Event: Workshop for Supervisors and Volunteers
Date: 24 to 26 June 2008
Venue: Polokwane – M.J. Gateway Lodge
The Trip
The anticipation and anxiety of travelling to the Limpopo Province left the team with the wonder of what to expect when we got there. This was our first trip to Limpopo, Anastasia Ngidi (Community Liaison Officer) and Mr. Mngomezulu and I. After looking at the map and seeing the exact position, we immediately felt tired, but at least there were two drivers. I suggested that we make this trip a lot of fun as we were representing our organisation.
We left Mpilonhle Offices in Mtubatuba at 05h00 in the morning and travelled till we stopped at Piet Retief for some food, where it was freezing. We proceeded on the N2 all the way to N11 Middleburg in Mpumalanga Province, where we found ourselves driving on the R33. We were lost but managed to follow the map, but had to stop and ask for directions. I tell you, people in Mpumalanga are so friendly – for a minute I felt like a tourist in my own country. But it was good fun and I was so appreciative that at least our tourists will be well taken care of in 2010.
While driving through Mpumalanga Province, the scenery was just amazing – it was so lush and green and the scale of agriculture is massive. These people really know what to do with their land. Everyone is really productive and their fruit and vegetables are huge and tasty.
Getting to Polokwane was a real challenge, as there are so many ways of getting there. We then found ourselves on the direction to Zimbabwe. We were definitely lost, no question about it. When we eventually arrived at the venue – M.J. Gateway Lodge – we were very tired and needed to get some rest. And although we were excited about our accommodation, we could only rest after attending the some sessions of the workshop.
Purpose of the Workshop
The main aim of In Service Training was to work with Peace Corps Volunteers and their counterparts in completing and analyzing an initial organization and Community assessment, the completion of which was a task assigned to PCVs as part of their site orientation process.
After having a scrumptious breakfast it was time to get to work. Matseke and Gene outlined the background of US Peace Corps, and also touched on the challenges that the volunteers have had so far in their communities. There were a lot of exercises that were conducted in the workshop to build the relationships between volunteers, the organizations and the community concerned.
Gene then gave us a lecture on Project Management and the type of projects that the volunteer will be involved in. Volunteers worked with their supervisors and counterparts to design a potential project for their communities, focusing on all the steps that are essential to making a project successful. Teams worked on delegating tasks, establishing what materials and equipment would be need and planning for monitoring and evaluation. The Mpilonhle team designed a project to work with orphans in the area served my the mobile units.
After a full two-day workshop we were amazed by the way the volunteers have acquainted themselves with our beautiful country and how much they have given up to come and join South Africa for the next 24 months. It is great to hear them talk in isiZulu and SeSotho and they really enjoy our African food. Mostly they are part of us in alleviating poverty and contributing in our communities.
Way Back
On our way back we went shopping at Savannah Mall and almost got a traffic fine, but those traffic officers were so great that they ended up giving us the easiest directions back to KwaZulu Natal. We were so tired after travelling for almost 13 hours and I got home after 01h00 in the morning. Yet, I would do it again, as there is so much to see and do in the beautiful and friendly Limpopo province. Thank you to the US Peace Corps.
Nandi Zulu
External Relations officer
Mpilonhle – A Good Life