Teachers Without Borders ­ South Africa
An International Teacher-Development Partnership
Yunus Peer ­ Director, TWB-SA 2004 – Journal Entry # 4:

The closing ceremony with fifty teachers from the Emfuleni District in Gauteng Province began with a dramatic presentation of the Sharpeville massacre of 1960. Actors are staff of the Technorama Museum which houses the history of the resistance movements which ultimately created the new South Africa under the African National Congress and Mr. Mandela in 1994.

However, the museum is also home to the long history of the Afrikaners – the Dutch settlers who arrived in the 1650’s and controlled South Africa during its Apartheid era from 1948-1994. The comprehensive inclusion of Afrikaner history in the new South Africa is yet another act of reconciliation ­ an example of how conflict can be resolved with honor and dignity and without revenge and bloodshed.

Teachers from the rural schools in South Africa need help with content and skills because they were denied the opportunity of a good education. Apartheid had destined black children to be the labor source for white-owned industry. Former Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd said quite clearly that “there was no need for the black child to learn science and mathematics” – because the chance to use those skills will never come to pass. It has been ten years since democracy and the black child can wait no longer to learn science and mathematics at the same level of her counterparts around the free-world. Her teacher’s skills are the key to opening the door to opportunity and escaping the cycle of poverty. Math and Science pass rates at the 12th grade level hover around 30 % in the rural areas. In order to give students a chance at success, they need competent teachers. TWB-SA, a grass-roots effort that began in 2001 with initial co-sponsorship by the Peer Family (RSA) and Punahou School (Hawaii) brought skilled math and science teachers to South Africa to conduct workshops in content and skills especially for the teachers in rural school communities. Hawaii teachers came prepared and versed in the South African curriculum expectations and looked to serve local needs and further local goals. TWB-SA, now entering its fifth consecutive year, remains a community-based effort and is supported by schools, Rotary clubs, friends and neighbors in Hawaii and in South Africa .

Many of the local Emfuleni teachers who spent four days in math and science workshops with the TWB-SA team from Hawaii spoke during the open-mike session at the closing ceremony on July 2nd. Some were teachers of the 280 students who attended the one-day TWB student workshop in Sebokeng. Encouragement and inspiration echoed in the words of the speakers ­ “carry the momentum of the past week into the classroom” they said, “take what we have gained from our colleagues (from Hawaii) and help our children succeed in the classroom.” The TWB team was moved by the dedication of these South African teachers from the rural areas who attended our workshops voluntarily, during their vacation, unpaid, some commuted for 3 hours per day, most had families to take care of during their four days with us, and all who attended were determined to become more competent teachers. To make these choices and sacrifices to attend our workshops is the highest honor we could have received.

We drove 800 kilometers south to Port Shepstone in Kwa-Zulu Province for the next one-day student workshop on July 5th. The TWB-SA team expected between 200 ­ 300 students at the workshop. By 10am, we had surpassed 500 students and by 11am, more than 800 were packed into one large assembly hall and 3 large classrooms. The respect, the attention and participation by the students was superb. We were thoroughly impressed especially by their behavior and attitude in the presence of such a large audience. Some classrooms had standing room only and up to 20 students lined the walls and any open space they could find. Their enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge is humbling. At 12:30 I was summoned by the security guard to the front gate. A group of 69 students had arrived from a Catholic mission school in the rural area some 80 kilometers outside of Port Shepstone. Their bus had broken down and they endured a 3 hour delay before getting on the road again. “Could you please extend the classes later into the afternoon?” the Sister asked, “my learners could really use the help”. Our Hawaii teachers stayed an hour longer after the closing. On Tuesday morning we opened to 80 teachers at Port Shepstone High School. By Friday¹s closing ceremony, TWB-SA 2004 had worked with 1100 students and 130 teachers in two provinces in a two week stretch.
Our Hawaii team had hit their stride and the largest workshop was two days ahead. Timing is everything!

On Sunday morning, July 11th we left Port Shepstone for Umtata, in the Eastern Cape, a 4 hour drive away and site of our next 5-day workshop. Eastern Cape is the most impoverished province in the country. We were hosted by TRINSET, a state-funded teacher training college. Huge signs reading “Umtata District Welcomes TWB-SA” adorned the hallways and the auditorium and 140 local teachers began the morning with a prayer song that sent shivers of inspiration and life through us all. On Tuesday morning July 13th, temperatures dropped to freezing and wind chill numbers were even lower ­ a thoroughly miserable day. We expected a huge drop in attendance considering there was also a power outage the night before. Except for two local teachers, every other teacher showed up to the workshop on that cold and stormy morning. To be in the presence of such dedication and enthusiasm is a life-changing experience. Friday ended in prayer, song and many tears. Provincial officials were so moved by the overwhelming success of the workshops that we have been asked to consider an additional workshop to serve teachers in a neighboring district next year.

That is the problem with success. It breeds on itself. We have more requests to put on math and science workshops in 2005 than we can meet. In 2004, six teachers from Hawaii did a phenomenal job with 270 teachers and 1100 students in three provinces over a four week period . Five workshops in all ­ our teachers handed out prepared lesson plans and materials in excess of 150,000 pages – we drove 12,000 km. in vehicles sponsored so generously by Vaal Toyota – South Africa – to outlying areas where help in education is so desperately needed. TWB-SA provided microscopes, laptop computers and basic school supplies to rural schools ­ all donations from schools and communities in Hawaii. Each year we continue to build goodwill between communities across the globe. I said once that when ordinary people like us put our hearts and minds together, extraordinary things happen.

In four consecutive years (2001-4), 17 Hawaii math and science teachers ­ 580 South African math and science teachers and 2500 SA grade 12 students have worked together in 16 TWB-SA workshops. More than a quarter million South African students are being positively impacted by their teacher’s upgraded skills. According to department officials in the areas we have worked in, pass rates are showing a steady incline, thereby giving more African children the ability to pursue the opportunities we take for granted in the United States. South Africa’s rebuilding process will take generations. For us to be able to play a small part in the rebuilding of a nation is indeed an honor and a privilege.

The lives of our Hawaii teachers will never be the same. It is in giving of themselves that they have gained most. Our children in the classrooms of Hawaii will be the beneficiaries of teachers who have experienced global cooperation, understanding, and learning at its finest.
And I am grateful, as usual, for my mother’s financial, emotional and organizational sponsorship of this project. Ameena Peer continues to support the vision that my late father had ­ the liberation and empowerment of the black child in South Africa. The creation of TWB-SA is a legacy of that vision and an act of service to the mission. There are many friends and family who prefer to remain unnamed, but without whom things would never have worked so smoothly ­ thank you all. I am grateful also to my fellow South African administrators ­ Mrs. Pauline Duncan ­ who is retiring this year after serving us and the country beyond any and all call of duty; Mr. Yunus Chamda, Speaker of the House (ANC) from the Emfuleni-Vaal region who has been with us from the very beginning; and Gora Peer, fellow administrator, full-time driver, host, friend, comedian, security guard, and older brother whom I love dearly for all that he is to all of us.

Now for next year, if I could just find a way to fully fund this project, imagine what more we could do!

Love,
Yunus

Stat Box: TWB-SA 2004

• 6 Hawaii teachers ­ from 4 different Hawaii schools – 4 mathematics ­ 2 science teachers.
• 5 Workshops in South Africa ­ in 3 Provinces ­ Gauteng, KZN, and Eastern Cape in 4 weeks.
• 1100 students in 2 one-day workshops ­ 280 students in Sebokeng (GP) and 820 in Port Shepstone.
• 270 teachers in 3 week-long teacher workhops ­ 50 teachers in GP, 80 KZN, and 140 in EC