My chair is broken....

It is rare in any Secondary School in South Africa these days that a learners is complaining about her broken chair. First of all, they don't have their own chair. And furthermore chairs are broken every day.

So it is with pride and with big thanks to Debbie and Lydia that now we hear different things in the school. "My chair is broken" indicates that this learner has identified her own chair. How did we come to this point? By having 75 chair skeletons repaired with a wooden seat and back support. But, and this is the crux: the learner now has to sand and varnish the chair him/herself. And then they can sign the other side of seat with a cokey. And there you are, ownership has crept into the picture. And apart from more chairs in the school, the learners look after their chairs.

Another reaction: "Why are you now sitting on your own chair?" Answer learner: "I want to save my chair".

What do you as volunteer do regarding this project? You would organize the learners to sand and varnish. You would be part of the excitement when the chairs arrive at the school. You assist with handing out the chairs etc. And ofcourse Avril, our local project leader, is there to guide everything in the right way.

then when you go home, you know you have achieved something. The truth is you have achieved a lot!!! More than you can imagine!

Greetings
Marieke Robers