volunteer cape town employment access programme

Jessie Bowers – EAP Volunteer

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Jessie very quickly realised that her internship here at Scalabrini was going to be different to any of her previous internships. Read more about her time below.

“I am from Atlanta, Georgia, but I go to university in Florida. I am studying history with a specification in war and terrorism. I want to look at forced migration due to terrorism. 

Cape Town and South Africa has now become a home away from home. My mum used to live here for a long time, so now I know why she used to love it so much. Cape Town and South Africa as a whole is very communal. Everyone looks out for everyone, strangers talk to strangers, versus in the US where everything is very individualistic and you just don’t talk to people you don’t know. 

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“I didn’t expect to be doing anything I’ve been doing the last three months. It’s really helped clear my mind, not feeling like an intern, but an employee. And the relationships I was able to bond.”

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Everyone at Scalabrini was very welcoming. I was nervous because I know from previous internships that you are usually making copies and getting coffee, but from the first day I walked in here I knew it wasn’t going to be like that. I was really excited. 

I work with EAP (Employment Access Programme). Over the past three months I’ve been able to meet a lot of people and build relationships with them. There are some people where I know they are coming in on a Wednesday every week, or a Tuesday every week, so that’s been really cool. 

I’ve learnt that just because I come from the United States, doesn’t mean that I have bigger, better ideas than anyone else. And my job isn’t to come up with the latest and greatest ideas to help people. It’s to use what we’re working with and take ideas and use my position to perpetuate it and make it a reality. 

Professionally, Scalabrini has pushed me to where I know I want to work for an NGO now. I did a corporate internship last year and I was miserable. I was really worried that I just wasn’t going to find what I liked at all. This fits my personality, my type of style and the work that I am wanting to do. I feel like an NGO is more personal and I like the smaller working environment. I know 100% that I want to work for an NGO now. 

One of the most memorable moments was when, Max, who works in job placement and directly sets up interviews for people, the two other girls and I had gotten really close to a client, and one morning he came into Scalabrini at 8:45am, just to tell us that he had gotten an interview. Not even a job, just an interview, he got really emotional and he hadn’t had any interviews or jobs in the last two years. That was one of the best moments. If there was one thing I could do it would be to shake South Africa, let’s be a little bit more efficient, let’s move a bit faster, let’s process things better. 

I think one of the best things is that Scalabrini doesn’t give handouts, they give opportunities. I would tell everyone coming here, take all the opportunities that are offered, do the digital literacy class if you can’t use a computer. Make yourself desirable and don’t give up, don’t get discouraged. It’s worth it in the end. 

Scalabrini has how they handle their volunteers down. I didn’t expect to be doing anything I’ve been doing the last three months. It’s really helped clear my mind, not feeling like an intern, but an employee. And the relationships I was able to bond. My supervisor, Hylton, I love him and I think we are the best pairing ever because we are so similar. I wouldn’t change anything.” 

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Andy Petrochenko – English School Volunteer

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A teacher back in his home country, Andy traveled all the way from Siberia, Russia to volunteer at the Scalabrini English School. He speaks about his time here below. 

“Cape Town is different from and the same as my home city simultaneously. Globalisation has made all big cities look alike, but at the same time, Cape Town has its own mood and pace of life. 

I used to be a lawyer, but then moved into the language sphere as it was much more appealing to me. It was my dream to become a volunteer somewhere overseas, and somewhere in Africa was the perfect destination. I wanted to serve and help people with what I could offer, and it happened that I am an ESL  (English as a Second Language) teacher, so my job at Scalabrini was teaching English.

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“The Scalabrini English School has made me a more sensitive and empathetic teacher. It’s vital not to underestimate the importance of being careful and caring towards your students wherever you teach.”

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Since the first moment of communication, I felt very welcome and cared for. The interview (with Vivienne) went in such a friendly way that my desire to work for Scalabrini grew incredibly. Upon arrival, I got lots of instruction, explanations, orientation days, exciting and educating integration seminars etc.

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All my questions were answered in detail thanks to all the colleagues and especially the manager of the English School, Rhoda. Everyone really helped me with understanding the life and goals of Scalabrini and to align my efforts with them. 

There are so many things that I learnt at Scalabrini, I am still thinking about them. What I can tell is that I saw an incredible example of work discipline and devotion at Scalabrini, from every single person. It was awesome to see how engaged everyone was. I also believe that I learnt a lot about teamwork and atmosphere. Each member of the team tried to contribute his or her share and at the same strives to help their colleagues wherever possible. It was great to be in that kind of environment. Professionally, I definitely feel more experienced now, because I had a chance to see which teaching techniques and strategies worked and did not work in a completely new place. 

The Scalabrini English School has made me a more sensitive and empathetic teacher. It’s vital not to underestimate the importance of being careful and caring towards your students wherever you teach. I also acquired some new ways, tricks and methods to present my material or deal with classroom management, thanks to observing my dear colleagues and the workshops that Rhoda and the University of Cape Town held. 

I think I have two moments that I particularly cherish. The first one was the integration seminar conducted by Diana and Max. We had wonderful conversations about the ethos of Scalabrini as well as on plenty of very important topics. I was really thankful for that chance to be introduced to different ideas and discuss essential issues, to meet the others and to be heard. 

The second moment was the Space Café workshop. I organised it for the learners, basing it on my own experience with my English club back in Russia. Being a conversational event with several open-talk, creative locations, it received a massive response and positive feedback. I really loved how engaged, happy and interested everyone was. 

I have plans for the distant future to volunteer in South America or Asia, but before that I am going to work at a private English school in my home city, Krasnoyarsk for a couple of years. I have a lot of ideas I would like to implement and bring to life, as well as digest everything I learnt and experienced in South Africa.”

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New research on undocumented migrant youth in South Africa

We chat to Lena Opfermann, who recently completed her PhD research on the experiences and coping mechanisms of undocumented migrant youth in South Africa – using a theatre-based research method.

Read more
scalabrini success story unite 071019

Nzenze: Finding A Place with UNITE

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Nzenze, 17, is currently enrolled in the eleventh grade at Vista High School and is an active member of UNITE, where learning about diversity has taught him to celebrate his unique identity.

Growing Up a Second Generation Immigrant

 Nzenze is the youngest of four children. He was born and raised in South Africa, but his parents both migrated from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Growing up in South Africa has been a struggle for him because he recognises the detachment between his parents’ experiences and his own. He does not feel that he connects with his Congolese mother tongue, for example, due to his South African accent. “Sometimes, the difference can be hard. It can feel like you don’t belong,” he reflects. However, Nzenze goes on to say that growing up surrounded by such cultural diversity has made him more open to difference than he would have been if he was raised in the Congo.

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“At first, I was afraid to join because they told us that everyone at school would look at us as leaders. I thought, what if confident people look up to me and realise I am shy; it will mess up the dynamic!”

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UNITE As a Tool to Promote Personal Growth

“UNITE made me see how much we can learn from different people instead of judging and criticising,” Nzenze says. UNITE aims to promote acceptance and critical thinking in youth living in South Africa by facilitating programs which explore the themes of identity, integration and diversity. Students participate in activities which encourage them to think critically about their contribution to communities and effective ways to enact change. Initially, though enticed by the promise of building leadership skills and a strong community, Nzenze was rather apprehensive to join UNITE. “I used to be very shy,” he begins, “but I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I had to jump at the opportunity, because if I let it go, I’d continue to be shy forever.”

“At first, I was afraid to join because they told us that everyone at school would look at us as leaders. I thought, what if confident people look up to me and realise I am shy; it will mess up the dynamic!” Nzenze credits the shift in his confidence to his experience at UNITE camp, which was the first time he gathered the courage to actively participate in debate. Now, students recognise Nzenze for how articulate he is. “People say ‘let him go’ when it’s time to present because they like the way I speak,” he mentions.

 Discovering the Value of Diversity

Aside from debate, UNITE has introduced Nzenze to the inclusive worldview he now possesses. “The biggest topic I learned through UNITE was about diversity. Diversity brings new ideas. For me, it’s the best thing that happens to people. You can learn dances and styles of dress and even see that your lifestyles are not that different.”

Nzenze appreciates the fact that his mixed identity allows him to relate to multiple groups. “It’s nice to have different accents and be able to adapt. I am comfortable with people of different races. One of my best friends is Xhosa. Sometimes he tries to speak my language and asks me what things mean in my language. Jade [UNITE programme leader] defines the term of us uniting. I looked around and realised we are united.”

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“The biggest topic I learned through UNITE was about diversity. Diversity brings new ideas. For me, it’s the best thing that happens to people. You can learn dances and styles of dress and even see that your lifestyles are not that different.”

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volunteer cape town advocacy 04 10 19

Max Obmsacik – Advocacy Volunteer

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Max came into Scalabrini with knowledge of American law, history and politics. He is half way through his time volunteering with Advocacy and will be taking home a plethora of knowledge by the end of it. Read about his experience so far below. 

“Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places that I’ve ever been. I just can’t get over the mountains juxtaposed with the water right there. There are so many different cultures coming together and you meet all these unique people, not just from South Africa, but all over the continent in this beautiful setting. 

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“Working here has really helped reinforce that I do want a career in public service, whether that’s in the government or a non-profit I’m not sure, but being around all the people that work at Scalabrini who are so motivated and wonderful and doing such good has been really powerful for me. 

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I had a very good friend who interned here in the Spring. I got a grant from my school and was talking to her, she would not stop raving about it (Scalabrini) so I messaged Sally and they had a spot. 

I’ve learnt so much, an absurd amount. My background is in American law and American history and American politics, so it’s been a non-stop barrage of information. I’ve just been learning a ton, especially about the lengths that migrants go to to get to the places that they arrive and hearing those stories has been pretty remarkable. 

We have clients that come with very different problems. A pretty interesting thing is that my department is often the very first stage. We see clients who are brand new to the country, many of whom do not speak any of the South African languages, but then I see my colleagues who work in the Employment Access Programme working with people with documentation, who are adjusting to South Africa and who are applying for jobs. It’s cool to see the entire process and I hope that this centre can remain somewhere that people can go and get help, whether it’s documentation, employment, general welfare assistance or education.

I think working at Scalabrini has really made me think a lot about what I want to do with my life and the position of privilege that I have, that I am able to go to university and I’m able to live in a country where there are lots of opportunities and I kind of have my choice. Working here has really helped reinforce that I do want a career in public service, whether that’s in the government or a non-profit I’m not sure, but being around all the people that work at Scalabrini who are so motivated and wonderful and doing such good has been really powerful for me. 

A high for me was the recent World Refugee Day. I thought that was so cool. A lot of the work that we do day to day is not always optimistic work because sometimes it feels like we are working against some powerful forces, but to see that day was just a celebration of these migrants who have come from all over this massive continent, all getting together and sharing their stories was definitely a high. A low is that the office can get cold, temperature wise, but besides that there haven’t been any big lows. It’s been a very positive experience. 

I’ve worked a lot of internships over the last few years and I haven’t had one that’s nearly as supportive as this. It’s been a wonderful, well supported internship experience. 

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migration insights staff hylton

Three insights on migration: Hylton, our Employment Access Programme manager

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The Scalabrini team works with migrants and refugees everyday. With such deep expertise at hand, we take the opportunity to reflect on migration with them. This month we speak to Hylton, the Employment Access Programme Manager, whose passion for the work that he does is inspired by the people he is surrounded by at Scalabrini. 

  1. Changing perceptions of migrants in the workforce

“We need to stop looking at migration as only a negative thing. Yes, our unemployment rate is high, but it is not the fault of the migrants.” Within his sphere of work, Hylton wants to expand advocacy work around migration and development. He aims to build awareness in the work sphere as well as protect clients from being taken advantage of. He acknowledges that asylum seekers have the most difficult time when it comes to finding employment as many employers don’t understand the asylum seeker process. Preconceived ideas and thought patterns make the already intimidating world of employment that much more difficult to access. “Trying to change… with other partner organisations, the government and employer mindsets, keeps me passionate. I want to look more outwards. We need to effect some change on the landscape out there.”

  1. Working with others encourages reflections on our own privilege 

Meeting people and hearing their stories of resilience has helped change Hylton’s mindset. “There’s not a lot of feelings of entitlement (among clients), which keeps me quite humble and makes me think about my own life and the privileges that I have.” Working at Scalabrini has enabled Hylton, not to change his perceptions on migration, but to improve and broaden them. “It makes me even more aware of the privilege and benefits that I have as a South African citizen. It just makes me appreciate what I do have a lot more… I can live in a relatively safe environment where our rights are upheld.”

  1. Everyone deserves the chance to create a livelihood

“I feel that everybody deserves the chance to provide for their family and to create a livelihood.” Hiring non-South African employees brings with it an increase in cultural diversity and new insights that South Africans can learn from. Hylton wants employers to recognise this potential. “Learn from the people. I learn from them everyday. I think the government feeds into the negative ideas and paint the migrants as the bad guys. So that kind of mindset needs to be shifted. You can’t solve everything immediately, you do need to think long term and at the same time try to solve the micro stuff too. What we are doing here is amazing, and I am proud to be a part of it”

 

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