The Bonds Are Forming

All I could think about this week was the book I had read in English 2, “Things Fall Apart” by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Things were very close to falling apart this week when the problems surrounding transport were not coming close to being resolved! First we couldn’t find a driver and then finding a bus proved to be mission impossible- but surprisingly, we found both. The rain (which had to fall on our workshop day!) threatened attendance of the Upstarters and this made me and the team quite nervous. But as the clock struck closer to 2:30pm on Wednesday this week, the team started to trickle in very slowly- but come in they did! And somehow even though things started to fall apart, they came together beautifully in the end. 

First to arrive was Roche’. Roche’ Buchner got his mum to drop him off and even sent me an sms when he got to the Africa Media Matrix (AMM). I like Roche’, in his Facebook profile, he has a couple of pictures showing that he’s quite the avid Skateboarder and likes music. He is keen to learn and has said that on the few occasions we have had a chance to meet with them. I do think that him and Mike will bond well (possibly too well!) considering he has a keen interest in the technical side of radio, and that is right up Mike’s avenue. I do however find myself worrying slightly about how he will integrate into the group. Considering he seems to be from a middle class background and the school he goes to (PJ Olivier) might make it slightly more difficult for him to interact with the other five Upstarters who had to walk to the workshop because they just don’t have a family car or someone to drop them off. I would really like Roche to slot in easier and I’m thinking of trying to get him to use the transport we have arranged to ensure a sense of ‘team’ and get friendships forming.  On the whole, he is a great kid and even though slightly shy, he has great things to share.

•     Roche with BK and Anelisa working on their profiles for the first radio show on Saturday.

And talking of things to share - Roche made one particularly important contribution to our discussions this week. We had asked the group, as a homework assignment to read the Upstart paper, choose an article and then write it to be broadcast on radio. The aims: shorter sentences, more description and no complicated vocabulary. Roche’ began reading his piece to us all, about last year’s Upstarter of the Year. BK stopped us, smiled and said, : “Hey! The Upstarter of the Year is here with us! It’s Ziphozihle!” And we realized that sitting quietly next to me, Ziphozihle Goje, was the Upstarter of the Year for 2011! And what a star she is! She is from Nombulelo High School and even though she is quiet (much quieter than Roche’), she has very definite ideas and is keen to learn too.

We were sitting with the Upstarters, re-working their profiles and I was paired with Ziphozihle. When I asked her what she wanted to talk about in the first Upstart Radio show for the year, she said, “I want to talk about Mistakes”. I was a little bit confused because I wasn’t too sure where she was coming from with this, but when I asked her to elaborate, she spoke about how people always make mistakes and it’s ok because we’re human. She also spoke about how she doesn’t like it when other kids laugh or make fun of a person who made a mistake in class, “It’s not funny”, she said. “My teacher said in class that nobody is stupid. We all have a brain”, and with that she smiled then waited for me to say something. I just nodded, smiled- happy to just be learning about Ziphozihle and her world. Here I thought I was going to be doing all the teaching yet it had just become a two way process of learning. 

• Here Ziphozihle teaches me a thing or two! Just when you thought you knew everything!

Onto Anesipho! A young lady with a plan and who likes to talk if given the opportunity! I have a feeling that she would wear fashionable clothing and drop earrings to school on a daily basis if she had her way. She is confident, tall and easy to get along with. I thought we might have a few problems initially as she seemed a little bit uninterested in the beginning but now, she is all in! She has been very polite and works well on her own as well as in a group. I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and get to her know her as well as the others, but I think time will see us becoming really good friends. I think that is what I like most about this Upstart project.  

•   Anesipho posing for the camera while getting to grips with interviewing- our own fashion  model!

When I think of the kind of smile that should be used on the Colgate/Dentene adverts- I think of Sinovuyo. Her shy smile is gripping and it reaches the corner of her eyes. I cannot wait to hear more about her world and what is ticking behind that pleasant face. I haven’t been able to get to know Sinovuyo very well as she is the quietest of the group and quite shy. She does however speak if we ask her something and I have seen her sharing a private joke with schoolmate Ziphozihle once or twice. She is such a delight though and she is always willing to help or answer something when we need to know about Upstart as this is her second year with the organisation. I was quite worried about her debut on air on the Saturday show, but when the time came, Sinovuyo held the paper quite steadily and spoke into the mike, her voice not wavering or cutting out as I had thought might happen. She was still a little quiet, but give her some time and she will be as able as the rest of the group.

• Sinovuyo listens closely to BK as she explains interviewing skills. (Sinovuyo is the one with crossed hands and standing)

Anelisa is going to be one of the talkers and confident ones this year- I just know it. She is quiet in the initial stages, but once she is used to you and her surroundings, she says what she has to with energy and confidence. She is also eager on the microphones as we saw on the Saturday show. When the anchor asked questions of the group, Anelisa would look around at the others, notice that nobody was going to say anything and lean in to the mic, keen to answer in the way she saw fit. I would like to see if she has any debating skills as that would make for interesting radio having someone take her on!

I don’t know why, but I do also feel like Anelisa may have a lot to tell about her life, and for now all I can base it on is a feeling. I think she will open up when she feels more comfortable in the group, but for now, like the others, I haven’t had a chance to get to know her as well as I should. I look forward to discovering hers and the five other Upstarter’s worlds.

• Anelisa smiling at one of Steve’s jokes during the talk on recorders.

 Thobani. What a polite, mischievous and keen young man. I think at this stage each of the Upstarters are starting to grow on us as a group. Thobani was involved in an accident on the way home from our Wednesday workshop and there was legitimate concern from the whole group regarding his safety. I knew the ties of affection were strengthening between him and the group when he smsd to tell me about the accident and I called him back to check up on him. Tonight (Sunday 4 March 2012), he smsd me to say: “Hey, thanks for Saturday show. I was listening to it and it was great- wish to be there but now I am feeling right better than before. See you soon!” I replied and asked if he is good enough to come to the Wednesday workshop, his reply again, “I will be there that’s for sho! Just can’t wait, miss you guys…thanks for your caring guys”. 

And so, I find myself very fond of this group and after all the drama that it took to sort out the Saturday show, and the stress of the week, it all comes down to remembering that working with these Upstarters is more than just creating radio material. It is about learning and teaching lessons that may help these individuals be just that: individuals with an ability to make informed and positive decisions in life. It is about thinking further than your next deadline, and more along the lines of thinking towards someone’s future. I like that kind of thinking- I think I’ll use it more often :) .

Sinovuyo, Anesipho and Thobani looking very focused indeed!

On the whole however, the workshops, the shows, the homework we have been giving them has all been quite basic with a slightly challenging aspect to it. After sitting down on Tuesday and working through each week on the calendar, I worked out a basic outline of what we had to do and how we would try and achieve this all in the term. I did it in relations to what the Upstarters can and can’t do. We have spoken quite a bit to the Upstarters and while collaborating with the print version of the project, we want to try and generate content that interests these Upstarters. I am thinking of asking the team about what they think about a Radio Talk aspect to the course in which we encourage the Upstarters to use the recorder more and open up about issues that directly affect them. I think this will work especially for shy people like Sinovuyo and Roche. This week does look more promising than the last and I am keen to see which mountain needs overcoming by the team :).

• Steve and myself working with the Upstarters.

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