Friday, September 24, 2010

Siyabonga: Poet Engineer

Siyabonga wakes each morning to the gray light of early dawn seeping through the gaps between the corrugated metal & cardboard which make up the walls of his home.  He rises, dresses in his frayed school uniform and hurries to the open tap in the center of his community.  Siyabonga lives with his mother and younger brother in a squatter camp called Drummond on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa.  He waits his turn to get water from the tap, the central ingredient in his morning tea, his only nourishment before trudging off to school.  

School is an almost 4 mile walk down the side of a busy, paved road.  Siyabonga composes poetry as he walks, committing each line to memory with each step.  A rhythm for his rhymes.  

Siyabonga worries about his upcoming matriculation exams.  He struggles with math and dreams  to go on to University to study engineering.  Without the proper books or instruction, he knows that passing the test will be close to impossible.  

A chaotic and crowded school day passes and a long walk home awaits him.  Siyabonga needs to hurry home to complete his homework and chores before darkness falls, as homework by kerosene light leaves him with headaches. 

 But before he heads home, Siyabonga makes a detour.  

Siyabonga navigates his way through a dusty field and across a swinging bridge over a ravine.  Then he climbs the steps to a small brick building with a satellite dish atop it.  He opens the door to a brightly painted room with computers distributed on desks throughout the room.  He hurries to a work station.  

Siyabonga types in the web address of Infinite Family’s Ezomndeni Net.  He signs in with his password, checks his email and quickly opens his blog page to add this morning’s carefully memorized poem to his blog.  With a few more clicks, he adjusts the webcam, puts on his headset and writes that same poem on the video conferencing room’s whiteboard as he anticipates the arrival of his Infinite Family Video Mentor, Chuck.  Soon, Chuck’s face emerges beside Siyabonga’s on the screen.  They smile and trip over each other’s words with the eagerness of their greetings.  

Chuck has found some practice tests for the matric exam on a website.  He shares his computer screen with Siyabonga so that he can see what the test looks like.  Siyabonga efficiently types the web address into the weblinks dialogue box.  He bookmarks the webpage and saves it in a file with his name on it.  Chuck praises Siyabonga’s poem and helps him polish the spelling of a few words.  They alternate between laughter and furrowed brows as they share the details of their weeks with one another.

Soon, their 30 minutes together comes to a close.  Siyabonga is encouraged on his walk home.  He has hope for the exams because his mentor, a man he has only ever seen on a computer screen, is actively advocating for him.  

Cars speed past this lanky boy headed back to his shack, one of so many boys in so many shacks.  But this boy knows he is different.  This boy knows that a community of caring adults reads his carefully constructed and heartfelt poems.  This boy knows that a man who lives in Pittsburgh, PA has his picture on his mantle and spends time each week working to make Siyabonga’s dreams come true.  Dreams of a future that don’t have him walking home to a shack, but have him entering a University classroom and a whole new world of opportunity.

This boy and so many boys and girls just like Siyabonga are learning the geography of an email field and the limitless possibilities of technology.  They are using the resources of the internet to expand their horizons and support their community.  The growing community of Infinite Family Net Buddies are overcoming these obstacles with the love, insight and opportunity presented to them by the Video Mentors of Infinite Family.  

We ask you to become involved with this groundbreaking intervention in the life of children so often forgotten in our world.  With just a few hours each month, from the comfort of your own home, you can help to open the door to new opportunities for children just like Siyabonga.   

Visit our website and become a Video Mentor or support the work of Infinite Family with your tax deductible contribution.  

Infinite Family, where the gift is you!

Monday, September 13, 2010

New Life for a Net Buddy

Ayanda lived in a crime-ridden apartment building, with no furniture, little food and no parents.  After losing his father and then his mother to HIV/AIDs, he and his younger brothers were moved to Nkosi’s Haven.  Ayanda was shy, awkward, and traumatized by his experience. 

At Nkosi’s Haven, things improved significantly, but he stayed “at the back of his class”, distracted and unmotivated.  That is, until he met Betty and Dave Voigt, who live in a log cabin in Sycamore, PA.  Within six months of their video mentoring relationship, which began in June of 2006, Ayanda was at the head of the class.   By the end of 2007, he was “Head Boy,” the highest title awarded in a class.  He remained “Head Boy” until graduating from High School in 2008. 

Off to university, Ayanda struggled.  His long-time dream of working in IT (information technology) seemed to come to a halt.  But through Infinite Family and our friends at Bombardier Transportaion, who knew Ayanda through the career development program he participated in with them, an interview was arranged.  

Just two weeks after the interview, Ayanda was hired as the first man in their previously female-dominated Learnership program.  

Ayanda’s supervisor at Bombardier reports :

Ayanda is confident, has started helping people on his own now, and is really becoming a part of the Bombardier family. Ayanda really impressed me at our last induction session where he got up and told a group of strangers his life story. He really has achieved so much and I must admit that I am sure he will go really far!

In addition, they have drafted him to play lead on the company’s soccer squad!  

Ayanda reports that that he works hard, has made lots of new friends, takes notes every day on what he is learning, and will be helping to manage the network when one of the IT members leaves at the end of the month.  He calls it his “new life.” 

He also wrote that he will be part of the Bombardier team that is going to build a house in an apartheid era township outside of Johannesburg.  

Ayanda says, “I hope I build a strong house for them so that it can be a home for them, that I didn’t have of my own.  I will make sure it is a strong house.”

With your help, Infinite Family can continue to inspire and guide South Africa’s teens to work toward their futures.  Give today, to support the work that inspires & prepares the South African leaders of tomorrow!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Africa After Work!

AFRICA AFTER WORK AND INFINITE FAMILY ARE JOINING FORCES FOR A HAPPY HOUR EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 14TH!

JOIN US FOR DRINKS AND MEET LIKE MINDED INDIVIDUALS IN A FUN, UPBEAT AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT!

$15 IN ADVANCE OR $20 AT THE DOOR
INCLUDES ONE DRINK: RED OR WHITE WINE, PROSECCO, OR BEER

Additional drinks - cash bar

Infinite Family, a 501c3 charity, is the only mentoring program using weekly video conversations to establish long-term nurturing relationships. These relationships with adults internationally are designed to inspire and motivate teens and pre-teens with very limited resources or support networks in Sub-Saharan Africa, so they build the confidence, skills and global perspective that promote success. www.infinitefamily.org

All for Africa, a 501 (c) 3 organization, takes a collaborative approach to poverty reduction by working with the private sector to foster projects that generate economic and social benefits in the communities in which they are located. Our programs focus on agriculture, clean water, community health, education, energy, environmental impact, micro-financing and skills training/livelihood creation
www.allforafrica.org

Africa After Work is a Business and Social Networking opportunity for professionals, students and entrepreneurs in the New York Metro Region who are interested in Africa and African development.
http://www.allforafrica.org/joinin/africa-after-work/

When:  Tuesday September 14, 6-8pm

Where:  44 1/2
626 10th Avenue
Between 44th and 45th
New York, NY 10036

Fee:  $15 includes a complimentary drink

Click here for online reservations: http://www.infinitefamily.org/event