LearnServe Teacher’s Blog: Growth (7/10)

Yes, it’s super late here in Cape Town, but the good news is that it’s not too late back in DC!  I just can’t go to bed tonight without recapping our last few days in Cape Town since we completed the Homestead service work.

The Message Trust

This past Friday, we visited The Message Trust, a private organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people throughout Cape Town, South Africa.  While we learned about the many divisions of Message Trust, we focused on their prison outreach, called Gangstar Enterprises, which assists youth out of prison or transitioning out of prison, by providing employment opportunities, mentorship and entrepreneurial support.  I was impressed by the personal stories of men who have served time in some of South Africa’s most infamous prisons, that have turned their life around and are now mentoring others to avoid repeating the same mistakes.  Many of our students found personal connections with some of the stories they were receiving, and that made the session quite moving.  I think we often fail to recognize the level of trauma that unfortunately too many of our young menhave been exposed to at such an early age.  I salute groups such as The Message Trust for reaching out and becoming part of the transition/rehabilitation process for youth that may have been subjected to the wrong path early on. Our young people are not disposable.  They all should have an opportunity to grow and learn from mistakes that may have been made, so they can become equal participants in our society.

Dinner with Diplomats

Shout out to LearnServe for arranging with our travel team on the ground for us to meet with a dynamic couple from the United States.  We were honored to have dinner at the home of Kim and Corwin. Kim, a member of the U.S. consulate diplomatic team in South Africa, along with her husband, Corwin, a businessman, were gracious in opening up their home to the LearnServe/Eastern Men of Excellence team.  We had an informal evening filled with good food and conversation.  I was so pleased to see our students engaging with professionals about government relations, investment strategies, college aspirations, and even favorite books!  My most exciting moment though, was seeing how eager some of my EME guys were to network and share their EME business cards with the couple, as they each sought to keep in contact with our hosts upon our return to the United States.  It was another one of those moments where I could step back and see how our young men are maturing and applying the skills taught throughout the last school year.  Good times.

Excursions

The trip has been full of meaningful experiential learning moments, but we have balanced these significant experiences with the fact that we have to see the sights and sounds of South Africa!  We enjoyed some free time this weekend at a local market in South Africa and on the Cape’s beach front, so students could mix and mingle with local residents, shop and enjoy relaxing moments with each other.  We also had the unique experience of an overnight Safari that ended today!  Now, I know I’m a bit hype sometimes, but for real, for real, I am so excited about these animals I saw over the last two days!  lol.  We were thrilled to see 4 of the “Big 5” in Africa:  lions, buffalo, rhinos, and hippos.  But as the students now know, I really don’t care about any of those animals…I’m just glad that I saw some giraffe this morning!!!  lol.  We literally got out of our truck and walked near a giraffe!  I felt like a kid getting a brand new bike.  Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t hide my excitement around my EME guys.  Great times here, indeed.  Make sure you check out our master google photo link of pictures and videos…they were epic!  Even in the midst of all this fun, I was able to see signs of growth.  The Safari was 2 1/2 hours away from our stay in Cape Town.  It was COLD.  FREEZING. UNCOMFORTABLY FRIGID.  But, we fought through to see some animals 🙂  Did some complain?  Yes.  Did I complain? Oh yes!  But we realized, when is the next time we will have an opportunity to go on a Safari adventure?!  So, in the end, we went out in 40 degree weather yesterday and braved 25 degree weather this morning on at 8:30amgame drive even after we lost electrical power this very same morning!  Was it worth it?  ABSOLUTELY.  No more complaints after seeing that giraffe 🙂

Student Reflections on Growth

One of the strengths of this trip has been the intentional times that have been set aside for us to pause and reflect on our experiences.  Although our students sometime resisted our morning and/or evening debrief/huddle/writing sessions, it is important for us to put into context the work that we are accomplishing here in South Africa.  We have begun, as a unit, to process what this experience has meant to the people in South Africa we have encountered and to us personally, as individuals.  A few days ago, we posed the following question:  How have you grown, personally and/or professionally, while on this trip to South Africa?  I am going to leave you with responses we received from each of our students.  As you read these responses, try to imagine what this growth exercise will mean to each young man a year from now…five years from now…ten years from now?  It gives me goosebumps!  As I have alluded to in previous reflections, I’ve learned to celebrate the achievements of my students, both big and small, and to recognize that they will not grow at the same speed or in the same size, but that doesn’t mean that any one individual’s growth is more or less significant than another’s.  Each person is a work in progress and I am encouraged that they are bigger and stronger because of this experience.

How have I grown personally and professionally?

Have a great night! More reflections and final thoughts for the end of our trip are in store, so stay tuned!

Ivan C. Douglas Jr.
Law Programs Teacher
Program Director
Empowering Males of Color Initiative
Eastern High School