News 2010
Basil Davidson
We would like to express our deepest sadness at the death of Basil Davidson, who the Trust was privileged to have as a sponsor for many years. His achievements as an academic and activist, his intellect and his moral conviction were an inspiration to us all. In particular our supporters will remember his forthright campaigns against the inhumanity of apartheid, and his persistence and commitment in advocating for an Africa free to shape its own future. His contribution will not be forgotten.
A week in the life of a lawyer
Rocker Mandipe (below), a Zimbabwean studying law at the University of Cape Town, has gained the opportunity for a week’s work placement at Matrix Chambers, the company which is supporting his costs through the Trust. For Rocker, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the workings of one of the UK’s most innovative law firms firsthand, and gain an insight into the machinations of a courtroom guided by a professional lawyer. With an emphasis on international law and human rights, Matrix Chambers’ areas of practice perfectly match Rocker’s own legal interests, and we wish him the best of luck for his placement.
Cambridge Garden Party raises funds for health education
On Sunday 27th June our loyal supporters in Cambridge held a Garden Party to raise funds for Phelophepa, the train which tours South Africa bringing health education and care to remote areas without doctors or hospitals. It was an absolutely beautiful day and stalls, live music, face painting and the chance to relax in Sidney Sussex College garden attracted a good crowd in spite of having to compete with the football! Thank you to everyone who was involved – it was a lovely day out and a great way to support the Trust!
Community action against HIV and TB
Staff member Esther Grieder visited South Africa in May, where she spent time in Port Elizabeth visiting a community HIV and TB action project, and student Grace Ntaote who is specialising in supporting HIV positive children through the education system. Here is her report:
My visit took me to Port Elizabeth, where the Trust is supporting a groundbreaking initiative to improve treatment and care for children suffering from HIV and TB. Across South Africa as a whole, 12.9% of people under 20 are HIV positive, and they face a life of clinics, medication, and the many complications associated with a failing immune system.
Their lives are far removed from the glossy images of South Africa we associate with the World Cup. In Port Elizabeth’s townships, housing is makeshift and residents have no access to basic services such as running water, sanitation or roads. Health services are severely overstretched – staff are underpaid and clinic corridors host crowds of patients waiting for appointments. The complicated business of adhering to HIV or TB treatment becomes even more of a challenge because with nurses fully occupied at the clinics there is no state provision for patients to be cared for at home.
However, supported by Canon Collins Trust, the Small Projects Foundation (SPF) is making a difference. I was shown round by SPF representative Nonkosi Ndalasi, a 69 year old paediatric nurse with infectious energy and enthusiasm. Her job is to improve the links between clinics and communities so that children receive uninterrupted care. At the Walmer clinic in Port Elizabeth her activities completely eliminated incidents of patients defaulting on TB treatment, a success she puts down to attitude: “Attitude is the key to success. People are scared to come to the clinics because they think they will not be treated like human beings, so it is vital to show love and respect in order to gain their trust.”
Nonkosi educates community groups in home-based care, adherence, HIV treatment and testing and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), enabling them to provide vital health services in their communities. A major part of her work is encouraging patients to grow vegetable gardens, as without a nutritional diet their medication makes them sick. Her community groups run the own garden centres from which they distribute seeds and produce to local families. Children take responsibility for the gardens, enabling them to gain a sense of control over their illness and pride in their achievements. Visiting them, it became clear that the stigma surrounding HIV and TB is gradually being overcome. Younger patients are aware that with treatment they can lead a normal life, and with this optimism comes a sense of empowerment to tackle disease in their communities.
Above: Children in the Motherwell Township outside Port Elizabeth
….and tackling HIV through the education system
Whilst in Port Elizabeth I also met Grace Ntaote, a striking example of the importance of higher education in the fight against HIV. Supported by the Trust through the Graça Machel Scholarship programme she is studying for a PhD at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, where she is specialising in how HIV positive children can be supported at school. Having researched extensively at schools in her home country of Lesotho, she is developing recommendations for a framework of mutual support whereby both teachers and pupils affected by the disease can receive ongoing guidance and care. Specialists like Grace, who has devoted her career to teaching and will now move into educational management, are essential in order to develop policies that will respond to the HIV crisis on a national and international scale.
Above: Grace Ntaote in Port Elizabeth
Alumni update
Francis Simui, a former scholar and Zambian inclusive education expert who you may remember from previous newsletters, was voted the best research presenter at a Southern African Development Community (SADC) Open and Distance Learning Colloquium in Botswana. Given that Francis’ first ever public speech was at the Trust’s Christmas Party in 2006, it is a major achievement that he has now won an international public-speaking award! In his position as a lecturer at the University of Zambia, Francis spoke on how his institution has used monitoring and evaluation systems to assess and improve its distance learning programmes. Skills shortages, limited transport infrastructure, and the opportunities offered by new technology mean that distance learning is an increasingly relevant higher education option for Africa.
Authors celebrate Journey to Jo’burg’s 25th birthday
Journey to Jo’burg’s author Beverley Naidoo was joined by children’s author Michael Rosen and southern African writers Gillian Slovo, Njabulo Ndebele and Ret’sepile Makamane at an event to celebrate 25 years since the book’s publication. In its time Journey to Jo’burg, the story of two children’s quest to find their mother when their baby sister falls ill, brought the anti-apartheid message to new audiences of schoolchildren, teachers and librarians, and its powerful message of equality and non-discrimination still resonates today. Canon Collins Trust has a strong connection to the book due its roots in the anti-apartheid movement, and because we receive part of the royalties as a donation towards our work.
The event, hosted by the School of Oriental and African Studies and supported by British Council, was a chance for guests to celebrate the book’s anniversary, and reflect more generally on the power of literature to convey political and social ideas. Michael Rosen delivered a stirring speech on the importance of stories to stimulate children’s imagination and enable them to engage in critical thinking, while Beverley Naidoo provided a fascinating history of her book and its place in the anti-apartheid movement. The subsequent panel discussion spanned a wide range of topics, from the authors own literary influences to the need for a new activism to promote creativity in the classroom. We felt proud to include Ret’sepile Makamane, one of the Trust’s own former scholars currently writing her first novel, on the panel. There was a fantastic atmosphere during the evening and we would like to thank everyone who attended and helped with organisation for making the event so special.
(Photos: Eleanor Spall)
Southern African scholars visit London
On a rare glorious sunny day in April, our scholars studying all over the UK were treated to a day out in London, including a boat trip and a picnic in Greenwich Park. It was fascinating to meet them all together and appreciate the range of fields in which they are working and their aspirations for their own and their countries’ futures. Five African countries were represented, with scholars studying in disciplines from Archaeology to Radio Systems Engineering.
Chatawana Molao (below) is studying Community Eye Health, and plans to contribute to the global campaign to eradicate avoidable blindness. Her contribution will be in her home country of Botswana, where 80% of blindness cases are avoidable. She has already had significant impact in her country’s rural areas by establishing three specialised eye units, facilities which generally are only available in major cities and on a private basis. Her course will enable her to make an even bigger difference, by implementing an ophthalmic training programme for nurses from all over Botswana. This will enable nurses to teach rural people how to protect their eyes and where to access services for treatable conditions such as cataracts, adding an extra dimension to their knowledge which could dramatically increase quality of life for hundreds of victims of blindness.
Thank you to our marathon runners!
After months of determined training, all of our runners successfully completed the marathon on April 25th, no mean feat given the heat on the day! Their determination in training was matched only by the hard work they have put into fundraising over the past year, and we would like to thank them all for their commitment and support which will enable more southern Africans to access education. The picture below shows marathon runner Hiep Huatan smiling happily having completed 26 miles in only 4 hours, 29 minutes and 28 seconds!
African journalists welcomed by The Guardian
Zimbabwean communications scholar Douglas Ngwenya and Namibian journalist Tangeni Amupadhi had the opportunity to visit The Guardian on a trip organised by Canon Collins Trust last month.
Tangeni was visiting the UK in order to participate in a debate marking the 20th anniversary of Namibian independence, whilst Douglas is here on a Canon Collins Trust scholarship which he hopes will enable him to be part of the development of a new and more open media culture in his home country of Zimbabwe. The visit to The Guardian was part of the Trust’s commitment to providing professional exposure as well as educational opportunities to our scholars, enabling them to meet other experts in their field and incorporate new learning and experience into their work.
At The Guardian, Douglas and Tangeni had the pleasure of meeting Observer editor John Mulholland and Guardian Managing Editor Elisabeth Ribbans, and were able to witness two morning conferences at which writers determine the most pressing stories of the day in order to establish themes for the next newspaper edition. The visit was particularly fruitful for Tangeni, who managed to reach an agreement that Guardian news stories can be featured in his Namibian magazine, Insight. As a journalist seeking to promote democracy by facilitating public access to information, this was a major step forward in increasing the availability of global news in Namibia.
JPMorgan supports career development for rural South African youth
Canon Collins Trust has been awarded a generous grant by JPMorgan for the establishment of a careers centre in rural Limpopo province. For many years now, the Trust has worked with Giyani Science Centre to enable children from remote parts of the province to access quality maths, science and computer technology education. However, a long term problem for Limpopo youth is their isolation in rural communities and lack of exposure to career options which would enable them to use their skills. The overall effect is to limit their aspirations and perpetuate poverty in the area.
The new centre will enable children and young people from across Limpopo Province to attend workshops on career development, be supported to identify their skills and interests and match these to a wide range of occupations. Older children will be directed towards vocational training and work experience opportunities to enable them to gain practical experience of their chosen careers and develop their CVs. The Trust is proud to be partnering Giyani Science Centre for this initiative which will enable young people to maximise the benefit of their education and overcome the long history of poverty in their communities.
After a year of early morning runs and gruelling exercise regimes, our six marathon runners are now in the final stages of their training before the big day on 25th April. Our six runners have each pledged to raise over £1,200 for education in southern Africa, and are showing their commitment by working as hard at their fundraising as at their training!
The picture shows Mikail Mokoena, one of our six marathon runners who has been training and fundraising hard.
“Training is back on track after some serious drawbacks as a result of the snow fall we had in January and February. I am honoured myself to have been given an opportunity to play some part in your good efforts in helping those who are less privileged. If I continue to stay injury free, hopefully by mid March I will have completed 22 miles on my training rounds.”
On behalf of all our supporters and the southern Africans who benefit from our work, we would like to wish all our marathon runners the best of luck – we will be rooting for you on the 25th!
SJ Berwin raises £20,000 for women’s leadership in southern Africa
On February 11th, 120 women attended a dinner at law firm SJ Berwin to raise money for the Graça Machel Scholarships, to enable inspirational women of rural origin to access educational and professional opportunities. The event was a great success in two respects: 1) it exceeded its fundraising target, raising £20,000 through ticket sales, an auction and a raffle, and 2) everyone had a fantastic time!
The funds raised will enable Mudzunga Mulangaphuma, from a remote area of Limpopo Province in South Africa, to study Development Finance at Masters level at the University of Stellenbosch. Mudzunga’s dream is to set up financial services which can be accessed by rural women, enabling them to start their own enterprises, save for the future and take control of their lives. Herself from a rural background, Mudzunga is aware that access to relevant financial services is what could make the difference between a life of subsistence or the ability to establish a secure livelihood.
“I am very keen to assist rural women who are still playing major but largely unrecognised roles in agriculture in rural areas. As women build up their credit record, they will be affirmed to a greater self-awareness and self-esteem and the ‘risk-factor’ will be gradually removed.”
The company was personally thanked for its support by Graça Machel.
“I would like to thank SJ Berwin for their support for women’s education and leadership in southern Africa. On behalf of all the scholars I would like to welcome SJ Berwin as a partner in this programme.”
Having surpassed their fundraising target for the event, SJ Berwin has generously pledged the surplus funding towards a second scholar!
Meet our scholars in South Africa
Canon Collins Trust’s Chief Executive Sarah Nancollas visited South Africa last month where she met up with several of our scholars studying at the Universities of Cape Town, Western Cape and Stellenbosch. As Canon Collins Trust staff, meeting our scholars is what inspires and motivates us, and this visit was no exception.
One of the scholars Sarah met was Faith Manyonga, a Zimbabwean studying for a PhD in Literature at the University of Stellenbosch. Faith’s work focuses on female Zimbabwean writers and how their work can raise awareness of the need for gender equality. She is a committed champion of women’s rights and plans to advocate for women’s literacy to be prioritised by the Zimbabwean education system when it is reconstructed over the coming years.
“I intend to use my qualification for the advancement of marginalised women by actively participating in women’s education, conducting workshops in creative writing and helping develop a reading culture for women.”
On her return to Zimbabwe Faith plans to propose a women’s literature department at her university, making Zimbabwe a regional leader in this field. Completing her doctorate would enable Faith to become the first ever female lecturer in with a PhD in English Literature in Zimbabwe, and the first to specialise in women’s literature.
Studying in a completely different field, Sarah met Solminic Joseph, an undergraduate lawyer at the University of Western Cape. He was inspired to join the legal profession by the lawyers among South Africa’s iconic liberation struggle leaders, such as Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo.
“Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a lawyer. As I grew older and started doing history I realized that the a great number of world leaders are trained lawyers, and thus realized by studying law I can combine two of my great passions - helping people and politics.”
Solminic had this message to pass onto the Trust’s supporters: “You have given me the opportunity to help my family, my community and to be able to make a worthwhile contribution to my country.”
Zimbabwean Advocate for Transitional Justice…
Zimbabwe is a current priority for the Trust, given the vast array of skills and expertise which will be required to rebuild the country over the coming years. Zimbabweans are increasingly united by a tentative optimism and a desire to create a new dispensation which holds human rights as its central value. At Chatham House on 3rd February, Canon Collins Trust alumnus Gabriel Shumba spoke eloquently on the transition to peace, arguing that there will need to be a process of justice and reconciliation in order for Zimbabweans, and particularly the diaspora, to move on from the violence of past decades.
As Executive Director of the Zimbabwean Exile Forum, Gabriel is part of a coalition to consult with Zimbabweans, whether in their communities and villages or living as exiles, as to their experiences of the crisis and how they feel peace can be achieved. These consultations will be central to plans for national healing over the coming years.
…and gain skills to rebuild their country
The Trust has supported hundreds of Zimbabweans to gain skills and expertise in subject fields which will be vital to the country’s reconstruction. Two of the students we are currently supporting in the UK are Kundai Chinyenze and Morine Sithole.
Kundai Chinyenze was one of the first doctors to be trained in anti-retroviral therapy when the medication was finally introduced in Zimbabwe. She was determined that more children would not needlessly be orphaned because a parent could not access treatment, and is driven to continuously advance her knowledge of HIV prevention and treatment.
Kundai’s scholarship in Public Health will enable her to return to Zimbabwe with advanced epidemiological skills so that she can effectively analyse health needs and trends. She intends to play a leading role in resuscitating health infrastructure in Zimbabwe and advocating policies which focus on the prevention as well as the treatment of HIV.
“HIV may not be curable but it is preventable and treatable. I go by the principle that, ‘you must stay alive’. If one is infected, life is still a valid option and science has advanced to ensure this. If one is not infected, they must also stay alive and prevention is the key. In the past these options were not available but now we have the opportunity to make people aware of them.”
Morine Sithole was born and raised in Harare and has led the campaign to renew Zimbabwe’s communications infrastructure after its decimation by power outages and disabled lines. She is passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless by setting up a sustainable radio network in Zimbabwe, and for this reason she has chosen to specialise in Radio Systems Engineering. Giving voice to marginalised groups in remote locations strengthens democracy by improving people’s understanding of the world beyond their village, enabling them to exchange experiences and gain clarity about the political and economic developments which affect them.
“The course will guide me towards my ultimate goal of helping establish in southern Africa, radio networks of world class standard, without compromising the impact of radio network infrastructure on the environment.”
And how you have helped!
Christmas may seem a long time ago but we would like to highlight the ongoing work of some of our most loyal and generous supporters – the Cambridge Support Group. The group’s Christmas market stall raised £150 for the Trust by selling beautiful handmade Christmas tree decorations. In addition, Cambridge Support Group coordinator Michele Lambert has been working with one of our students, Refiloe Letokoto who is studying Gender and International Development, to present the Trust’s work to student fundraising groups in Cambridge. We would like to thank our Cambridge supporters for donating their time and energy to the cause!
Above: Tarin Brokenshire and Joyce Malongo at their stall in Cambridge in December.
Matrix Chambers and BSALA support justice in southern Africa
In 2010 our new partnerships with Matrix Chambers and the British South African Law Association (BSALA) are enabling us to support two undergraduate lawyers amongst our new intake of students in South Africa.
Historically disadvantaged groups are chronically underrepresented amongst South Africa’s lawyers, 73% of whom are white, so it is essential that the justice system is opened up to participation by marginalised and disadvantaged groups. Southern Africa as a whole urgently needs legal experts to promote human rights, and in Zimbabwe this is particularly crucial as society is reconstructed over the coming years.
The Matrix Chambers scholarship was awarded to Rocker Mandipe for his outstanding commitment to the reconstruction of Zimbabwe, his home country. His goal is to work with civil society organisations to promote and build understanding of human rights, so that even people in the remotest areas of the country are aware of and can unite in protection of their rights.
Leatitia Sisusa was selected to receive the BSALA bursary. The daughter of a charwoman, Leatitia is driven by a desire for equality and social justice – in her own words, she plans to use her degree ‘to resist inequality, xenophobia, violence and human abuse, and to promote and stand for what is fair’.
We are delighted to be able to welcome Rocker and Leatitia to the programme and would like to thank Matrix Chambers and BSALA for their generous support to realise the potential of southern Africa’s future legal experts.
Volunteer Shasti Lowton wins Vodafone award!
Volunteer Shasti Lowton has won an award from the Vodafone World of Difference programme so that we can employ her on a full time basis for two months! Having volunteered part-time for the Trust in 2009, Shasti applied for the award and was successful, meaning that the Trust will benefit from her support between now and March. We are all looking forward to working with Shasti and would like to take this opportunity to publicly welcome her to the team.
Shasti is writing a blog for the Vodafone Foundation, which you can read here: http://worldofdifference.vodafone.co.uk/uk/shasti-lowton/first-day/
And please click here for an article about her featured in the Westminster Chronicle:
http://westminster.londoninformer.co.uk/2010/01/paddington-womans-charity-drea.html
Alumni meet in Johannesburg
Over the past two years the Trust has put considerable effort into developing its alumni network, on the basis that sharing ideas is often as beneficial as creating new ones. Our alumni work in a vast array of fields including health, education, food security, human rights and water technology, and each has their own unique contribution to make to southern Africa’s development. By putting alumni in touch with one another, the network ensures that professionals facing similar challenges can exchange their valuable knowledge and expertise.
Around 30 alumni from the Johannesburg area met on the top floor of the University of Witwatersrand’s Senate Building, a stunning location which provided a dramatic view of the sun setting over the city of Johannesburg. Guests were addressed by Vathiswa Papu, a former scholar who was supported to study medical biochemistry and is now making a vital contribution as a senior scientist at the Medical Research Council of South Africa. Vathiswa truly embodies the spirit of the Trust – in her spare time she passes her skills on through youth career development workshops, and she is even reinvesting in our scholarships as a donor to the Trust!
