Update on South Africa GDIs and the Village Cup
Letter from Team Leader, Sarah Whitney, in South Africa:
The GDIs have been working especially hard over the past week, and we have seen great results. They are continuing their monitoring and evaluation of past ThinkImpact initiatives. The groups from Utah, Dixie, and Makrepeni have been evaluating the Samson Primary School and Shiviti Primary School libraries, the Utah Microfinance Initiative, the Mundzuku Scholarship Program, the Manyangana High School soccer field, and the Utah Community Center. Interns have been working closely with translators and community partners to find the value and impact of each project that ThinkImpact has played a part in over the past few years. This work is incredibly valuable to the organization and a excellent experience for those who hope to pursue international development and non-profit work in the future.
This week has also been filled with a lot of fun surrounding soccer and the World Cup. While South Africa and the USA are out of the tournament, the interns are still enjoying this exciting time for the country and the communities. On Wednesday, everyone traveled to Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit to watch Australia take on Serbia. On Saturday and Sunday, the interns put their leadership skills into practice as we partnered with FUNDaFIELD, a group of 8 American high school students, to host the 3rd Annual Village Cup. This year’s soccer tournament included twenty teams from around the region, and thanks to the interns hard work, hundreds of community members were able to enjoy the weekend’s fun. We were also lucky enough to have a visit at the tournament by Sidney Frankel, founder and CEO of the Buffelshoek Trust, and Deputy Chief of Mission Helen La Lime of the U.S. Embassy in South Africa. This weekend also saw a visit from Saul Garlick, executive director of ThinkImpact, who was able to get to know the interns and share his experiences with them.
It has been a busy week here in South Africa, and I am sure the weeks ahead will be filled with just as much fun, excitement, and hard work. We can’t wait to update you again soon.
