The first time I saw the phrase was in one of Steve Petzer's facebook posts and it made me think quite a lot about what it actually says. It is so applicable to South African life and the lots of young people out there in all sorts of stages of learning (or not).
Yesterday I had an inteview with a potential student wanting to further her studies and here in short is her story which is probably the story of thousands of other young people in this lovely country of ours.
She found us on the internet on her phone and send me an email: She had failed matric and on various occasions tried to rewrite what she failed. She was scammed by unregistered or uncaring training institutions to the extend that she is now 21 and still nothing has happened.
During the interview it became clear that a sort of discouraged/lost feeling is prevalent in these young people.She lives in a township on the outskirts of Pretoria with her Grandmother who does not have any income. She approached us in desperation: she needs to get out of the rut and study to become something.
What does she do with her time ? Nothing because there is nothing to do. Everyday is the same : The battle for survival, the urgent need to learn something to be able to do something . FIlling empty spaces with nothingness.
This is the ideal opportunity for any corporate entity to get involved in education. Start a sponsorship program for these kids/students. We are now actively hunting for a sponsor for her books (cost around
R 4000 for the year. We will be sponsoring her class fees for the year - yes all of it)
Here is the actual email she send me after her visit to us yesterday :
I would like to thank u and ur wife for taking ur time in mentoring me.i also apologise for being so emotional i promise it does not happen everyday.Mr Brandow u said something about me writing like a man.Well thats how i carry myself most of the time strong,fearless and unemotional and u saw right through me and broke the man in me down.And there i was and u spoke to me,u listend,u related but most importantly u gave me ur time and for that i thank u...
Yesterday I had an inteview with a potential student wanting to further her studies and here in short is her story which is probably the story of thousands of other young people in this lovely country of ours.
She found us on the internet on her phone and send me an email: She had failed matric and on various occasions tried to rewrite what she failed. She was scammed by unregistered or uncaring training institutions to the extend that she is now 21 and still nothing has happened.
During the interview it became clear that a sort of discouraged/lost feeling is prevalent in these young people.She lives in a township on the outskirts of Pretoria with her Grandmother who does not have any income. She approached us in desperation: she needs to get out of the rut and study to become something.
What does she do with her time ? Nothing because there is nothing to do. Everyday is the same : The battle for survival, the urgent need to learn something to be able to do something . FIlling empty spaces with nothingness.
This is the ideal opportunity for any corporate entity to get involved in education. Start a sponsorship program for these kids/students. We are now actively hunting for a sponsor for her books (cost around
R 4000 for the year. We will be sponsoring her class fees for the year - yes all of it)
Here is the actual email she send me after her visit to us yesterday :
I would like to thank u and ur wife for taking ur time in mentoring me.i also apologise for being so emotional i promise it does not happen everyday.Mr Brandow u said something about me writing like a man.Well thats how i carry myself most of the time strong,fearless and unemotional and u saw right through me and broke the man in me down.And there i was and u spoke to me,u listend,u related but most importantly u gave me ur time and for that i thank u...
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