Reed's School
Bringing youth together after school to make connections
Cultural Connections continued a historic partnership with Reed’s School through Calabash Trust and Tours, who we worked under before. The first time Reed’s School visited South Africa through Calabash Trust was in 2006, and since then we have formed a strong and synergistic working relationship. Every year Reed’s students apply to be a part of the group that heads out to South Africa for two weeks and in recent years this has become a much sought after trip.
Bringing youth together after school to make connections
Cultural Connections continued a historic partnership with Reed’s School through Calabash Trust and Tours, who we worked under before. The first time Reed’s School visited South Africa through Calabash Trust was in 2006, and since then we have formed a strong and synergistic working relationship. Every year Reed’s students apply to be a part of the group that heads out to South Africa for two weeks and in recent years this has become a much sought after trip.
Reed's in Pearston
Since working with Cultural Connections, our work has moved from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) to Pearston in the Karoo, and our way of working (approach) has also changed over the years. In order for the Reed’s group to contribute to long lasting, generative impact in Pearston, where both the Pearston youth and the Reed’s youth are able to share their unique talents, we have come up with a structured programme together, that has space for Reed’s to contribute their time and strength to infrastructural projects, and designated time for learning exchanges and connection to the people of Pearston.
The idea of ‘exchange’ moves away from an old model of ‘helping’ which although can be welcomed and appreciated, has links to disempowerment in our South African communities. An exchange offers the chance for each group to bring their offerings together and establish connection on a more even playing ground, it appreciates the unique gifts and strengths the Pearston community has whilst welcoming the offer of support from the Reed’s group.
This looks like Reed’s contributing to infrastructure in the mornings, typically at Pearston High School and at the Pearston Club which is supported by Cultural Connections and houses many of our Youth programmes. In the past two years they have built a large vegetable garden at the school, installed water harvesting infrastructure, a large paved seating area, painted netball courts, installed new netball hoops, revamped a stage for performances at the club, built benches and painted two beautiful murals, assisted with garden maintenance at the club as well as many smaller projects. The mornings are also filled with outdoor sessions where Reed’s students interact with classes from the school in what are called ‘cultural exchange sessions’, sharing stories, sharing ideas, making music and memories under the pepper trees
In the afternoons a huge student exchange takes place where groups of Pearston and Reed’s students rotate to different venues to play sport, teach one another dances, do arts and crafts, math labs and more in groups of 20-30 so that they have a chance to really get to know each other. This takes place for six days allowing friendships and connections to form and stories to be told. Various Cultural Connections facilitators who are Pearston residents as well as associate facilitators who come in for the exchange are part of the team and help to create the safety and container for these relationships and experiences to unfold. This has become a very special trip for everyone involved.
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