This past March break, sixteen girls from Grade 11 had the honour of participating in the annual Branksome Hall community service trip to South Africa. While there, we toured the beautiful city of Cape Town, learned about the history and culture of South Africa, and later traveled to Queenstown, where we taught at our partner school, QGAP (Queenstown Get Ahead Project). As a part of the Triangle of Hope Program, initiated by the Stephen Leacock Foundation, Branksome partners with QGAP, as well as a local school (Rose Avenue Public School), to create a partnership in learning.
Before departing, we spent multiple days learning about the significant turning-points in the history of South Africa, such as the Apartheid. This allowed us to be more knowledgeable and understanding once we got there. We began our journey in Cape Town, where we stayed for a total of 5 days and immersed ourselves in the culture and energy of the city, as well as gained more insight into the complex history of South Africa. While there, we visited the nearby Langa Township, an impoverished community which has “such a strong emphasis on community and happiness”, as a student, Megan Easton noted. From there, we travelled to the QGAP school where we helped teach Grade 2 to 9 classes.
“I really developed a new understanding and appreciation for the role of my teachers,” said one of the group members, Preet of her first-hand teaching experience. “Carefully planning your lessons then presenting and executing them for a class is a lot more than than it seems to be.”
We also visited the Ezibeleni Junior Public School and Isibindi Safe Park for at-risk and vulnerable youth and families, dropping off donations collected by Branksome Hall. There, we learned about the challenges faced by the community in which many QGAP students live.
“This trip allowed each and every single one of us the opportunity to create lasting friendships and bonds, both between our group of sixteen girls and four teachers, as well as with the many friends we made halfway across the world”, said Aja, another student participant.
The “Sister” program was definitively one of my favourite experiences of the trip. Each of us paired up with a 16-year-old girl at QGAP and we bonded during activities such as visiting a safari and driving to Mthatha, home of the Nelson Mandela Museum. We were able to develop strong friendships and learn so much from one another. It was incredible to see how many mutual interests we shared with someone living halfway across the world, and that’s what made it meaningful for me.
Teacher Kate Hebdon, who was supervising the QGAP community service trip for her second time, said,
“Our students were a shining example of what international-mindedness and risk-taking can truly bring about. We learned so much from one another and our exceptional partners at QGAP.”
Overall, this experience is something that I can surely say on behalf of my fifteen peers, none of us will forget. We formed strong friendships while there, and enhanced the already present bond with the school. Currently, the debating team at Branksome is planning to have debates and discussions over Skype with the debating community at QGAP, as well as share resources that our team uses to prepare of debating and public speaking tournaments. Our student-run Branksome newspaper, Kilt Press, is releasing a summer issue, which will pay tribute of our commitment to QGAP, featuring articles written by QGAP students, such as “What Branksome Means to QGAP”, as well as an article by Branksome students, “What QGAP Means to Branksome”. It will include interviews with a QGAP teacher, their Head boy, Nicholas, as well as the Principal, Peter Bosman.