Kuglers in South Africa

LITERACY WORK CONTINUES!

2011-08-09T11:28:00.040-04:00

The library container was painted by local artists. We're so proud of the role it is playing in the community. Funds are needed to support maintenance, as well as staffing and programs for the community.

The students continue to learn computer skills -- and even the teachers had not touched a computer just 3 years ago! Our Education Fund helps to support the computer teacher as well as essential maintenance for the computer lab.

Books that we donated to the regional library system are now in libraries throughout the region. The system is starting many new outreach programs, including a Scrabble Tournament during Library Week. Here high school students are checking out a word in the Scrabble Dictionary provided to each team.

We recently received video from the Family Quilt Project at A.V. Bukani (see our entries from August 2009 below for more details).

View other videos about the project:
"Eileen Becomes Nosango"
"Learning from South African Families"

To support these literacy efforts in South Africa, please see our section on how to donate to the Kugler Education Fund at South Africa Partners.

The Library is Thriving!

2010-11-16T21:44:00.026-05:00

With great joy and excitement, we report that the library at A.V.Bukani is thriving! Books are on the library shelves, organized by level. Teachers have set up reading centers in their classrooms and are further refining the levels so they meet the needs of their learners. They have truly taken ownership of the library.

Teachers report that the students are loving the books they are taking home, eager to get a new one each day. The classroom system we helped set up - where the students put the card from their book into a clothes pin with their name - is working well. Most teachers said ALL books are coming back, except if a child is absent. (Can you imagine that?? 100% return!) Students know they must bring back their book to get a new one and they sure want that new one.

Stakeholders in the broader community are helping to strengthen and sustain the library and the entire school. One of the local businesswomen donated paint. The outside has been painted white and township artists will soon paint a mural.

Members of the Womens Institute, who are orange farmers' wives and B&B owners, have come back to the school to label more books alongside residents of Nomathamsanqa township. We are so happy that this personal interaction is continuing among diverse members of the region.

Books Throughout the Region

The donated books are not only serving the students of A.V. Bukani. About 50 boxes were donated to the municipal library. Volunteers have covered and labled the books for their system, and the books are now part of a traveling collection of books that are shared by libraries in townships throughout the region.

The municipal library now runs the library in the township high school. Some of the donated books are filling those shelves. A new Internet Center was just opened in the high school, providing internet access for the entire township - such an exciting opportunity for all!

New Volunteers Heading to A.V. Bukani

We recently learned that two new volunteers will visit A.V. Bukani in January and February, continuing the professional development on literacy. Clearly, this is a big step, as it is difficult to see major progress when we are only able to provide teacher training during our annual visit.

The volunteers are skilled retired teachers. We started our collaboration with them through a great SKYPE conversation with one of the volunteers, who just returned from a year at a school in China. She will spend 8 weeks at A.V. Bukani, which will certainly have an impact. She is staying with one of the teachers in the township.

The volunteers are working through People and Places-Responsible Volunteering as we did. London-based People and Places does a terrific job of matching volunteers with projects around the world. Soon these new volunteers will begin working with Paul Miedema of Calabash Tours/Trust who oversees the project in our region of South Africa. We feel so fortunate to be connected to these ethical, well-run organizations; and we know the new volunteers will feel the same. We'll soon have personal contact with them and they have already read all the reports we have filed.

Thanks to our wonderful DC-based volunteers

We thank Kay Campbell of Burness Communications for some of the wonderful recent photos of the library. Kay and her husband visited A.V. Bukani on their vacation in October, volunteering to take photos of the library and other Calabash projects in the region.

It was great to get together recently with many of the volunteers who spent so much time collecting, sorting and labeling the books at our home. Larry and I calculated that volunteers provided about 240 days of labor getting the library ready for shipment! No wonder we're still a bit tired :)

We thank all of you who so generously have contributed to this project. The library is just one tool in the effort to increase literacy in this wonderful school and community. The work continues. If you would like to support this project, please see How to Donate.

"It is no longer a container. It is a library."

2010-08-22T20:53:00.045-04:00

YES, the books finally arrived!!

The container was opened on the Monday of our third and final week. As box after box was opened, the principal and teachers were in awe of the quality of the books. We learned that not only are books very expensive in South Africa, there are few as well written and illustrated as these beautiful books.

Members of the community soon surrounded the container, helping move the 600 boxes of books and a dozen book cases into a storage area while work is done ot convert the container into a library. Fourth graders soon began eagerly helping.

Teachers swept and mopped. Wooden shelves created in South Africa were installed along the side into the supports donated by Highwood Enterprises in the U.S. Windows and doors were put in. “This is no longer a container, it’s a library,” declared Principal Thambo.

The faculty deeply appreciated the many hours that went into collecting, labeling, and sorting the books. We created a photo album showing the many, many people involved in putting the library together. “You have worked very hard,” teachers said over and over.

Sara and Larry trained the teachers and their students on the classroom-based check out system, where each child attaches the card with his or her name from the back of their book onto a yarn line in the room using a clothes peg.

And on Tuesday, the students in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades took home a book! The excitement was palpable. This was an extraordinary event for this township where few families own a book.

And then, in this trip of peaks and valleys, the bottom seemed to fall out. A national teachers’ strike, which had been looming the entire trip, was officially called for Wednesday. Initially teachers were to report and then leave at 10 am. This would have allowed all the books to be checked back in. However, after the learners left with their books, national union leadership decided that teachers should not report at all. This was not a one-day action, but a long-term strike until a new contract could be negotiated.

All the plans for professional development for the final three days were torn up. The teachers and principal were conflicted, as were we. They wanted the continue to work with us, but had to support this critical strike. While we support the educators, we hated to miss these days in school. Out of our 15 days, we worked with the teachers only 10 days.

Our biggest concern was whether the books that had just gone home with the students would make their way back to school. There had only been one training in each class, with no opportunity to reinforce the procedures. The students were coming in the next morning, despite the strike because the food prepared by community mothers for their snack (a nutritious starch and beans) had already started to cook. But in a nation where strikes are taken seriously, and those who break ranks face intimidation and potential violence, we worried there would be only two other adults present the next day, the two educators who were part of another union.

Larry, Eileen and Sara planned to be at school to collect the books brought back. We worried about trying to collect books in the chaos of 900 students and few adults. And we wondered how many books would be returned…50 percent? less?

We arrived at the school as students poured in. Even if parents heard about the strike through the media, few kept their children at home. We were in a minor panic about what to do, and then we watched some of the teachers walk in. The teachers hugged us and smiled broadly, “We could not leave you alone today,” they said. We had tears in our eyes. The teachers and the principal helped lead the morning singing and prayers in the court yard. The principal, an active union member, had called the union manager and expressed the special circumstances of the new library .

Then, the next amazing event. The principal asked the children to hold up their books and it was a sea of waving books. We began collecting books from each class. EVERY CHILD HAD RETURNED THE BOOK! We were stunned. Clearly, these children loved and valued these books. Given a sacred responsibility to return these books so others could use them – and so they could take out a new one – they rose to the occasion. There was great disappointment when they learned they could not take one home the next day, but we are hopeful this enthusiasm for books will continue after the strike.

And then the children were sent home with a note about the indefinite strike. It was difficult for us to watch the children being sent home without prior notice, but we were assured that the children would be cared for by relatives and neighbors in the township.

We stayed on at the school, working on the library, showing a few teachers some of the classroom resources included in the shipment and discussing further strategies for using the books in the classroom.

Then Mr. Thambo made clear his vision for the library. “You have helped me reach my dream. Reading is the foundation of wisdom. We will have competitions for our children to read. This will become a library for the entire community. We will open it on Friday afternoons so families can take out books and read along with their children. Young men who have graduated Grade 12 and cannot find work will read instead of standing on street corners. Crime will drop. This will change our entire community.”

The library at A.V. Bukani is the first in a primary school in the entire region surrounding Addo Elephant Park. Even more striking is a statistic we heard -- of all the predominantly black government-run schools, only one percent have libraries! The sheer number and quality of the books in Bukani’s library makes this achievement, the result of many dedicated volunteers in the U.S., even more dramatic.

"You have no idea the impact of this donation" - Our books to benefit students throughout region

While school libraries are rare in the area, the Sundays River Valley Municipality is home to a growing municipal library system, thanks to the leadership of dedicated librarian Isabelle Goosen. Seeing children from townships walk several miles along dangerous roads to get to the main municipal library, Isabelle was determined to create access to books in the townships.

Working with volunteers from the townships and supported by local businesses and non-profit groups, the library system added several mobile locations which evolved into satellite libraries. One of these is in the high school in our township of Nomathamsanqa. As soon as phone lines are restored to the township, the high school library will include several high-speed Internet lines, free to the community. In addition to small collections in satellite libraries, the libraries share some books that rotate among them. There is also a mobile library that visits schools not served by other libraries.

Last year Eileen met Isabelle and this year she was given a tour of the libraries in this municipal system. In addition to the small township libraries, Eileen saw the library at the municipality seat of Kirkwook, with students of different races all crowding around the Internet links.

We donated some of the collected books to the municipality, largely from boxes that are above the reading level of our primary students. Half of those donated will be at the high school which our students attend, and the remainder will circulate among other libraries throughout the region. Isabelle was overwhelmed with the quality of the books. “You have no idea the impact of this donation,” she said.

The Community Comes Together to Label Books

This library is already affecting Nomathamsanqa township in ways that go beyond reading. Several members of the Women’s Institute accepted Eileen’s offer to come to the school to help with the project after she spoke there. They joined mothers and grandmothers from the township. The township families had come a few day’s earlier for a workshop on the library, talking about ways of enjoying the books with their children, even if they don’t read English (e.g., sitting together and talking about the pictures).

On August 18, women from both groups and of many different backgrounds – some from the township and some from the white-owned orange groves and B&B’s – sat together to label books that were not finished when they left the U.S. By all accounts, it was a significant day for the entire region.

As with the volunteer labeling sessions in the U.S., the volunteers in South Africa loved working with the books and getting to know each other. Together the S.A. volunteers labeled 500 books. As they left the school, the Women’s Institute volunteers said, “Please let us know how we can help again.” Thus starts a wonderful partnership.

It is at this meeting that Sara is given her Xhosa name -- Thandeka, "one who is loved."

“You are revolutionaries”

On Thursday morning, many of the teachers gathered at a nearby B&B to bid farewell to “The Kugler Family,” now down to our original team of Eileen, Larry, and Sara. These striking teachers did not need to be there, and yet they came, some from an hour away, because they could not imagine our leaving without their sincere thanks. We did not meet at school to prevent an appearance that the teachers were "working."

And there is nothing like an event thrown by these amazing teachers…. their singing, their dancing, and of course their speeches. We had tears in our eyes throughout.

“We have called you our friends. And we have called you our family. We have run out of words to describe you,” said a teacher. “We cannot thank you enough for what you have done.”
Principal Thambo, always eloquent and inspiring, said, “You are revolutionaries. A revolutionary effects change. A revolutionary makes the impossible possible. A revolutionary transforms the environment.” From Mr. Thambo, certainly a revolutionary himself, this was the highest praise.

As we spoke, we noted how the teachers have inspired us over the years. “I came the first year for the learners,” Sara said, “but I didn’t realize that I would be coming for the teachers, too.” Eileen again spoke of all those who contributed to the library shipment. “This is more than a shipment of books. This is a shipment of love from so many children, so many families, so many volunteers in the U.S.” Larry closed out our comments with the inspirational song “Eyes on the Prize.” The song strikes the same themes that others touched on: hope, perseverance, overcoming obstacles. The chorus states, Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.

As we finish our third year, we know this is a life-long commitment. Our circle of friends there continues to expand, getting to know people like the incredible Muffy Miller who has created a quality preschool in the midst of the poorest area in the region. We are imbedded in the township and the broader community. We truly feel at home on both sides of the globe.

We are now back in the U.S., catching up on sleep and trying to put this moving trip into perspective. We were so glad to have not only Sara, but Cecily and Alex as part of "The Kugler Family" this year. Every member made a distinct contribution.

More reflections for the future in the next blog entry.

The roller coaster takes off

2010-08-15T07:51:00.025-04:00

Books, books, where art thou, books?
The books have arrived! ...Oh wait a minute, the books didn’t arrive. ...They are on their way to the school…. or maybe not. Welcome to life here the past few weeks.

For those who have followed this project, you know the container of books was scheduled to arrive before we did, with time for adding windows and doors. But the original ship was overbooked, and our library shipment sat waiting for the next ship, with a revised arrival date of August 3.

And then the roller coaster began:
* The ship was delayed a few days at sea.
* The shipping company decided to bypass Port Elizabeth (PE) and go straight to Durbin on the Eastern Coast and then come back to PE (delay of a week).
* No! It didn’t go to Durbin because of protests at Port Elizabeth. It headed back to PE for docking last weekend. Yay!
* Extremely high winds prevented the ship from docking, and it missed its scheduled berth in PE.
* The ship finally docked and the shipping company informed us that the shipment would be trucked to the school on Saturday at 8 am. That meant the principal of the school had to drive an hour to be on the grounds to meet it. We would not be in the township when it arrived.
* Saturday morning comes and goes. No shipping container. But wait! After frantic phone calls, Calabash Tours and Trust (who oversees and supports our placement) determines that the shipment was dropped off at the Police Station in Addo a few miles away because the truck driver “couldn’t find” the school even with explicit directions.
* More frantic calls. The trucking company will return Sunday morning to move the shipment to the school grounds. Frustrated and angry Mr Thambo, the school principal, has a conversation with the shipping company representative, a racist who challenges Mr. Thambo’s right to be angry. We are appalled.
* Joy! Rapture! On Sunday, the books are indeed moved to the school grounds!

Yes, life in South Africa is never a straight path, and from what we are told, it is similar in other developing countries. You take 10 steps forward and 9 back. And there are always stories that put life in perspective. Our school still lacks telephone lines, but we learn that two schools in the cluster of seven schools that are supported by Calabash don’t have electricity because the wiring was stolen. One of those schools has power again, through wiring paid for by Calabash with outside donations, but the other school remains without electricity.

We so admire the people who work in development and fight these battles on a daily basis. It is clear we must remain optimistic and rejoice in the positive changes. There is an attitude that things do work out in the end and you must persevere. As Americans, we feel the experience here is so important to our own personal growth. We rapidly stop taking things for granted.
We do see many South Africans of all races taking things into their own hands. Paul from Calabash tells us of a woman in PE who organized an informal preschool for orphans “who nobody wants.” She runs it with the meager pension (social security) her husband gets. At night she takes home all 15 children to sleep in her small home. “Why do you do this?” Paul asks her. “How can I not do this?” she replies.

One of the elderly grandmothers in the community took Eileen to her home in the township for a short visit. As is typical with Xhosa homes, it was neat and spotless. She showed Eileen her partially built new home a few feet away. It is one of the homes built by the government to replace the old mud or metal shacks. But the government ran out of money and the house sits unfinished like so many we’ve seen. She said, “I must finish it myself. I will get cement and put it up. And then I will clean it because it must be clean. And then I will paint it myself.”

So how can the Kugler family get frustrated? We have to overcome the obstacles when we can and make progress where possible. And we must continue to work so that more progress is made. Perseverance is a lesson we learn on a daily basis.

Setting up the library begins

We are so happy and relieved that the shipment is finally on the school grounds. There will be many volunteers from the community helping unload the container. Monday afternoon, the families will come in for a program about the library. Eileen will be sharing ways to help their children even if they don’t read English, such as looking at the book together and talking about the pictures.

Last Thursday, we did a workshop for the teachers on how the library will work. Because there is no funding for a librarian and the container can’t hold all the books, the system will largely be classroom based, with teachers bringing boxes of appropriate-level books into their rooms. Each child will have the opportunity to choose a book each night and take the card from the back of the book and put it into their clip (a clothes pin with their name) hanging in the classroom. When they return the book the next day, they will put the card back in the book and choose another book.

We had a great brainstorming session with the teachers on how to make the system function well. They had wonderful ideas for dealing with issues such as a teacher being absent. They were also concerned about the books being damaged by the students. Eileen talked with them about the importance of the students using the books and not worrying whether they remain in pristine condition. “I know you often receive books that have been worn out by someone else. Now you will have new books that your students can wear out themselves. If we return and the books are in perfect condition, then we know the library was not used.” We’re setting up a system where parents can come in and repair damaged books.

While we would have loved to have the library here on the first week, we see the excitement building for these books. The literacy work has created a hunger and purpose for the books, as the teachers see the impact of read-alouds and shared reading. Families are excited about the books that will be in their midst, and even when we meet new people from the community, they are aware of the library project!
We hear too many examples of books being sent to schools without any on-the-ground preparation for how they will be used (Volunteers in a school in PE discovered boxes and boxes of books in a dusty closet sent to the school by a major non-profit). We are hoping that by working with the teachers on setting up the system and using the books in the classrooms, and by working with the families on looking at the books together at home, we will indeed create a library that is used instead of becoming a protected trophy.

In addition to holding the boxes of books which the teachers can look through, the container will also be converted into a library room where special programs can be held. Eileen has been working with the municipal librarian to get family reading programs organized. The municipal library will train volunteers to be story readers. Eileen already has two volunteers, one of the grandmothers from last year’s program who has excellent English skills and a young Xhosa man who works in one of the local restaurants. He loves reading himself and is eager to be a part of the library.

Progress in literacy

There were great strides in literacy work this week. Most teachers demonstrated the techniques we taught them the past two years and some of the new teachers implemented the techniques we introduced just last week. One of the teachers just learning the think-pair-share said she could use the technique in all her subjects, not just teaching English. Yes!

We have seen tremendous growth in the learner’s abilities to predict, retell and share their ideas about characters. We were especially encouraged that some of the teachers asked their learners to write about the read-aloud books and the learners constructed their own phrases and full sentences. The teachers were really excited about what they saw.

Cecily leaves her mark on literacy at BukaniCecily Kaiser, Sara’s friend who joined us this year, has been a wonderful addition to the team. She is ever enthusiastic, hard-working, and brimming with ideas for working with the teachers. And the teachers love and respect her. Her love of children is evident every moment.

At Cecily's final meeting with the teachers, she shared how much the past two weeks have meant to her “I’ve been hearing about this work for two years from the Kuglers, but I could not imagine how wonderful this could be. I feel like I have new family on this side of the world. And I have learned so much from each of you. It is very hard to leave.” She then went out to the courtyard full of students singing songs to tell her how much they appreciated her time with them.

There is much to be done with only one week left for Larry, Eileen and Sara. This is the point that we wish we had another month here. But it is five more days so we’ll pack in as much as we can.

Literacy continues (library shipment will arrive soon...)

2010-08-09T05:35:00.029-04:00

We arrived back at A.V. Bukani to hugs all around and much singing. The school welcomed back Nosango (Eileen) and Thando (Larry) and was thrilled to see Sara returning (especially now that she is pregnant. One of the women said, “Now I will be an auntie!”) They warmly welcomed new volunteers, Sara’s husband Alex Berens and Sara’s friend Cecily Kaiser, and lovingly refer to us all as “The Kugler Family.” It’s been fun to watch the experience of the first-timers and remember how overwhelming the warmth of this community is from the moment you arrive.

It has been a roller coaster of a week. The shipment of books has been delayed for a variety of reasons, but we believe it will indeed be delivered to the school next Thursday. In the meantime, we’ve been building support throughout the school and community, both within the township and the surrounding areas. Everyone is looking forward to the library opening! At our welcome ceremony, Principal Thambo said, “The founding wisdom is in books. As soon as these books arrive, we will take our students to a new future.”

Life quickly is put into perspective in South Africa. We were hoping that the school would have Internet connections this year. What we found was that the basic telephone lines to the entire township had been cut by thieves who took the copper wiring. So neither the school nor anyone in the township has had a land line …..since May. Principal Thambo keeps the school running on his cell phone, paying for “airtime” (minutes of use) out of his own pocket. Some in the township do have cell phones, and some of those have airtime on their phones. They are the link to health care, jobs, and police for others in the township.

Eileen and Larry are enjoying being part of the Mofu family again. Both of the Mofu’s daughters and all 3 grandsons are living in the home again this year, and we love playing with the boys. Sara, Cecily and Alex are staying in nearby Rosedale B&B, in the midst of an organic orange farm. Rosedale owners Nomdumiso and Keith, an interracial couple, share many stories of their lives in South Africa during and after Apartheid. Sara, Cecily and Alex often walk to the Mofus after school and play with the neighborhood children. What an amazing sense of community there is.

Work in literacy expands

Can it be a whole year since we’ve been in these classrooms? Impossible! The familiar faces are as comfortable as those at family gatherings. We get down to work quickly after our arrival on Monday, creating a timetable (schedule) for our visits to the classrooms. The staff agrees that all the teachers who teach English want to learn the new methods, so we add five additional teachers to the eight we’ve been working with the past two years, modeling lessons and coaching the teachers.

On Tuesday, Larry, Sara and Cecily begin observations in the classrooms. We watch two teachers using books we brought last year, incorporating all of the techniques we left behind. We see the learners (students) responding to questions about the story in English in phrases or full sentences, speaking as naturally as their mother tongue of Xhosa. We beam as we watch the lessons unfold. Real progress has been made as these learners have developed a comfort with speaking English in the classroom that did not even exist in Xhosa two years ago.

As in any school, the level of implementation is not universal. The learners in some classes still struggle to express themselves. We talk with the teachers about the challenges they perceive, and encourage them to consistently use the techniques and materials that have yielded such rich results in other classrooms.

The enthusiasm of some of the teachers first learning these techniques buoys us. One of them expressed a profound understanding when she stated, “I have to learn to trust my learners” – to raise her expectations of what the students are capable of. Larry, Sara and Cecily agree that we all have to trust the learners, and when we do, we are rewarded with daily growth in their engagement, participation, and use of English.

A fully functioning computer lab!

Alex could only stay for one week, but what a week it was! He worked with the computer tutor in the lab, fixing and upgrading the computers A number of the older computers had been labeled beyond repair, which meant there were never enough working computers to give every learner in a class the opportunity to sit at a computer. But working diligently, Alex used his trouble-shooting skills to get a full computer lab of functioning computers. The Kugler Education Fund enabled him to purchase items to install necessary upgrades. The teachers were extremely appreciative of his work. At our welcome party, there was a special song dedicated to him! At our final staff meeting of the week, the computer tutor said, “You have helped us take a big step toward fulfilling our dream of bringing this computer lab to the whole community. With all the computers working, we are making real progress.” When not in the computer lab, Alex did get a chance to watch the school soccer team practice.

"Thank you for reminding me why I came here”

Eileen continued her work in building bridges to the community. She was invited to speak at The Women’s Institute, a group of farmers’ wives and B&B owners in the area surrounding the township. These women help support various projects in the township, largely through fundraising.

Eileen described the library project, but also gave details of the Kuglers’ time in the township which inspired the library. She shared the warmth and acceptance of the Xhosa community and the overwhelming welcome that keeps bringing the Kuglers back. “You have the good fortune of being just a short ride from the township, while we have to travel some 20 hours to get here,” she noted. Many of the women who had never gone into the township had tears in their eyes. One B&B owner came up to Eileen and said, “Thank you for reminding me why I came here. I’ve been so busy with my day to day life, I forgot.” Another said, “I started a vegetable garden at the school, and then listened to my friends who told me to let the township people take responsibility from there. I realize now I lost out on the experience of working with the township people side by side.”

A Xhosa man who is active in the community had been invited to hear Eileen’s presentation. He followed up, saying, “As Eileen has said, we welcome you all into the township. Please come any time and you will get a warm response. We can never achieve the Rainbow Nation if we remain separate communities of Black and white. We must integrate.”

Eileen invited the women to come to the school after the library shipment arrives and help organize the boxes of books that were not labeled earlier. They will sit side by side with the Xhosa women in the township as equal partners. It will be quite an event.

We will soon join the books in South Africa

2010-07-25T22:40:00.002-04:00

In just a few days, we'll be leaving for our third volunteer trip to Nomathamsanqa Township in Addo, South Africa. We can't wait to see the teachers and families of this wonderful community. And, of course, the smiling faces of the students!

The books are still on schedule to arrive in Port Elizabeth on August 2. That's the day we'll be heading into the township to begin working with the school. We are hopeful that the shipment will get out of the port quickly and be trucked into the township by mid-week. I can't imagine what it will feel like to see that 40-ft trailer filled with books arrive on the grounds of A.V. Bukani Primary School. Yes, we will be taking lots of photos and video!!

We had a final planning discussion with the other members of our team -- our daughter Sara, her husband Alex Berens, and her friend Cecily Kaiser. We are READY.

A delay in shipping -- but we're OK

2010-07-13T13:45:00.005-04:00

Well, the books were not actually on the MSC Levina..... Paperwork that we received 10 days later showed that the shipment was bumped "due to space constraints" on the overbooked ship. We held our breath waiting to get confirmation that the shipment is on the MSC NOA, which left the port today (whew). The good news is that, pending the rest of the travel going as scheduled, we will actually be in South Africa when the shipment arrives in Port Elizabeth August 2. And, we'll get to see the library trucked into the school. So maybe that's what was supposed to happen after all. :) Smooth travels, MSC NOA.

Library Shipment on its Way!

2010-07-03T11:22:00.010-04:00

The library for A.V. Bukani is on its way! Aboard the MSC Levina (shown at right), the container of books and shelving is scheduled to arrive in Port Elizabeth, South Africa on July 13. Yes, this is after all the World Cup excitement.

Larry, Eileen and Sara will be returning this August. We'll be joined by Sara's husband Alex and her good friend and children's literature specialist Cecily Kaiser.

Want updates on the library's progress? Please drop us a note at TheKuglerFamily@gmail.com and we'll add you to our email list!

Books Began Their Journey!

2010-06-10T12:05:00.010-04:00

We did it -- and I do mean WE! Yesterday Larry and I watched some 25,000 books be stacked onto pallets, shrink wrapped, and then put into a moving van. Next stop, Chesapeake, Va., where the shipping container awaits. The shipment leaves June 19 (update 6/21 - ship now scheduled to leave 6/23).

As the moving van drove off, Larry and I had that little pit in our stomachs we had when our older child Sara left on that kindergarten bus. Sure, we'll see our "babies" again, but a lot will happen between now and then!

Creating this library was far more of an undertaking than Larry and I ever imagined. We remain committed to the concept that no book would be included if it wasn't good enough for our own children; and that the books needed to be library-ready or they would just sit in boxes. We could never have done that without enormous help from dedicated volunteers. Some were long-time friends. Some were new friends we met through this process. We feel blessed to have worked alongside each one.

We also appreciate the extraordinary donations that supported this project, including the shipping costs. In addition to the incredible help provided by school librarians throughout this project, the Association of School Librarians of of Fairfax County raised nearly $500 at their annual Spring tea. After reading about our project in the Washington Post, Debby Hanrahan and Friends of Ross Elementary School, a Dupont Circle neighborhood organization, organized a fundraiser for us in Washington, with donations of more than $3000 raised in one afternoon! We thank the many, many donors who have supported this project and continue to do so. You make this possible!!

If you would like to contribute toward shipping costs as well as supporting the continuing project to improve literacy at A.V. Bukani Primary School, please see our page on "How to Donate." We appreciate each donation. And you know exactly where and how it is spent.

The shipment of books leaves June 19!

2010-05-28T13:11:00.046-04:00

As we left A.V. Bukani last year, principal Z. Thambo said to us, "I think it is time to build our library." We wholeheartedly agreed and said we would make that happen. Little did we know that this project would take over our lives the next year. But we've never had a more exhiliterating, exhausting, inspiring, overwhelming experience. We've made dozens of presentations all over the Washington, DC, region; visited wonderful schools; talked with businesses and individuals eager to help; and spent every free waking (and some we should have been sleeping) moment organizing, labeling, or boxing the books.

Did we bite off more than we could chew? Absolutely. More than we could chew alone. But with incredible support from schools, volunteers, and businesses, we've been able to feast on this project and share in its great bounty.

Last week we counted and weighed the boxes of books we are sending -- 598 boxes weighing 6 1/2 tons!! That's the size of a large adult male African elephant :) We haven't finished cataloging and labeling all the books, but we are estimating about 25,000+ books that will soon be on their way to a rural township filled with people who had been forbidden to educate others or read quality books just a few years ago.

We can't say enough about the amazing support we've had in this project. There are many individual moments -- A volunteer telling us about the time she spent in South Africa during Apartheid providing pro bono legal care to Blacks arrested for crimes such as reading forbidden books that might open their eyes to the rest of the world. Or watching high school students, with families from Sudan, Guatemala and Bolivia come to volunteer time after time to organize books for chidlren in South Africa.

We have an incredible group of dedicated volunteers organizing the books. Many contacted us after reading the Washington Post article. They drive, sometimes for hours in traffic, from Gaithersburg and Centerville and Silver Spring and Alexandria week after week, staying until they finish "just one more box."

And the book drives! Thousands of children gave their books to other children in a far-away country, who are just as bright and just as hopeful, but don't have the same resources. The books are beautiful picture books, with dedications from "grandma and grandpa" or a favorite aunt; or amazing non-fiction books that will open these students to new worlds. Parents, teachers, and students not only collected books, but sorted and labeled them.

We thank the following schools and organizations for their major book drives:
Fairfax County Schools Wolftrap Elementary, Dranesville Elementary, Sunrise Valley Elementary, Terra Centre Elementary, and Kilmer Middle School; Loudoun County Schools including Eagle Ridge Middle School; The New School; The senior class of The Madeira School; St. Ambrose School; Faithful and True Christian Center; and Girl Scout Service Unit 42-1 of the Nations Capital. We also appreciate the help with labeling provided by Falls Church High School Life Skills Class and the Hayfield High School Leo Club.

The books donated through book drives or directly to us have been of such wonderful quality. We are blown away with the caring that went into these donations. We are particularly grateful to a number of recently retired teachers who donated their prized personal libraries.

There are so many ways people have supported this project -- from librarian Katalin Mouyal who ferreted out all the book pockets in DC so we could make our books library-ready; to the Dranesville 3rd grade teachers and students who organized the book drive for the entire school; to parent Amy Beck who did her own personal book drive and handed over 1200 books, all sorted and labeled by her family; to 8-year-old Andrew Strasberg who secured several hundred donated books from his school librarian and then worked with his friends to make sure each one had a library pockets and blank card; to Loudoun County School librarian Lelah Sullivan who organized a book drive in multiple schools in Loudoun and then delivered 30 boxes of sorted and labeled books; to Roni Silverstein who collected books from fellow administrators in Montgomery County Public Schools; to Sunrise Valley Elementary teacher Anisha Goveas-Foti who became committed to this project after hearing our presentation and spent countless hours organizing books both at her school and at our home. Many, many others donated their time and resources in creative ways.

We've also had wonderful support from businesses, including Burness Communications of Bethesda which has supported this project through much-needed grants both this year and last. Telegraph Storage was generous and supportive by providing storage space and collecting books in the office. Ron Escopete of Cargo One has been a true source of knowledge and support, handling the shipment on its way to South Africa. And our dear friend Dan (who wants to remain anonymous so I won't print his last name) whose help and expertise in international shipping made this all possible. Please read about the businesses that have supported this project in "Our Supporters" page.

We thank our very generous contributors. While much of the labor is being donated, shipping costs will be about $15,000, including purchase of the shipping container and fitting it with doors, windows and electricity (yes, the costs do keep going up). We have raised about $9000 so far.

If you would like to help pay the cost of shipping this wonderful library to A.V. Bukani school, please see "How to donate" page

The shipment leaves June 17!! Larry, Sara and I will be returning in August to set up the library, help the teachers use the books in their instruction, and work with the families on how to get the most out of a library. This time we'll be joined with Sara's husband Alex Berens, her college roommate Cecile Kaiser, and Sunrise Valley Elementary School teacher Anisha Goveas-Foti. What a team! We cannot wait.

Help us create a libary at A.V. Bukani!

2009-12-01T11:17:00.030-05:00

BOOKS FOR BRIGHT MINDS

YES!! This August we will be creating a fully-equipped library for the eager students at A.V.Bukani Primary in Nomasamsanqa Township in South Africa.

Here are the details:

We are teaming with an international shipping company to send a 40-foot shipping container that will leave the U.S. in late June, filled with 18,000 – 20,000 books. The container will arrive on the grounds of A.V. Bukani School a few weeks later, where it will become the school’s library! Want to help? Here is what is needed to make this project a reality:

Book drives for new and gently-used books
Monetary donations to offset at-cost shipping expenses and purchase new books needed to support the curriculum
Volunteer time to help sort the books and prepare them for the library
Donations of book cases, flooring or carpeting
As shipping space permits, as much donated classroom supplies as we can ship

Your donation will play a pivotal role in the education and future employment potential of THOUSANDS of students over the coming years. You or your organization will receive a charitable tax donation receipt from South Africa Partners, a 501 (c) 3 US-based charity.

BOOK DRIVES: First book drive at Cinema Arts Theatre, Fairfax, Virginia was a great success!! More than 1000 quality children's books were donated in conjuction with the showing of the movie INVICTUS about Nelson Mandela.

Telegraph Self Storage in Lorton, Virginia, not only donated storage space for the collected books, but is hosting their own book drive! Drop off a book at 8935 Telegraph Road in Lorton.

Contact Eileen and Larry to find out more TheKuglerFamily@gmail.com

Far More Than the Sum of Its Parts

2009-08-24T13:39:00.040-04:00

What’s bright with color, created with love, and filled with the hopes and dreams of an entire community? The A.V. Bukani school quilt!

Words cannot describe the significance that this quilt took on for the community. The Herald newspaper in Port Elizabeth (S.A.’s 5^th largest city, which is an hour away) wrote about the project, including photos and audio on their website. http://www.weekendpost.co.za/article.aspx?id=459792 Mothers and grandmothers poured their hearts onto their squares, appreciating the opportunity to send a message to the school and to their children about their hopes for the future. The quilt-making mode l developed by Teaching for Change in Washington was the perfect way to engage families and give them the tools to be supportive advocates for their chidren

Each family member described their special square at the final meeting. What might have appeared like simple shapes or cut-outs took on deep meaning as they explained their creations. There was the stately grandmother who said she no longer had children at the school, but her home is always filled with the children who live nearby, as she encourages and helps them. Her square included the cut out of a cow: “Just as a cow gives milk to nourish all, I ‘give milk’ to nourish all the children nearby,” she explained. There was the mother who wanted her daughter to be a social worker. Her square included the word, “Friendly,” surrounded by a hand “because she needs to help others,” and a heart, “because she must have a big heart.” This incredible mother, whose own education had been stopped and restarted multiple times because of the apartheid struggle and the lack of money for advanced courses, sewed a zig-zag path in small green beads leading up a mountain, “because the path to the mountain top is never straight and easy. She must work hard to stay on her path so she can reach her goal.” Then there was the young mother who had sewn a large sun at the center of her square, with the moon and the stars nearby. “My son is like the strong sun. He will always shine. Even when the stars and moon are out, my son will still be shining.”

An increasing number of teachers became involved with the quilt project. Listening to the parents and grandparents was truly enlightening on many levels. The principal came to speak to the last meeting. In a lively dialogue, he talked with the parents about how to continue the work started by this quilt, to partner to strengthen the education of all the children of the township. The parents agreed they would stay involved, working with the teachers, and keeping a watch over all children, not just their own. The principal promised to continue to involve families in their children’s education. Family story time at the school, in collaboration with the municipal library, is one project now in the planning stages. The quilt will hang in the entrance to the school as a reminder to all of the power of dreams.

Creating the quilt – we believe the first such school quilt in South Africa – was an extraordinary activity. There were many times during the three weeks when Eileen wasn’t sure how to get to the next step, because it had to be uniquely relevant to these families in this community, and then people and events just moved it forward. There were the three mothers who spent hours cooking full meals for 35 – 50 people at each meeting, serving and washing each dish afterwards. These meals became a highlight of the program. There was the teacher who mentioned she knew how to make a quilt like this and then spent a Saturday morning driving Eileen to the fabric store and picking up all the materials (She happened to be one of the few teachers with a car!). There was the teacher who suggested that Eileen tell the families about adult education classes nearby. Of course, Eileen quickly talked him into making a presentation to the families himself, and then the following session, his wife told the families about the library where she worked. There were the three faculty members who lived in the township and came to every meeting, from beginning to end, helping the parents, translating where necessary, supporting Eileen and just making sure that everything worked as it should. There was the day when Eileen worried she would never get all the squares sewed onto the backing, when several teachers who had never been involved in the process appeared in the staff room and began sewing with her. And then, the mothers who showed up to make sure the project was finished properly, quickly picking up needle and thread. The quilt became an intense source of pride to all the families and teachers and will soon be an inspiration to the children as they pass it each day.

And for Eileen, there was Larry – given the Xhosa name of “Tando” or “love” – by the parents and grandparents at the last meeting. At the end of the busy day of working with so many teachers, he would join Eileen at the family meetings, doing everything from helping the parents to serving the food, to sweeping the floor when it was all over.

Teachers Commit to Making Continued Progress

"We promise, we promise, to continue to work on what you have shown us and to use the materials you brought,” said Qamba, one of the teachers who Larry worked with, speaking for the whole group at our final meeting with the faculty and principal. Qamba said that her students had asked her if she would be reading them a story every day, and other teachers agreed that their students looked forward to this each day.

Everyone agreed that the use of the big books and the Making Meaning materials were highly useful and that the teachers had made great strides in using them effectively in the classrooms. The teachers all agreed that their students loved the big books and the stories in the Making Meaning kits. Although Larry worked directly only with teachers who teach English in grades 2, 3 and 4, nearly every teacher in the school (even those in grades K and 1) had either observed Larry do lessons in the classrooms or attended Larry's big book/shared reading training session after school.

All agreed on the following initiatives for the summer of 2010:

that we would continue to provide instruction about how to use the big books to teach specific skills.

that we would work to purchase more big books, including some in Xhosa for the grade K and 1 teachers. Before we left several orders were placed with publishers that supply South Africa. The teachers agreed to contact publishers within South Africa and Larry would continue the search in the United States.
that we would try to find additional quality educational computer programs for the computer lab.

Next year we will be working on a dream that we have had for A.V. Bukani since we began this project – a library for the school. Principal Thambo spoke eloquently about this, noting this is essential if we are to build on the instruction and create a school of readers. There is a small space for a library now, but we always dream big. We hope to secure a shipping container (two containers would provide space for the students to sit and read!) or a mobile classroom to create the library these students need and deserve. We’ll be collecting books this year, and hope to solve our biggest issue – how to ship them. But as they say in the show “South Pacific,” If you don’t have a dream, how you gonna make a dream come true!

We’ve landed back in the U.S., a little jet-lagged and a lot inspired. For those who have contributed moral and financial support, we hope you can see the impact you have made on this school. We could not have imagined the progress that has been made since we first stopped there. More thoughts on this years trip later…

Eileen and Larry (a/k/a Nosango and Tando, and yes, that's really what they started calling us!)

What's in a name?

2009-08-16T04:30:00.015-04:00

In the Xhosa culture, names are very important. For example, the names of the older grandchildren in our host family are Yanga, “one who doesn’t give up”, and Simantanda, “he is loved.” That’s why it was so meaningful when the mothers and grandmothers at Eileen’s meetings gave her a Xhosa name this week.

The family meetings have been very successful, with about 75 mothers and grandmothers attending at least one of the meetings. Many have been to 3 and 4 meetings, taking time out of their busy lives for sessions that typically run for 2 to 2½ hrs, twice a week. They are thoroughly engaged in creating the school quilt, with many taking their squares home to spend additional hours on their handiwork. At each meeting there are discussions on how to help their children become successful and reach their dreams. Guest speakers have given information on adult education classes the family members can take or the resources available at the nearby library. None had ever been to a library and few knew this one existed.

It was the end of the fourth meeting when one of the grandmothers, a leader in the class, said that they must give Eileen a Xhosa name. “Your name is Nosango,” she said and all the family members nodded and clapped. “Nosango means ‘gate.’ You have opened the gates of freedom to us. You have opened the gates of learning.” Truly a moment.

The local librarian speaks to the families as they create their quilt squares.

The teachers are increasingly interested in the family project.

Professional development

BIG BOOKS
The teachers continue to amaze us, soaking up new knowledge and constantly eager for more. After demonstrating how to use Big Books in a lesson during the first week, Larry worked with the teachers on co-teaching this week. Their planning session the Friday before was serious and thoughtful. And their lessons this week were impressive. Some have made enormous strides in their teaching from last year. All are committed to serving their students better. Larry continues to provide feedback and mentoring.

READ ALOUDS
The teachers have also presented engaging lessons using the quality read-alouds donated by the Developmental Studies Center. Larry modeled the use of the excellent teacher's manuals that come with these materials and the teachers have found them easy to follow. They include just enough directions and suggestions to provide the support needed when Larry is no longer here. This week the teachers included the creative use of props to add meaning to their dramatic and expressive readings of "If You Give A Mouse a Cookie" and "When I Was Little." The students loved seeing their teachers act out these stories!

Larry also contacted a publisher in Cape Town, Literacy for All, who shipped samples of readers and big books in English and Xhosa that the staff will review this coming week. And Mr. Thambo arranged for another publisher to visit the school this past week with even more big books and readers in both languages. The staff is excited about these materials and will use the funds from all our generous donors to purchase additional materials.

It All Starts Coming Together

We’ve added a new element to our work in the school this year, renting a guitar so Larry could sing with the students. The kids and teachers love “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” and even corrected Larry when he mixed up the order of the verses. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” resonates with both students and teachers as well. Singing reinforces their English and helps them see that it can also be a language of fun, not just serious study.

There has also been some new computer training. The computers are loaded with Encarta encyclopedia, but the teachers had received no training on it. Eileen offered training after school at 1:30. Last year, training like that would end up starting at 1:45 as the teachers wandered in. This year, she arrived in the computer lab at 1:32 and the entire room was packed with teachers who had already opened Encarta on their computers. Eileen started by telling them to put in “South Africa” in the search box. Their eyes were open in amazement as they clicked to video of Mandela speaking at his inauguration or maps of the area near their school. Many were quickly trying new searches. As the teachers understood a “hot link” for the first time, Eileen could appreciate what “seeing the light” in a learner’s eyes is all about. They left begrudgingly when their transport was there to take them home and many can be found on the computers during lunch or after school.

The following day, Eileen happened to be in the computer lab when one of the newly trained teachers was showing her 4th grade class Encarta, opening the South Africa section. The students could barely contain themselves as they watched Mandela speak or listened to the national anthem when they clicked on the nation’s flag. They ignored the bell that rang for lunch and finally had to be encouraged to leave.

That afternoon, one of the grandmothers walked into the family meetings and handed Eileen a piece of paper with a “story” for her. The grandmother had written down what her granddaughter had told her about school that day. “We went to the computers. We were seeing a picture of Nelson Mandela in jail… We heard many things, like Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika (the national anthem). Mama Nosango is teaching us how to click the computers.” There it was. Eileen had been working with the teachers to broaden the horizons of the students and encouraging the family members to talk to their children. In this note, it had come full circle.

The School Has Made So Much Progress!

2009-08-09T11:12:00.024-04:00

We returned to A.V. Bukani Monday morning, just in time to see the students singing some of our favorite songs. The teachers each gave us warm hugs. But beyond the deep friendships formed last year, we wondered what lasting impact our visit had on the school. How would the second visit be different and would there be a motivation for future visits? We soon saw that the school had made progress beyond our expectations. Larry had hoped that the teachers he and Sara worked with last year continued to read aloud to the students and use the Think-Pair-Share technique. He hoped to see the books we left for them and the additional books we purchased from South Africa Partners, with the generous donations of our many donors, being used in the classrooms.

The first day he went into classes to do shared reading using the”big books” we brought. As he was about to ask the children to tell him what part of the book they liked, the teacher said, "OK. Think...now pair.... now share,” and the students immediately starting talking to each other! We mean all the students and immediately. It was amazing. This happened in all eight classes that Sara and Larry worked in last year. When Larry asked the students to share, some hands went up and the students talked. Their English at 2nd and 3rd grades is still really limited, but these are very beginning English learners and just a word in English sometimes is all they are capable of, given the very limited exposure they get to English during the day. Some of the grade 4 learners speak in phrases and sometimes full simple sentences. It's definitely something we can continue to build on.Some of the teachers in K (their R) and first grade have been coming to the classes to observe Larry teaching, even though they don’t teach in English. After taking part in some professional development Larry presented on the many uses of “big books,” the head teacher in 1st grade said she wanted to order some big books in Xhosa that she saw in a catalogue from one of the publishers. Mr. Thambo, the principal, has the Heinemann rep coming on Tuesday with samples of big books. Hopefully they have some good titles and we can use some of the $1,000 we have remaining from the donations to buy many more English and Xhosa titles.

In addition to the big books, Larry has been using the materials generously donated by Developmental Studies Center. The children loved “Quick as a Cricket” and had great fun comparing themselves to animals in the book.

Larry planned with all the teachers on Friday of this first week so that he can co-teach with the teachers next week (this week he did all the teaching). The teachers took it very seriously and asked some really good questions while they planned. The last week the teachers will take over and Larry will observe and provide feedback. We hope these three weeks give them enough demonstration, information, and confidence to continue after we leave.

Computer lab

Words cannot describe what it felt like to see the students in the computer lab, completely comfortable with the keyboard and mouse after only three months! We thought this day would not come for a few more years, but through amazing Mr. Thambo, the school had a donation of new computers and every class gets to work in the lab.

We didn’t get to meet the computer teacher who is out on maternity leave; however, Eileen met with the IT Committee from the faculty and heard their ideas for improving instruction on the computers. Right now the students are using donated educational software that is several years old. Some of the games are great and some are terrible (don’t even ask about the “puzzles”!) But the teachers are committed to aligning the students’ work in the computer lab to the curriculum in the classroom. Having the computer teacher there full-time, thanks to the donation from Burness Communications, will make a great difference. It is hard without the dedicated computer teacher now, because many of the teachers are not computer literate. Similar to what we saw in the early days of computers in U.S. schools, some teachers feel there is enough on their plates already and they just leave computer teaching to that teacher. But the teachers are starting to realize they must improve their own skills because very soon the students will surpass them.

Parent Engagement

The parent engagement project has been an extraordinary experience. Although we know how the school works this year, it has been a new challenge to try to work with a community that has its own culture, its own language and its own way of doing things. Eileen has worked to connect with key parents, which again is another challenge.

On Monday, Eileen met with a parent leader who spoke at the farewell party last year. Pindewe is an amazing women – smart, knowledgeable about the community, and committed to serving the community. She has excellent English skills. We set the first parent meeting for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The school sent home a note and Pindewe contacted the parents. The school expected about 20 parents, and assuming they would be late, the note home said the meeting started at 4:30. At 4:45 there were 50 mothers and grandmothers in the room!

Addressing 50 caregivers who speak only limited English was quite a daunting experience. Through a translator, Eileen explained that we would be creating a quilt together. Each mother or grandmother would get to create a square describing their hopes and dreams for their child. Eileen asked them to share their dreams and about half of the family members stood up and talked about their dreams of their child becoming a doctor, or a social worker (because so many were helped by social workers), or bank manager, etc. One of the mothers noted that it is not enough to have your own dreams, but they must also be the dreams of the child, which led to a great discussion about talking with their children.

The second meeting was set for Thursday. Despite another important meeting in the community, 25 family members came (and on time!). Eileen and the parents discussed the importance of talking with tyour children when they come home from school and asking questions about what they are learning. Eileen shared with them what Principal Thambo had told her about his own family. Although his own parents could not read or write, his older sister would read to the younger siblings as soon as she learned to read. When Mr. Thambo was studying at the secondary level, he mentored all his younger siblings and cousins. “Make your home a center of learning,” Eileen urged. Each parent was given a piece of paper and a new pencil (“homework!” one of the parents proudly said), with instructions to talk with their children about their dreams, so they could design their square together.

The family members were very engaged with the discussion. One of the grandmothers gave a long speech in Xhosa and Eileen waited eagerly to hear what she said. “On behalf of all the mothers and grandmothers here,” she said, “I want to tell you how much we appreciate being here. We do have hopes and dreams for our children, but no one has ever asked us, and we do not know how to help them. You are telling us how we can help our children. Thank you.” What a moment!

Then Pindewe and some other mothers came in with the refreshments. Pindewe had said that the food should not be catered from the outside, but prepared by mothers in the community who could earn some funds that way. They cooked an amazing dinner of chicken and dumplings, serving a full plate to each caregiver (probably more than they had eaten all week). Eileen told the parents that they are always serving everyone else and this would be a day that they were served a full dinner themselves. The mothers and grandmothers broke into song and dance. The translator explained this was a song that expressed how happy and excited they were to be there. The meeting, planned for an hour, went on for 2-1/2. Next week, we work on the quilt itself, with the help of one of the teachers who is a good seamstress.

Our homestay

We are thrilled to be back with the Mofu family. In addition to their grandson Yanga, who is turning 8 this week, we are joined by two other grandchildren. Their daughter Pam (Yanga’s mother) has moved back and is working nearby. Her older sister Yolanda is also back in the township, with her 2 adorable boys, ages 5 and 2. They are staying in a nearby home while we are there, but we get to see the boys every day and they never fail to entertain us. They are bright, full of life, and totally charming.

WHAT A WEEK. We are totally exhausted, yet exhilarated with the possibilities. Can there only be 2 weeks more???

Larry and Eileen

It feels like we never left

2009-08-01T13:06:00.000-04:00

We arrived safety in South Africa, and equally important, our luggage did too! After a night in Johannesburg, we flew into Port Elizabeth this morning and it feels like we never left. Met at the airport by Nelson, one of our favorite staff members at Calabash Tours. Nelson grew up in a nearby township and chooses to live there now because he would miss the special culture if he lived in the city. I'm looking forward to talking with him about the parent involvement project to gain his insights.

We're staying for the weekend at 5th Avenue Beach house, a few blocks from the beatiful beach. This is where many of the volunteers placed by Calabash Tours stay. Those who work in schools in Port Elizabeth stay here for 3-4 weeks. For us, it is our weekend retreat. We enjoy spending time with Anthea, the owner, who not only helps the volunteers who stay here, she is also supporting another school in Port Elizabeth. Nelson is picking us early Monday morning to take us out to the school before the first bell rings. "It will be quite a reunion," he notes.

Returning to South Africa!

2009-07-30T02:03:00.000-04:00

Larry and Eileen are returning to South Africa for the first 3 weeks of August. Although Sara cannot return this year because of work commitments, she's been instrumental in planning. So much has happened since we were there:

* A new computer lab was donated by a local business. Students as well as teachers are getting computer training, thanks to donations which are supporting a teacher. A big thank you to Burness Communications for helping the part-time teacher become full time.

* We're returning with two large duffel bags full of materials to help with English instruction! Educational publisher Developmental Studies Center in California donated multiple kits for literacy instruction -- complete with books for the students and teachers' manuals with lesson plans for an entire year! Other donations enabled us to purchase "big books" for "read aloud" instruction and accompanying smaller books for the students. Larry will be using the materials to demonstrate new strategies for the teachers.

* The students should now be enjoying the set of picture books we sent. With wonderful donations from friends and colleagues we were able to order a complete set of books for South African students by South African authors through South Africa partners.

* Eileen will be bringing a new parent engagement strategy to the school, based on "Tellin' Stories" developed by Teaching for Change. The families will create a quilt together, with each family showing their hopes and dreams for their children on their own square. During the quilt making sessions, families and teachers will gain new insights from each other, enabling them to partner in student success.

We're off!!! We'll update each weekend.

GREAT NEWS!

2008-12-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks to your generous donations, we are sending 45 wonderful picture books, written by South African authors, in English and Xhosa to A.V. Bukani school for read-alouds, a critical part of language development.

We are so appreciative of all the interest in and support for this wonderful school. We have great news for future donations. We have forged an alliance with South Africa Partners to create a fund that can be used for a wide variety of needs at A.V. Bukani Elementary, not just books. South Africa Partners has 501(c)3 status in the U.S. so all donations are tax-deductible. SA Partners takes a very small administrative fee (5%!). Since S.A. Partners supports numerous projects, it is important that you note on the check that it is for the "Kugler Family Fund." S.A Parters will let us know who made donations.

if you would like to support A.V. Bukani Elementary, please:

Write check to:

"South Africa Partners" with "Kugler Family Fund" in the memo.

Send to:

South Africa Partners
89 South Street, Suite 701
Boston, MA 02111

Thanks to the special family that sent $1000 instead of giving each other Christmas gifts this year!!

A PIECE OF OUR HEARTS WILL ALWAYS REMAIN IN SOUTH AFRICA

2008-08-15T09:54:00.000-04:00

We’re home and we can’t stop thinking about the incredible school and township we left. We know we will be back! For now, we are committed to helping provide the material resources that will match the human resources in this wonderful school (See “How you can help” page).

We keep thinking about the lessons we learned during our visit and how the people we met enriched our lives. In this township, there was much optimism for what can be accomplished under the “new South Africa.” We were touched every day by what was and is possible. Among the lessons we learned:

· Persevere . The teachers had grown up under apartheid yet had risen far beyond the limitations that system tried to impose. When Bella, a second-grade teacher, was asked how she learned to speak English so fluently, she said, “You must empower YOURSELF.” Principal Thambo, a very impressive leader who was born in the township, emphatically stated, “When they imposed the yoke of apartheid upon us, they didn’t know they were only making us stronger. We learned how to persevere against all obstacles.”

Be open to new ideas. Because every new idea was an opportunity for personal growth, the teachers were very open and willing to try new ways of doing things. They felt they were good teachers before, but also saw that new strategies could be a way of helping children from the townships be more successful. We saw no cynicism or “been there, done that.” We were lucky enough to be in the country on Nelson Mandela’s 90^th birthday, and his impact on South Africa and on the world cannot be overstated. He urged children to be “descriptive writers” of their own destiny, and these teachers are helping make that happen.

· Family, family, family. There is nothing more important in the Xhosa culture than family. On the trip, we became “The Kugler Family,” rather than 3 individuals. It made us appreciate traveling together even more. When the teachers gave us school t-shirts as gifts, they made sure to include a shirt for Sara’s husband and for our son/brother and his girlfriend, even though they had never met them. They are family after all.

· Don’t frustrate easily. The aging computers were a constant frustration to us, particularly Eileen who had to work with them daily. Yet the teachers were excited about every new thing they could learn, and simply didn’t focus on the limitations. When one computer didn’t work, they went to another. They didn’t complain; they didn’t get upset. They were just eager to gain new skills and didn’t gripe about what they didn’t have.

· Everyone should sing every day. Singing and dancing were not reserved for concerts or special occasions at the school. Each day started with rousing singing from the students to get their blood flowing and there was no such thing as a wrong note! The teachers sang as they went off to class, as they drank their tea during break, as they went home. After our farewell party, there were delicious refreshments, but the teachers spent most of the time outside singing and dancing. Oh, how we will miss them!

· Friendship crosses all boundaries. True friendships form across national boundaries, across races, across cultures. They form when there is mutual openness, respect and caring. We could not have imagined the friendships that formed over three short weeks. We smile every time we look at the pictures.

We started this site as a way to keep in touch with our family and friends during the trip. We’re hearing from friends and colleagues that the site, like the trip itself, has become much more. We hope it inspires you to go beyond your comfort zone – or as they say, do something that scares you every day! We certainly had our moments of doubt before the trip about what we got ourselves into. But, as is clear, this trip exceeded our expectations in every way. And we hope it inspires you to think about getting involved, with South Africa or something else that touches your heart. Our hearts will never be the same after this trip.

How do we leave this place?

2008-08-09T09:53:00.000-04:00

The students sang us traditional Xhosa songs during the farewell ceremony

Teachers dressed in traditional Xhosa clothing and sang and danced with us

Our final week in the township of Nomathamsanqa was filled with the excitement of teachers learning new skills and eager to learn more, and the reality of the need for books that the students can read along with up-to-date computers that work consistently. We pledged to raise money for both (more on that in our next addition).

The school gave us an extraordinary farewell party, filled with singing and dancing by students and teachers, along with touching presentations. While we waited for the dignitaries to arrive, the students taught Sara new games and sang with Larry and Eileen. At the farewell event, the mothers in the community surprised everyone (even the principal) by giving each of us hand-crafted African garments which we will always treasure.

At the end of our last day, all the students gathered in the courtyard and sang us our favorite songs as we waved goodbye and tearfully hugged our teaching colleagues for the last time. We dragged ourselves into the car as students gathered around the vehicle, and the principal had to create a lane for us to pull out. We are emotionally drained.

Yet the day did not end. We tried to teach some of the faculty how to access email, yet the computers at the school were too old and slow. We offered to meet a few teachers at the Internet café in the city of Port Elizabeth late Friday afternoon. Although we had been warned not to get our hopes up that the teachers might continue contact beyond the school because communication is so difficult, there they were … three teachers at the Internet café 10 minutes early. We signed them up for gmail accounts and they quickly began emailing each other and Larry who was at the 4^th computer. Then we showed them how to do a search on Google. Their faces glowed with delight and excitement. The email notes they wrote reminded us of how special this place is: “We are now computer literate, thanks to the Kuglers.” “WE ARE NOW CONNECTED TO THE WORLD. We will never forget this day.” Nor will we.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

2008-08-02T09:49:00.000-04:00

It’s our second week in Nomathamsanqa township and we’ve hit our stride. We love the strong sense of community in this village. Neighbors look after each other although most have little themselves. There is a large feeding program for children who come to school hungry, which amounts to mothers preparing 2 pieces of bread with butter and jam and a “nutrient drink.” I asked the principal what happens to these children when school is not in session and he told me that neighbors make sure everyone has something to eat. “That is part of our culture.”

Here's a typical day -- We rise before the sun when the house is still about 45 ◦. It’s hard to get out from under our thick blankets but Mama has a bucket of hot water waiting for us to wash up. We all sit down to a large hot breakfast. (“Fat cakes” – fried dough dipped in a tomato & onion mixture – are Sara’s favorite).

Then we head off to school with Yanga, who has to be the cutest and happiest 7-year old you ever met. We’re joined by his friends and we walk a few blocks along the sandy rocky streets to school. We teach each other English and Xhosa and the kids giggle at our awkward pronunciation of the different clicks in their beautiful language. We exchange greetings with everyone we see along the way – and the neighborhood is bustling in the morning. Then there are the animals: the donkeys carrying loads of twigs, the goats who clean up the orange peels (it’s harvest time in the nearby groves), the cattle moving we’re not sure where, and our favorite, the hen and her brood of chicks. Yesterday we saw an ostrich at the fence to Addo Elephant Park which borders the township. We hear that in summer (it’s winter here), elephants come right up to the fence.

As we get closer to the school, we’re joined by other children who smile widely as they join us. The school siren (we can’t call it a bell), sounds at 8:00 a.m. and all 950 students gather in the central courtyard for morning devotional, lively harmonious singing of hymns and prayers, mostly in Xhosa, to start the day. We love it and join in when we can. This is a country where EVERYONE sings with great spirit and always in that particular harmony that you hear in African music. The idea that a child might be told they can’t sing is beyond comprehension. Kids and adults just plain sing all the time.

Larry and Sara have been working with the teachers in grades 2-4, both in class and in afternoon staff development, on strategies for teaching English, particularly using oral language beyond the parroting the students now do. None of us could imagine the lack of resources here – pencils of a ¼ inch shared between students, little or no paper, absolutely no books other than poor texts and workbooks that are largely beyond the student’s comprehension. Classes are overcrowded with furniture that is falling apart except for the new furniture provided as donations through Callabash Trust, the same group that organized our visit. At the same time, the teachers are bright, intelligent and caring and are eager to learn ways to reach their students. Most of the teachers have been very willing to try the new strategies and they have been excited about the results. Sara has been modeling lessons and Larry has been coaching the teachers.

Eileen has become the computer guru. When she showed the principal how to get his email working, he sincerely said, “you are a gift from God.” She spends most of her time trying to get their computer lab in decent shape. The donated computers are old and slow, connected to the Internet on a very slow land line. One of her first jobs was to try to get antivirus software installed and it took 10 days just to get someone out to this remote village. Then it took nearly 2 hours to install the software on each of the 8 aging and dusty computers. She’s been offering computer classes after school and the teachers are so excited to get to actually touch these machines. Only a handful have ever touched a keyboard, let alone a computer. Yet within a few ½ hour classes, they learned the basics of Word and are thrilled to be able to see their text in different styles. Nomthle, one of the most enthusiastic teachers, was absolutely elated when she learned how to change the font color, “I’m typing in ORANGE!!!” she exclaimed with enormous excitement, knowing she could now create fun things for her students. The next day class was cancelled because of some unforeseen teachers’ meeting and the teachers in Eileen’s class were not happy about that. She told them she would keep the lab open after the meeting. Nomthle came in after the meeting, saying, “I must peck away at this and learn something new every day.” Eileen showed her how to insert a table and the next day Nomthle was in the lab every free minute typing a chart for a class she is taking.

These teachers are the most extraordinary group of people, and we've grown to adore them. They have the best sense of humor, always joking with us and each other. They are always striving to improve themselves with course work or independent study. It is mostly women, who are outgoing and sometimes outrageous. The two men are warm, but reserved. At a community concert put on for our benefit, the teachers all bought school T-shirts and went on stage to perform although they had little time to rehearse. They were singing (in harmony of course) and dancing and just plain raucous, pulling us up on the stage with them. It will be very hard to leave them.

The students are eager to learn but have few opportunities for creative thought. They take pride in their school are they sweep the room and dust the office each day. On Fridays school ends an hour early and the students clean every inch of the school including washing the floors

After school, we’ve either got classes or some activity the school or our host family has planned for us. The sun is often hot in the afternoon, rising 20 or more degrees throughout the day. But when the sun drops low at around 6:00 p.m., the temperature drops with it. We start layering on the sweaters and fleece because there is no heat in the house. A large warm supper is served at about 7:00 p.m. and then the family starts preparing for bed. The first night we laughed at the thought of bed by 8:00, but suddenly we find we can’t keep our eye open much beyond that. We snuggle back in under the covers and listen for the night sounds of the animals, and the neighbors’ music, as we fall asleep.

We can't imagine leaving after just one more week.

WE ARE THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE ON EARTH

2008-07-26T09:35:00.000-04:00

We tried to prepare ourselves for just about anything, but we could never imagine the warmth, enthusiasm, caring and outpouring of appreciation that we have received both from the school and the entire township. Once we established that we recognized we had a lot to learn from the school and community, as well as share with them, the relationship has been extremely positive. The teachers, as one teacher noted, "are hungry to learn how to help the students." There are few school resources -- students work with stubs of pencils and very limited paper -- but the human resources are valuable beyond measure. This is a caring and committed staff, with one of the best principals any of us has ever met. They welcomed the opportunity to learn new strategies for engaging their students and increase the learning.

Our teacher friends before the Welcome Celebration began

Our host family has been caring and warm, making us feel comfortable in every way. The food has been delicious and high in healthy vegetables. The only "comfort" we lack is a shower, and we have quickly learned how insignificant that is. The entire family is great fun to be around.

Our host family (from left): Adopted daughter, daughter, mama, cuteness/grandson, father

We were prepared for the responsibility of being the first volunteers in this school, but also learned the first night from our host family that we were the first white people to ever stay overnight in the township. This was said not with any resentment, but rather a sincere appreciation for our willingness to be with the community. We heard the same message from many others in the township. For us, the home stay has been one of the most meaningful parts of our trip.

The Mofu House

Even in our first week in the township, we've learned many valuable lessons. Among these are (1) The significance of family in the Xhosa culture - Certainly, family is important to us, but family is at the heart of everything here. Greetings between people often reflect your place in the family, so Eileen was often referred to as "Mama" because we traveled with our daughter. This was meant as respect, and actually there was tremendous respect attached to our traveling as a family. This made it all the more disturbing to think of how apartheid often split families or how the AIDS pandemic is taking away parents in so many families. (2) The wastefulness of American culture - While there is a green movement in the US, we became very aware of how much we waste in our society. For example, our host family brought us lunch at the school and carried with them plates and utensils which were washed and returned. There is no concept of paper plates which would just be discarded.

We are still processing this and will have much more later. For those who might want to help this incredible school, we do see there are many needs beyond just books for the library. We’re working with the school on a priority list for fundraising in general and will talk about other options for donations in future updates (as well as discussions once we are home in an all-too-short 2 weeks). Here are a few photos... more next week.

Planning Our Trip

2008-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:00

Imagine a school of 1,000 student, in which 70% of the families have no income. The school has a total staff of 29. When one of these teachers is absent, there are no substitutes. The students are either left along in the classroom for the day or are distributed to other teachers. There are few supplies.

A.V. Bunkani during morning break

The AV Bukani School in Addo, South Africa is this school. Fourteen years removed from the end of apartheid, South Africa remains a country struggling with the education of its majority black population. Schools and society in general remain largely segregated with the wealth still residing in the hands of the white majority. Yet, when Eileen and Larry visited South Africa as part of a multicultural educators Peopel to People contingent last year, they came away impressed with the measured optimism of the black educators they met. In the fac eof persistent underfunding, overcrowded and crumbling schools, the worst HIV epidemic in all of Africa, and overwhelming poverty in their communities, principals and teachers alike expressed and optimistic view of the future.

Now, with their daughter, Sara, they will return to South Africa in July to work with the teachers and students at AV Bukani School.