondary School
Leonardville
Omaheke
Namibia

2nd March 2004