ThandaMandla
ThandaMandla - Love and Power for positive change
ThandaMandla is awesome! It is FUN Society’s innovative, new, asset-based youth empowerment program that we started and ran in rural South Africa in 2012. We worked with 24 incredible Pondo youth and guided them through the process of creating their own social change projects. (Think... FUN Champs meets South Africa!!) Mostly we just had a ton of fun together, and we are fairly sure that it was FUN Society who learned the most through the process, but the youth got to learn a few cool things too – like how to create a powerful vision, how to create a project from start to finish, how to give good presentations… that sort of thing! They ended up creating a food garden at their school as well as an environmental awareness team that gives workshops at junior schools. Amazing, right?
“ThandaMandla” means “LovePower” in Xhosa, one of the local languages spoken in the area! This name was chosen because on the journey of creating this program we realized that the intersection of love and power is key for social change to happen. (Having fun is obviously still at the top of the list of ways to change the world, but in this case fun is one of the ways that love and power can be intersected
For this pilot project FUN Society hired "Alexa the awesome intern" to help coordinate the development of this work into a volunteer-tourism program. (So stay tuned for more amazing international opportunities through FUN Society!!!)
In the Fall of 2012, two volunteers, Jeannine and Alison from British Columbia, Canada joined us in South Africa to work with the youth at Baleni Senior Secondary, as the first-ever ThandaMandla Volunteers. Woohoooo!! (and they were amazing!!! Thanks team)
Alexa, Maia, Jeannine and Alison jumping for joy on the Wild Coast!
Testimonials from the gang
"My time spent on the ThandaMandla project in Pondoland, South Africa was without a doubt the most unique cultural and educational experience I have had to date. My role in this project was to teach a group of enthusiastic, brilliant, and just all around awesome students, aged 16-22, from a rural school in Pondoland. The main focus of this project was to create interactive and creative workshops for the students, which essentially gave them the tools to carry out community development projects of their choice. The ThandaMandla project uses an asset based community development approach, which encourages community members, in this case the students, to discover and use their assets to make meaningful change in their community. I believe that this approach is the most sustainable and effective way to do community development, and that is why working on this project was so fulfilling. Put that together with a community that is so welcoming that you are able to learn about the Pondo culture, take part in various traditional activities, learn some of the Xhosa language, and explore the most breathtaking landscape you will ever see, and you get an experience that you truly fall in love with. I never wanted it to end!"
- Alexa, ThandaMandla Intern
"I don't know where to begin. Volunteering with ThandaMandla was packed with the most amazing experiences of my life. People, food, culture, heat, rain, animals, swimming, open landscapes, ocean, smiling faces, energy, driving, music, singing, dancing, sports, beaches, horse back riding, amazing sleeps, thunderstorms, adventures, hiking, outdoor showers, teaching English, relaxing, lodge life, school, and students: all aspects of my adventure with ThandaMandla were phenomenal"
The students at Baleni School were very enthusiastic. They spent the first 4 weeks of their summer vacation practising English, participating in workshops, playing games and developing their own projects with us. To get to school we drove along a bumpy dirt road with the most amazing view of the Indian ocean and rolling hills. Our team building and hands-on workshops not only inspired the students but myself as well! It was a fantastic opportunity to learn interactive teaching skills and practice teaching English. At the end of every day we gathered outside in a big circle and all together sang the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. We learned just as much from them as they did from us."
- Alison, ThandaMandla Volunteer
Where is ThandaMandla based?
ThandaMandla was based at Mtentu River Lodge - a unique eco-lodge run in partnership with the community of Mtentu. Check out their website here!
"The lodge is an incredibly unique paradise. I loved ever aspect of it from its vision to the fireflies you can see at night from the outdoor solar showers. Lodge life is amazing!! We lived in cabins overlooking the Indian Ocean, Mtentu River and the vast nature reserve (where you can see baboons from time to time in the morning while eating breakfast)!!!" - ThandaMandla Volunteer
What's next?
Check out the ThandaMandla Trek for Social Change 2013 - happening this May!!
