Mandela Day, Every Day

Image: Nelson Mandela graciously congratulates the national Springbok rugby team after winning the "other football" World Cup. Courtesy of the Nelson Mandela Foundation

Last year this time I blogged about Mandela Day, the birthday of South Africa’s icon of democracy and forgiveness, ex-president Nelson Mandela. The day, when each South African is asked to devote 67 minutes of service to others, is becoming a noble tradition that does the Rainbow Nation proud. Those 67 minutes represent the 67 years that Tata (Father), as he is affectionately known, spent in prison for his vision of a democratic South Africa. The small sacrifice by each individual can add up to a multitude of good deeds.

Since Mandela Day is, officially, on 18 July, this post may seem delayed – yet I have an excellent excuse. (Don’t I always?) As the tradition of 67 minutes of service is becoming entrenched, it is becoming ever more clear that, much as the annual bout of philanthropy means, this country has a long walk ahead. 67 minutes per person per year is simply not enough, and the good deeds should be a way of life – daily, not just annually.

Last year, I was quite astounded to see how what seemed a very simple task to me would have been completely unattainable to the people I chose to serve on Mandela Day. To recap, I had compiled a portfolio for local craftspeople featuring a few photographs and a summary of their work. While a basic printout and a few photographs seem the simplest of things for a computer owner, they are imponderable luxuries for the majority of South Africans. What is more, they are a ticket to more and better jobs, and ultimately a better life. At a certain threshold, the lack of material things like a computer or printer can make the world’s difference to available opportunities. The craftspeople’s gratitude was as warming as the reality of the matter was chilling.

This year, my planned task was helping computer newcomers to register for Unemployment Insurance through the handy national online service. To do so, however, requires the users to have active email accounts – a whole new frontier for both the employers and employees I have assisted. Again, for those of us using the Web and its many wonders daily, email seems like an infinitesimally minor thing. Yet for these individuals, it has been a closed door. In the spirit of continuing with service throughout the year, we embark on the email adventure tomorrow. Small as it may seem, I believe this will be a leverage point for the women who are learning, and even more so for the children that will follow them. Actions have consequences. Learning has a legacy.

The Finish Line (?)

The day has finally arrived. Two and a half years after embarking on the MA TESOL programme that was the impetus for this blog, I have received confirmation that my degree has been awarded with distinction.

After the love-hate struggle that invariably accompanies study, this is a bittersweet moment. A gremlin at the back of my mind grumbles that the result could have been better, but it is inundated by a wave of intense gratitude towards all the people who have, in ways big and small, made this possible. My parents, whose fated meeting in Latin class foreshadowed so much of my general modus operandi – pun intended. My teachers, who mustered the superhuman patience to put up with, and sometimes even nurture, an incorrigible little know-it-all. My tutors on the programme at the University of Leeds, who were a door into the academic world and an embodiment of principled practice in education. My classmates, who were such kindly brothers and sisters in arms, and taught me the art of collaborative learning. My programme administrators, for working behind the scenes to make it all happen. My online research participants, without whose involvement there would have been no data. My friends, for support both moral and immoral. My colleagues, without whose support and guidance and occasional kicks in the rear this would never have come to fruition. I owe special thanks to my former head of department at Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Basim Muftin Al-Shammary, for alerting me to the opportunity this particular programme presented, and gently pushing me to sign up. Most of all, I owe an inexpressible debt of gratitude to e-learning rock star and mentor, Henrick James Borger, who kindled the sparks of inquiry and fanned the flames of investigation as my work evolved. No man is an island, and I have been blessed to be surrounded by continents of support. The credit is theirs.

As to that gremlin, it deserves just a smidgeon of credit as well. Its grunts and grumbles are a reminder to investigate where I have strayed, and what I can do better. As they ease to a steady growl, it asks another question.

What can I do next?

P.S. While preparing a brief post for the T42 project on which I based my thesis, I discovered that the home site has been visit by 580 people from 37 countries, the e-book has been accessed by close on 1 000 readers, and the podcast has settled at 40 subscribers along with numerous individual downloads. Not quite on the CNN range, but to me these numbers are staggering, and compared to the numbers reached during the research period they seem astronomical. I am thrilled that these materials continue to reach people, and hope that they will bring inspiration for a long time yet.

Illustration: T42 Master Mindmap Crop, Marie-Therese Le Roux, 2009