“The Arch loved children. He spent a lot of time with them, so we didn’t want to leave them behind.”
These are the sentiments of the Learning for Legacy programme manager, Charlene Houston of The Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation’s growing schools programme, which is fast gaining momentum, and would like community schools to come on board. “We want them to know they have access to this.”
The programme, which started two years ago, aims to get more children to learn about the apartheid, democracy and the values of the late Arch Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
The children also get to visit the Truth to Power: Desmond Tutu and the Churches in the Struggle Against Apartheid exhibition, which celebrates the life and legacy of the Arch, and contextualises his part in the struggle during apartheid.
Ms Houston said the programme takes children from grades 4 to 12 at various schools, and touches on the curriculum and lessons about bullying, critical thinking, analytical thinking and healthy debate.
For the younger children, the team launched a puppet show last year, incorporating the values and skills that speak to the kind of person the Arch was, said Ms Houston.
The puppet shows are based off children’s books written by the Arch.
Ms Houston said while the history of South Africa is part of the school curriculum, teachers don’t always get around to immerse themselves or the children into the full experience.
“We believe that we have a very useful tool for teachers – a resource for them.”
She said the value of exhibitions is that there is context, whereas with a textbook, there are just reading, dates and events that sometimes don’t have the bigger picture.
“Apartheid is such a surreal thing if you haven’t lived through it and we are quite far from it so its very hard to imagine what people were grappling with at the time.”
The programme is funded by the foundation, and children who visit also receive a snack lunch.
“We try to accommodate as much schools as we can, but funding is an ongoing challenge. We encourage people to have a spirit of giving in our society.”
She said the foundation organises transport to and from the school. Ms Houston said to fund a trip for about 60 pupils cost just under R10 000.
“We think its important that our communities come through here. We have a proud history of resistance and standing courageously. People forget this history very easily, and people forget where they come from and we cant afford for this to happen here.”
“We also want to inspire people to see that if we stood up to the mighty apartheid regime,we can stand up to anything if we use our courage. We want people to come through here to celebrate by celebrating their sacrifices or just to learn.”
Manenberg Primary School’s grade 6s visited the foundation on Friday May 31, where they learnt about bullying from education officers running the programme.
They were also read the book Desmond and the Very Mean Word, before visiting the exhibition.
Grade 6 teacher at Manenberrg Primary School Zaida de Jesus said the programme was a good for the children in the sense that it gives context to the work that she teaches.
“The pictures they saw and seeing the names put it into context to them and we don’t have resources for them.”
She said the life lessons, such as anti-bullying, is also important to learn, especially in underprivileged schools like Manenberg Primary School, where inequality is still alive in their community.
“The children are aware of the struggle and they live it every day. It is good that they have a better understanding of it.“
Ms Houston said the programme was growing and evolving to make sure that the children who come through the foundation know their history, which really helps to get a picture of “who we are”.
We hope to imbue them with these roots so they can go into the world as confident beings and hopefully be a voice for injustices in contexts they will find themselves in.“
For more information on the programme, to get involved or to donate to the organisation, visit www.tutu.org.za
