The volleyball tournament was meant to be run today (Heritage Day, a South African national holiday), tomorrow, and Saturday. My previous entry described the roller coaster of a challenge trying to put this together.
Things that were supposed to happen - what actually happened:
iKwekwezi FM was to air a radio advertisement for the tournament - the Community Development Worker from Vezubuhle didn't submit the proper paperwork so the ad never aired
The municipal government was to provide us with a team to represent them, volleyballs, and a tent for the testing - The municipality is still on strike (going on three weeks now) so the players wouldn't come and none of the paperwork was processed to get volleyballs or a tent since there was no one to process it
KwaMhlanga Hospital was to provide VCT services at the event as well as field a team - As promised, they showed up, but since no one was there, they left saying they would come back tomorrow if there were more people. Since today was National Heritage Day, the team was at another event.
A DJ was to play music and be the MC for the event - As promised, he showed up, but since there weren't enough people we requested he didn't set up but to stay on standby in case there was a large number of teams that registered at the event in the morning
Caterers were to cook and sell food to the people at the event - They also remained on standby but since no one showed up, their services were not needed
The Police Service was to provide volleyballs, trophies and medals for awards - They said it was too short notice (2 months is too short?) so they didn't get the proposal through the proper channels in time. Fortunately, they were not necessary since there weren't any brackets. What would I have done with all of those extra trophies?
Me: Happy Father's day dad, I got you a present
Dad: (he opens it) uhhh, thanks for the...women's bracket championship trophy. I guess I'll put it next to my "World's Greatest Dad" mug, use it as a paperweight. Yeah, this perfect, thanks.
Me: I knew you'd like it!
The teams were supposed to pay a R50 entry fee and I was going to use the money to buy raffle tickets - No teams showed up therefore there were no teams to pay entry fees and no money to buy raffle prizes. I didn't even have raffle tickets so maybe that worked out to my benefit.
Our revised plan (this morning) since all of those things fell through:
Today we hung out and played volleyball waiting for people to show up so we could register them. Registration would be completed today and early tomorrow morning. We would then play a tournament with those registered teams Friday and Saturday. Trophies without inscriptions would be brought as awards for the awards ceremony so people could take pictures. The trophies would then be taken back, engraved, and returned to the winners.
I spoke with everyone who was there and explained all of the challenges that I faced which resulted in the lackluster tournament. I really appreciate their showing up and participating but I asked them for a little understanding and flexibility. The compromise we reached this afternoon resulted in this revised plan:
Regardless of who shows up tomorrow, we will hold a small social tournament amongst whoever shows up. All participants will receive a certificate of participation from the Department of Sports and Recreation. The winners will be announced and will at a future date be awarded volleyballs; but no trophies will be awarded. We will hold another tournament in the near future that is marketed more effectively and more highly resourced. Winning a larger tournament will have more meaning and deserve the recognition of a trophy.
Although the running of this tournament was a complete failure in just about every way possible, it was a good learning experience. I have formulated a plan to run an excellent netball tournament in December. More details to come. . .
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Project Update: Community Sports League
After several different attempts-playing and hoping people would willingly join, advertising practices, etc.-we have decided to take a different approach. On September 24-26, we will be hosting Vezubuhle Community Sports Club's 1st Annual Volleyball Tournament in conjunction with an HIV testing drive. The people who get tested will be eligible for a raffle for a variety of prizes (which I still need to acquire), champions and runners-up will receive trophies, and everyone will receive a certificate of participation.
Since volleyball can be played by people of all ages and abilities it was chosen to be the focus of the first tournament. Although it is not very popular and nothing is organized, there are still a reasonable number of people who play. This tournament will introduce people to the sport of volleyball so that newly interested players can start practicing and will hopefully compete in next year's tournament. I don't expect a massive turnout-I may be pleasantly surprised or extremely overwhelmed if the opposite happens-but the purpose is to launch the idea and start the movement of sport as a social activity.
Drug/alcohol abuse and criminal activity is a huge problem here and the tournament and league will aim to provide people with a healthy, socially acceptable activity to pull people away from those types of activities. To further this cause, the event is being held at a primary school and alcohol is prohibited. Drunk players will be disqualified, drunk spectators will be turned away, and alcohol will not be allowed on the campus. Once competition is over, the people are free to drink as they wish off of the school grounds.
The tournament will include 7 brackets intended to reach all of the target demographics: secondary school boys/girls, primary school boys/girls, men, women, and coed. The tournament was meant to be for the villages within the Kwaggafontein and KwaMhlanga area. We started running an advertisement for the event on the regional radio station iKwekweziFM, and I am not sure what the coverage area is so I may be inundated with phone calls and have to turn people away. Turning people away wouldn't be so bad because it would show that there is a widespread interest in this type of league and I can encourage the Department of Sports and Recreation to take action.
The past week has been a rollercoaster of a ride in the way of planning. Up until last Friday I was under the impression that I would be able to use the new courts for the tournament. I was thrown for a loop when I was told I needed approval from the sports advisory committee of the school. Since the courts won't be done until tomorrow (they were due to be completed mid-July), the school never formed a team and we have been unable to use the courts. They decided that it would be unfair to allow the public to use it before the learners really got to play with it; which is a fair request.
The frustrating part is that I am constantly asked to adapt and change my plans but when something goes out of my control, no one is willing to adapt to make it easier for the plans to go smoothly.
The official ruling was handed down and confirmed today that they will not grant me permission to use the courts. As to not cause further friction, I accepted their declination and requested that we be able to host a netball tournament there this Summer (December); a plan I had formulated with the principal yesterday after it became apparent I would be denied use of the facilities. They said it required further discussion and planning but no one would give me an inkling of positivity that it would be allowed, we'll see.
Fortunately I was able to swing it right around and get it back on track in one day. I went to the other primary school and got approval from the Deputy Principal to use their school for the tournament and got positive feedback from the educators saying the were excited to host the tournament. Since there is only one volleyball court we need to build some temporary ones. I went to Build-it-a building supply store that has provided volunteers in the area with supplies for other projects-to request materials for the construction of temporary courts. They have promised to provide me with 6 poles, 24 eye hooks, and a few bags of cement to create the uprights. to complete the construction of the courts, I am going to borrow nets from the schools in the area. Build-it was even so gracious to promise to provide me with chalk to mark the lines for the courts. Hopefully I will be building these courts this weekend so I will have extra people to help me.
I have spoken with the Department of Health and they are very excited about the tournament. They will be providing us with the HIV testing technicians and a mobile clinic to assist any injured or ill participants.
My counterpart has arranged to have his sister's catering company cater the event. Instead of paying them a set rate for their services-since we don't have funds to give them-they will be selling their food to the community and a portion of the profits will go to the Sports Club to support future purchases of equipment and other things. He has also secured the DJ, who we have agreed to pay after we collect the entry fees. Accepting payment after completing work is rare in South Africa since most people require upfront payment.
The municipality has been on strike for the past couple of weeks so the support I was receiving from them (which was minimal at best) almost dissolved. They will, however, be providing us with a large tent for people to sit under and stay out of the sun.
The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) has pledged trophies, medals, and award volleyballs for the winners of each bracket. They are helping under the banner of "Sports Against Crime". They will also be providing security for the event to keep out rabblerousers and drunks.
The Department of Sports will be creating an official "Certificate of Participation" to be given to every athlete. Although I personally am not a huge fan of certificates of participation, they are a huge part of the culture. Since people don't voluntarily take part in activities (especially those requiring a fee) it is necessary to recognize it. Certificates give the people something to remember the event by and proudly display on their wall as an achievement.
The first raffle donation was a car outlet powered air compressor. It was given to me because the box was destroyed and the shop owner couldn't sell it; but it still works and is worth raffling off. Shoprite-the same chain from the U.S.-has expressed interest in donating some items for it too. When we get funds from registration fees, we will be able to buy more items and are awaiting some more donations.
I have invited some area volunteers to come help run the event. I may invite some of the Peace Corps staff since they are so close to my site but I may wait until the next tournament.
This may be a spectacular success but I am sure it won't be a complete failure. We will learn how to improve it and apply it to the next tournament (netball) which will be held in December.
Results to follow . . .
Since volleyball can be played by people of all ages and abilities it was chosen to be the focus of the first tournament. Although it is not very popular and nothing is organized, there are still a reasonable number of people who play. This tournament will introduce people to the sport of volleyball so that newly interested players can start practicing and will hopefully compete in next year's tournament. I don't expect a massive turnout-I may be pleasantly surprised or extremely overwhelmed if the opposite happens-but the purpose is to launch the idea and start the movement of sport as a social activity.
Drug/alcohol abuse and criminal activity is a huge problem here and the tournament and league will aim to provide people with a healthy, socially acceptable activity to pull people away from those types of activities. To further this cause, the event is being held at a primary school and alcohol is prohibited. Drunk players will be disqualified, drunk spectators will be turned away, and alcohol will not be allowed on the campus. Once competition is over, the people are free to drink as they wish off of the school grounds.
The tournament will include 7 brackets intended to reach all of the target demographics: secondary school boys/girls, primary school boys/girls, men, women, and coed. The tournament was meant to be for the villages within the Kwaggafontein and KwaMhlanga area. We started running an advertisement for the event on the regional radio station iKwekweziFM, and I am not sure what the coverage area is so I may be inundated with phone calls and have to turn people away. Turning people away wouldn't be so bad because it would show that there is a widespread interest in this type of league and I can encourage the Department of Sports and Recreation to take action.
The past week has been a rollercoaster of a ride in the way of planning. Up until last Friday I was under the impression that I would be able to use the new courts for the tournament. I was thrown for a loop when I was told I needed approval from the sports advisory committee of the school. Since the courts won't be done until tomorrow (they were due to be completed mid-July), the school never formed a team and we have been unable to use the courts. They decided that it would be unfair to allow the public to use it before the learners really got to play with it; which is a fair request.
The frustrating part is that I am constantly asked to adapt and change my plans but when something goes out of my control, no one is willing to adapt to make it easier for the plans to go smoothly.
The official ruling was handed down and confirmed today that they will not grant me permission to use the courts. As to not cause further friction, I accepted their declination and requested that we be able to host a netball tournament there this Summer (December); a plan I had formulated with the principal yesterday after it became apparent I would be denied use of the facilities. They said it required further discussion and planning but no one would give me an inkling of positivity that it would be allowed, we'll see.
Fortunately I was able to swing it right around and get it back on track in one day. I went to the other primary school and got approval from the Deputy Principal to use their school for the tournament and got positive feedback from the educators saying the were excited to host the tournament. Since there is only one volleyball court we need to build some temporary ones. I went to Build-it-a building supply store that has provided volunteers in the area with supplies for other projects-to request materials for the construction of temporary courts. They have promised to provide me with 6 poles, 24 eye hooks, and a few bags of cement to create the uprights. to complete the construction of the courts, I am going to borrow nets from the schools in the area. Build-it was even so gracious to promise to provide me with chalk to mark the lines for the courts. Hopefully I will be building these courts this weekend so I will have extra people to help me.
I have spoken with the Department of Health and they are very excited about the tournament. They will be providing us with the HIV testing technicians and a mobile clinic to assist any injured or ill participants.
My counterpart has arranged to have his sister's catering company cater the event. Instead of paying them a set rate for their services-since we don't have funds to give them-they will be selling their food to the community and a portion of the profits will go to the Sports Club to support future purchases of equipment and other things. He has also secured the DJ, who we have agreed to pay after we collect the entry fees. Accepting payment after completing work is rare in South Africa since most people require upfront payment.
The municipality has been on strike for the past couple of weeks so the support I was receiving from them (which was minimal at best) almost dissolved. They will, however, be providing us with a large tent for people to sit under and stay out of the sun.
The South Africa Police Service (SAPS) has pledged trophies, medals, and award volleyballs for the winners of each bracket. They are helping under the banner of "Sports Against Crime". They will also be providing security for the event to keep out rabblerousers and drunks.
The Department of Sports will be creating an official "Certificate of Participation" to be given to every athlete. Although I personally am not a huge fan of certificates of participation, they are a huge part of the culture. Since people don't voluntarily take part in activities (especially those requiring a fee) it is necessary to recognize it. Certificates give the people something to remember the event by and proudly display on their wall as an achievement.
The first raffle donation was a car outlet powered air compressor. It was given to me because the box was destroyed and the shop owner couldn't sell it; but it still works and is worth raffling off. Shoprite-the same chain from the U.S.-has expressed interest in donating some items for it too. When we get funds from registration fees, we will be able to buy more items and are awaiting some more donations.
I have invited some area volunteers to come help run the event. I may invite some of the Peace Corps staff since they are so close to my site but I may wait until the next tournament.
This may be a spectacular success but I am sure it won't be a complete failure. We will learn how to improve it and apply it to the next tournament (netball) which will be held in December.
Results to follow . . .
Monday, September 14, 2009
The "Idea Beam"
I see my projects as large beams, "idea beams" if you will. Every idea can be represented by a beam of some size and weight (depending on the complexity of the idea).
At the beginning, the beam is laying on the ground. In order to get the idea off the ground it must be supported by a plan. A plan requires support and action to keep the idea off the ground. If either support dissolves, or action is never taken, the idea will never get off the ground.
If it is a small idea it may require only a few people to support the idea and only a few (sometimes only me) to act on it. Most of my ideas are extremely cumbersome beams. I work with the educators to gain support for the plan and everyone helps me lift that end off of the ground then set it on a strong foundation. I move to the "action" end of the beam and I find that no one follows me to help me.
What causes such a lack of action on ideas that they agree are so great? Are they disempowered? Unmotivated? Lazy? Unappreciative? Is it learned helplessness? whatever it is, it is causing me a lot of excess stress.
What they seem to be forgetting is that I am here to help them do, not do for them. They have been waiting for the Department of Education to do everything for them for years. Maybe they see me as someone hired by the DOE to come and do their work for them. Do they not realize that I am separate from the DOE and I even though I have similar goals, I am not here to do all of the work that the DOE promised they would do? It seems not.
I guess it's time to take a few steps back and re-re-establish an understanding with the educators of what is required of them. My principal said she understands what I am going through and that she too has yet to completely coax the desire and willingness to help make change out of them. She says "you're growing", I say, "We'll see".
At the beginning, the beam is laying on the ground. In order to get the idea off the ground it must be supported by a plan. A plan requires support and action to keep the idea off the ground. If either support dissolves, or action is never taken, the idea will never get off the ground.
If it is a small idea it may require only a few people to support the idea and only a few (sometimes only me) to act on it. Most of my ideas are extremely cumbersome beams. I work with the educators to gain support for the plan and everyone helps me lift that end off of the ground then set it on a strong foundation. I move to the "action" end of the beam and I find that no one follows me to help me.
What causes such a lack of action on ideas that they agree are so great? Are they disempowered? Unmotivated? Lazy? Unappreciative? Is it learned helplessness? whatever it is, it is causing me a lot of excess stress.
What they seem to be forgetting is that I am here to help them do, not do for them. They have been waiting for the Department of Education to do everything for them for years. Maybe they see me as someone hired by the DOE to come and do their work for them. Do they not realize that I am separate from the DOE and I even though I have similar goals, I am not here to do all of the work that the DOE promised they would do? It seems not.
I guess it's time to take a few steps back and re-re-establish an understanding with the educators of what is required of them. My principal said she understands what I am going through and that she too has yet to completely coax the desire and willingness to help make change out of them. She says "you're growing", I say, "We'll see".
Thursday, September 3, 2009
ZOK
A major struggle in the rural schools is getting funding for school improvements. This can be attributed to many things:
1. Principals aren't qualified to be doing their jobs
2. The schools are "waiting for the Department of Education to build _______."
3. Schools want something but don't want to do anything for it
The principal of Hlonipha Secondary School-the secondary school in my village-is the opposite; he's a go-getter who works tirelessly to elp his school. When he starts a project with someone, he is persistent and doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. ZOK wanted to try partnering their business with schools that needed money and chose Hlonipha as their pilot school because it is the highest performing school in Mpumalanga Province.
ZOK is a company that converts metal shipping containers into self-contained businesses. Inside you will find computers with internet hookup, printers, copier/fax machines, public telephones, an ATM, and a tuck shop. In the tuck shop they sell a variety of groceries, snacks, and most importantly, airtime. They paint it blue, find a partner operator in the community-in this case Hlonipha Secondary-and then place it in the community giving the operator a portion of the profits.
ZOK operates similar to an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) because the internet, public telephone, and airtime that they sell are all powered by Vodacom; Vodacom is the largest cell phone operator in South Africa (MTN and Cell C are the second and third largest). A majority of people who have cell phones buy airtime which they add to their account allowing them to make a call. Depending on day and time, call rates vary and at certain times it is free. Since people don't like spending large amount of money, they usually buy small amounts (R12 or R29). The attendant was shocked when I bought R414 of airtime yesterday.
The principal entered the contract as a fundraising method to raise money for a computer lab he wants to build that the Department of Education has been promising to build for years. He is earning the school upwards of R10,000/month which will allow his school to have enough money in about 2.5 years. After that is paid for, they will decide on a new initiative.
Sadly, not everyone in the community is celebrating his school for this achievement. One of the primary school principals refused to go to the inauguration ceremony because he felt it was unfair that Hlonipha is getting that opportunity and his school isn't. He went so far as to tell his learners' parents that they should not send their kids there out of spite; which is too bad, who wouldn't want to send their kids to the highest performing school in the province?
What he, as many other South Africans don't realize when somebody else has something that they wish they had is that there was a lot of work that was done to get it. I am happy for them, I did nothing to help them get it and I am not responsible for their school development but it gives me hope. There are decent, hard-working, professional, competent people who want to improve their country; if only there were more.
1. Principals aren't qualified to be doing their jobs
2. The schools are "waiting for the Department of Education to build _______."
3. Schools want something but don't want to do anything for it
The principal of Hlonipha Secondary School-the secondary school in my village-is the opposite; he's a go-getter who works tirelessly to elp his school. When he starts a project with someone, he is persistent and doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. ZOK wanted to try partnering their business with schools that needed money and chose Hlonipha as their pilot school because it is the highest performing school in Mpumalanga Province.
ZOK is a company that converts metal shipping containers into self-contained businesses. Inside you will find computers with internet hookup, printers, copier/fax machines, public telephones, an ATM, and a tuck shop. In the tuck shop they sell a variety of groceries, snacks, and most importantly, airtime. They paint it blue, find a partner operator in the community-in this case Hlonipha Secondary-and then place it in the community giving the operator a portion of the profits.
ZOK operates similar to an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) because the internet, public telephone, and airtime that they sell are all powered by Vodacom; Vodacom is the largest cell phone operator in South Africa (MTN and Cell C are the second and third largest). A majority of people who have cell phones buy airtime which they add to their account allowing them to make a call. Depending on day and time, call rates vary and at certain times it is free. Since people don't like spending large amount of money, they usually buy small amounts (R12 or R29). The attendant was shocked when I bought R414 of airtime yesterday.
The principal entered the contract as a fundraising method to raise money for a computer lab he wants to build that the Department of Education has been promising to build for years. He is earning the school upwards of R10,000/month which will allow his school to have enough money in about 2.5 years. After that is paid for, they will decide on a new initiative.
Sadly, not everyone in the community is celebrating his school for this achievement. One of the primary school principals refused to go to the inauguration ceremony because he felt it was unfair that Hlonipha is getting that opportunity and his school isn't. He went so far as to tell his learners' parents that they should not send their kids there out of spite; which is too bad, who wouldn't want to send their kids to the highest performing school in the province?
What he, as many other South Africans don't realize when somebody else has something that they wish they had is that there was a lot of work that was done to get it. I am happy for them, I did nothing to help them get it and I am not responsible for their school development but it gives me hope. There are decent, hard-working, professional, competent people who want to improve their country; if only there were more.
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