First Day of The Mamelodi Initiative Winter Program

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Today was the first day of The Mamelodi Initiative winter session 2014. So many collective weeks to this point have been spent toiled away over a vast array of logistics, days whiled away over xcel spreadsheets, hours spent over calculating how to spend non-profit budgets on the most bang for our Rand, minutes passed with red eyes and caffeine highs and countless moments begging the Lord for everything we could never ever accomplish on our own.  At this satellite campus of the University of Pretoria I saw a beautiful African campus in winter. When I got there it was quiet. But these crisp lawns would soon be overrun with the 160 or so students who came the first day. Seeing them all was kind of overwhelming. Nowhere in anyone’s words or depictions of this project had I ever been given the impression that this summer project would be easy, but the reality of how hard this was going to be was truly setting in. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment.

This first day would be different than most days, as all the students would have to be registered and assessed to place them into different classes according to grade and mathematical ability.  As I watched math assessments being handed out, I could not help but wonder, “Exactly how much had they learned in school?” I had been assigned to a specific team to have the kids play games after their assessments but after a short talk with Andrew, he basically told me to go for it with my camera so I set out to go try and capture a little of the magic of The Mamelodi Initiative. Students were; playing chess with pieces eighteen inches tall on outdoor boards, playing name games like “Oomba oomba oomba bop”, indoor soccer, net ball, eating lunch, putting their pencils to paper and making new friends.

It was a challenge taking shots today, the classrooms were dark causing me to either deal with camera shake or image noise and the outside was a blazing African sun with little shade that made peoples faces dark and lacking in detail or the sky blown out. Amidst a little frustration, I stopped taking shots and talked with some of the SA’n volunteers. The conversation quickly turned to US vs SA culture, a conversation I will no doubt have many more times before I leave but its not getting old yet. As we talked I watched Kolo simultaneously command the attention of around 80 kids ages 13-18. I could only shake my head and be impressed as one guy was able to command respect and lead that many kids in playing games that actually entertained them and never letting it get out of control. If I haven’t described Kolo, his authoritative presence with the kids is certainly facilitated by his huge physical stature. But that same presence is matched by a big smile and hearty laugh that one can often here from a long way off. He has been a volunteer for years and he wears his faith on his sleeve, or his neck rather, as he sports a large cross and beads carved from ebony.

The kids went home with very little interaction with their teachers for the most part and I went to band practice for the worship team. I had signed up for this extra opportunity not really knowing what it would be like, but having gone to Cornerstone the day before I had an idea. This is when I got to meet the vocalist leader Debogo, a girl with a deep rich singing voice who has a similar presence as Kolo. As we sang and American’s started to get the hang of Sepedi pronunciations, I could not help but think of one of my friends co-teachers who was singing with us. I had heard him say before that he was not a Christian, but he had such a passion for the kids he didn’t really have a problem working with The Mamelodi Initiative. Earlier that day as we had prepared drinks for all the kids at lunch he mentioned he had been born in a small town called Bethlehem about 2 hours south of Mamelodi. He is a guy born in Bethlehem and volunteering at a Christian non-profit who currently doesn’t believe in Jesus.

After the registration day ended, I got to drive a group to the Menlyn Mall and after a eons long search found some good wifi at a Seattle’s Best. This is why you are reading this blog. I hope you can bear with me on the waiting but I doubt I will be able to upload any posts more than once or maybe twice a week. Y’all are the best, thanks and hopefully you’ll hear from me again soon.

Please Pray that:

Our team would all find ways to love Jesus a little more this week and be reminded of him.

That the our friend from Bethlehem would become a follower of the most famous man born for his town’s namesake.

God bless and all the best,

Dylan Rollins.