Brett Malila, Programme Manager for the President’s Award in the Eastern Cape, reflects on his experience of doing the Bronze hike with Award participants from St Mary’s Day Care Centre, St Andrew’s College and the Upstart group last weekend.
Brett Malila, Programme Manager for the President’s Award in the Eastern Cape, reflects on his experience of doing the Bronze hike with Award participants from St Mary’s Day Care Centre, St Andrew’s College and the Upstart group last weekend.
Twenty-four young people from Upstart, St Mary’s Day Care Centre and St Andrew’s College participated in a Bronze Hike facilitated by St Andrew’s College Community Engagement and Award Leader Tim Barnard.
There were thus young people from at least three different schools and very different backgrounds, with a range of home languages.
The pre-hike planning went very well, with all the young people attending and being made aware of the ground rules, expectations and the route for the hike, which would take them out to Table Farm, via Slaaikraal.
Hiking itself was but a single component of the journey, as the youngsters assisted with the map reading and on arrival at the campsite set up camp and cooked their own food.
For some of them this was the first time they had put up a tent, cooked two-minute noodles and walked with such heavy packs.
The evening was spent interacting with each other and apart from dancing and singing around the fire, the group discussed citizenship, positive leadership and the history of the area.
It was amazing to see how these young people interacted: St Andrew’s (three pupils) and St Mary’s (six pupils) were in the minority, but found their rhythm and the 24 youths danced and sang as one, even though the language used was not always their own.
Stuart Hobson, one of the three St Andrew’s boys had this to say: “I live a very sheltered and secluded life from the cultures, languages and ways of life even in my own back yard … [but the experience of dancing the night away with traditional songs]showed me how to really enjoy a night’s fun with only your voice and legs in use.”
The walk back was very taxing – it started off very cold and misty and each hill led to another, but again watching these young people help each other, and literally share their burdens, evoked in me a deeper respect for our youth and I am a more positive South African for this experience.
I see that there is a bright future for our country, if these young people are anything to go by.
Ncwadi Nqatyiswa, from Upstart, reflected after the hike, “We must interact with others even though they are from different races”, while Xabisa Mgudlandlu said, “It gave me some time to think about my future and also SA’s future.”
‘Thank you, Sir’ was the response from many of the hikers when I said goodbye.
But as I limp around the office this week, I feel that it is I who should be grateful to them for showing me the way and brightening up my future.
