Ryan English School volunteer

Ryan Musser – English School volunteer

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Before coming to the Scalabrini Centre, Ryan had experience working with children with behavioural issues in an educational setting, but this would be his first time teaching adults. He spent six months volunteering at the Scalabrini English School. This was his experience. 

“My six months in the Scalabrini English School has allowed me to grow as a person and as a professional. The people that I have met and worked with have driven me to exceed my own expectation of myself. The mentoring I have received has been invaluable in my development as a person, a professional and as a teacher. My experiences have enabled me to think in creative ways to better help the clients at Scalabrini learn English. One of my biggest lessons has been how to implement a system where it continues to function in a high turnover system.

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“My six months in the Scalabrini English School has allowed me to grow as a person and as a professional. The people that I have met and worked with have driven me to exceed my own expectation of myself. The mentoring I have received has been invaluable in my development as a person, a professional and as a teacher”

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As time went on, my responsibilities increased. I started by keeping record of the class registers and assisting in some classes. By the end of my time, I was stepping in to teach classes where the teachers could not attend and running my own class. I was also assigned the duty of creating, scheduling and organising our enrichment workshop for our clients.

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I developed three workshops. A dating workshop where clients discussed the cultural differences when it comes to dating, a workshop on friendship in different cultures and a history of South Africa workshop, focusing mainly on Apartheid. I worked closely with other departments to coordinate extra opportunities for clients to learn about different subjects. I worked with an individual who facilitated a health workshop for our clients where he educated them about HIV, AIDS and safe sex practises. I also coordinated an Advocacy workshop in which one of our staff members educated our clients about detention, deportation and answered any questions about papers. 

Our team has grown close over the past six months. We have all moulded into our roles and developed a chemistry which makes our program run at a maximum efficiency. One element that has allowed our program to function smoothly is having a full time staff member who can teach and complete administrative work. Our program becomes extremely busy at certain times of the term. 

In conclusion, the time I have spent at this organisation has influenced me the most in my life. I would recommend Scalabrini to anyone who is looking for an experience that will enrich their humanity and broaden their view of the world.“

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cape town volunteer fanny eap

Fanny – BASP, WP and EAP volunteer

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“I was born and raised in Umea, Sweden, and am currently attending university there, where I study social work and social science. I was drawn to this field because I consider myself a people person, and want to work with and help those in need. My field is pretty common in Sweden, actually.

I first came to South Africa in November 2017 to conduct a field study through my university. I did my research at a boy’s home here in Cape Town, and wrote a paper about my results. In the process, I fell in love with the city, the people, and the weather. It works out great because there’s so much to do in the field of social work here and it’s approached so differently from Sweden; it’s fascinating! Almost everything in Sweden is mandated by the state and NGO’s exist, but are few and far between. When I got the opportunity to come back to South Africa this  year, I was really excited. This time, I’m here for 5 months. 

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“I’ve always identified as a feminist and it’s nice to contribute towards efforts to uplift women. I also love the way the program puts the power in the women’s hands and allows them to empower themselves through their own strength and skills; it’s great to see them build a network and a community. So many women come back to teach or lead programs, which is great to see.”

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I was placed at Scalabrini by my university, through a program called African Sunrise. I knew I wanted to work in the NGO setting and was initially placed in BASP. Although I learned a lot while upstairs, I like my current position, a mix between Women’s Platform and EAP much better. I really love Women’s Platform. I’ve always identified as a feminist and it’s nice to contribute towards efforts to uplift women.

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 I also love the way the program puts the power in the women’s hands and allows them to empower themselves through their own strength and skills; it’s great to see them build a network and a community. So many women come back to teach or lead programs, which is great to see.

My work varies a lot from day-to-day. I always start out doing travel stipends, and beyond that, it’s mostly behind-the-scenes work updating spreadsheets, making phone calls to follow-up with graduates of the Women’s Platform, and other administrative tasks. I recently got to help with the workshop that was organized for Mental Health Awareness Month in October, and I loved that. On Fridays, I’m in EAP, and enjoy that role because I get to meet clients and feel my direct impact.

I’ve learned a lot since coming here, especially during the integration workshop. It taught me about privilege and set the tone for the internship. I think my general perspective of people has opened up a lot, and it's only continuing to spread. My advice to future interns is to be open to challenges and to ask about what you’re interested in and pursue it. I’ll be going back to Sweden in January, and have a year left of school. I’ll write my thesis, which will probably be a comparison between Swedish and South African refugee communities, and plan to graduate in January 2020.”

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volunteer employment access programme

Carley Cook – EAP volunteer

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“I was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and I ended up going out-of-state for college, and currently attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My parents were super supportive of me going to school there because they actually met in North Carolina, so it was one of those “full-circle” kinds of experiences. I’m studying psychology and political science at school, and ended up here in Cape Town through my study-abroad program.

This is my first time in South Africa. It’s been, to put it simply, jarring and beautiful and exhausting and exciting. I’ve only ever lived in New Mexico and North Carolina, so being here almost feels like I’m in a time warp. South Africa is not that far removed from its apartheid past, and at times, that reality it glaringly apparent. Oppression is more visible here than anywhere else I’ve been, and it’s shocking and frustrating.

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“I’ve learned too much to put into a sentence. People are more resilient than I ever thought possible; my clients are kind and patient and gracious and carry themselves with honour even though the world seems to be against them.”

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I’ve loved my time at Scalabrini. I’ve learned too much to put into a sentence. People are more resilient than I ever thought possible; my clients are kind and patient and gracious and carry themselves with honour even though the world seems to be against them. I’m so grateful to feel like I’m having a tangible contribution here rather than just sitting back and taking up space, which happens a lot at mid-college level intern roles.

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Because of this experience, I know I want to do something in law and social justice, but I’m still not sure what form that will take. I could see myself working for innocence project, a non-profit in the US that works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted through DNA testing and more generally promotes criminal justice reform, but I’m also really passionate about the issue of domestic violence. Being at Scalabrini has definitely helped me feel comfortable working in a nonprofit setting, which has been great.

The most impactful moment I’ve had here was actually quite emotionally challenging. Did you know you have to have a phone to create a google account? Well, I was working with a client one day and was already frustrated because I couldn’t find the job postings he’d come in intending to apply for, and he’d already been waiting for a while so it was really frazzling for me. Eventually, I found one of them, but he didn’t have an email and, we discovered, you need a valid phone number to make one, which leads to a lot of barriers and roadblocks because of this unjust and elitist system. I just felt really hopeless. I distinctly remember the moment he left just because, throughout these challenges, he was so gracious and didn’t look upset or disappointed but carried himself with dignity and honour. Now, I’m trying to get Scalabrini to get a cell phone so we don’t have to face that roadblock for future clients. 

After I leave Scalabrini, I’m going back home and taking the LSAT in January and applying early to Law School. I hope to take a few years after college to teach internationally, and then pursue a law degree.”

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