PROJECTS
We serve to illustrate key life skills and learning tools
Established in 2020 & 2021
Outdoor excursions have so far been the most successful of all UBUMAMA Program contributions. Musical performance is also a firm favourite with all children.
Establishment of a peace garden with the Grade R children’s cooperation.
Painting of beautiful school murals depicting the forest flora and fauna.
A painted music wall, complete with music instruments made out of recycled materials in the school grounds.
Children have participated in making their own tie-dye school t-shirts.
A forest garden gate was donated and installed and the forested land cleared so that all the children at the Kayalethu, Learning Tree school could enjoy playing and climbing among the forest trees.
The story of the ‘Wizard of Oz’ was adapted to an African script for the 2020 end of year school performance.
“Nabulela, a traditional Nguni story about an African village, was adapted to music and dance for performance at the end of 2021.
Ubumama offered a workshop to the schools on how to make your own healthy smoothies and all natural fruits and herbal beverages.
Drama/ movement and basic breathwork classes were offered during the course of the year.
Children Khayalethu, Learning Tree school and Dorothy Broster Care facility have been taken out on excursions to the following venues:-
1. Pledge Nature Reserve
2. The Knysna Lagoon
3. Knysna Heads and the ancient Khoi-San caves
4. SA National Parks Board, Waterfront Knysna, Seahorse display tanks
5. Diepvalle Forest Reserve and to see the Elephant museum
The children were given Nature Art and creativity classes. They learned to make mobiles using natural found objects. They used autumn leaves to print with and created puppets using paper mache and recycled waste.
Life Skills classes addressed various emotional issues. We initiated a weekly ‘Circle of Care’ which gave each child the opportunity to represent the way they were feeling that day. This was done to give the children a sense of belonging within the class group. Each child was asked to send wishes of care, strength and love to those who were not feeling well and who needed it most.
Seeds for Life story series written AND ILLUSTRATED by Sarah Mackie, Edited by Eve Cunard, Sponsored and inspired by Carmen Clews, Lesson Plans with guidance by Child psychologist, Carol Surya. Ubumama’s most essential offering within the classroom context was that of ‘Story Time.’ These stories illustrate life’s challenges and the skills effective to help children cope with situations like bullying and feeling excluded, forgiving and how to show one another that we are sorry when we hurt one another.
As a part of Ubumama’s outdoor activities, listening and mindfulness skills have also been introduced during the pilot program at the Learning Tree School.
All proposed outcomes for the pilot program have been successfully achieved during the course of 2020 and 2021. Outdoor excursions have so far been the most successful of all UBUMAMA Program contributions. Musical performance is also a firm favourite with all children.
the next phase of programs for Ubumama
The next phase of Ubumama outdoor learning will include many of these skills and facets with one exception; that the project in the future will be exclusively about the outdoor learning experience. It is our hope to offer these outdoor explorations and workshops more broadly to primary schools on the Garden route.
The future program collage for Project UBUMAMA 2022 will mainly offer guided outings that are in keeping with the school syllabus and outdoor workshops that are designed to bring learning to life and to teach essential life skills. Children very easily make the connection when they’re taken into nature, about our prehistoric past and our own rich cultural identity. This of itself is a huge step towards realizing their own intrinsic value as South Africans with an ancient past that has deep roots in the African soil.
I propose to take small groups of students (15 to 20 learners per group) on outings to explore natural heritage sites. These excursions will mainly take place on a weekend/Saturday morning or during the school holidays. The purpose of these learning experiences will be mainly to engender a love and respect for Mother Nature. The outdoor workshops and discussions which will follow excursions, include singing, musical performance and bringing South African history/ prehistory to life by telling stories in an exciting, beautiful way, i.e- picnic fireside storytelling workshops.
These stories and activities further serve to illustrate key life skills and learning tools.
The project will be run parallel with similar organizations who support students in learning and leadership skills in an outdoor classroom environment.
KET – Knysna Education Trust
Supporting Early Childhood Development in Knysna.
KET model school for early learners., The Learning Tree, directed by Julie Hoffman Pagnall.
This is where the UBUMAMA pilot program began in 2020 with special focus on the Grade R children 5 to 7 years of age. It is hoped that Ubumama may continue offering outdoor excursions for young learners at this school.
https://www.knysnaedutrust.co.za/projects
KILT – Knysna Initiative to Learning and Teaching
Supporting Primary and High School Learner Initiatives
Ubumama hopes to collaborate with KILT at Primary school level and in so doing, inspire and attract future investors to fund future outdoor classroom excursions in all schools of this region.
Dorothy Broster Children’s Care Home
A Child Welfare organization for the provision of residential care outside of the family environment. This facility offers a home to orphaned children and those from broken homes who can no longer afford to care for their children. The manager of this Care Home has requested outdoor excursions for both children and for their staff.
The South African National Parks Board
SANP Board has made school education and excursions their priority since 2020. Local school groups enter the parks in the Knysna and Garden Route region at a reduced rate and schools from disadvantaged areas are given free permits for much of the year.
The Pride Project – (Table Mountain project)
The Pride Project offers leadership activities, excursions and workshops to disadvantaged schools throughout South Africa including here on the Garden Route. Pride has focused the direction of their work to support High school students. Ubumama’s co-operation with the Wilderness Foundation will be a gradual process of introducing the values in common, i.e. Nature based experiences. learning and leadership (Life skills) programs. The Wilderness Foundation is a well established organization and it is therefore possible in the future that school excursions could become even more sustainable for the Ubumama Project with their support. Pride trails are lead by young voluntary guides from the surrounding communities. Their leadership skills are identified and nurtured through relevant training in guiding, safety and environmental issues.
http://www.wildernessfoundation.co.za/
PROS & CONS
The outdoor classroom excursion program is the perfect interface between schools – teachers and children with Cape Nature and Parks board as guides.
The project funding start up allows for only one salary at this point, i.e no additional permanent staff members. Funding covers costs of school excursions and workshop presentations only.
Wilderness Trust Leadership program
SA Parks board – free entrance and guides for disadvantaged schools
Cape Nature – special rates and free guides for disadvantaged schools
The Local Municipal funds for education programs
INTERACT Knysna schools co-operation, parent and High school participation with story time workshops for the younger children.
My own contribution as a mural artist, storyteller and offering creative craft workshops for learners.
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