I started with the Shine centre about 2 years ago and have been working with Glodi Itowa since then. When I began he was halfway through Grade 3 and is now in Grade 5.. the time has flown past. I wish that I had huge miracle stories to pass on about how he has progressed but working with Glodi has been slow and has required much persistence and patience. This is not due to a lack of ability but because Glodi came to Obs from the Congo and has had to learn English literally from scratch (never mind Afrikaans and Xhosa).
In a learning environment, Glodi can often be extremely quiet and shy (Carrie has started working with him recently and can attest to this!). Of course, on the soccer field at break time he is another person altogether! It took me a long time to break through his shyness and to get him to actually give anything back to me in the form of conversation or information about his life...or even to get a smile from him. I have sometimes felt tremendously discouraged and have wondered whether my time with him was actually making any difference at all. However, towards the end of last year things changed and Glodi is now much more enthusiastic and chatty and so much more confident. His reading ability, while still way below a Grade 5 level, has improved to the point where he feels more empowered and his vocabulary and general grasp of English is just good enough now to enable him to engage in conversations with me (as long as the topic is interesting to him!). My absolute best is when I say something that he thinks is funny and I am rewarded with his infectious chuckle and winning smile..then I really know that he is understanding me and is connecting with me. Glodi loves to read and adores stories and he now very proudly reads on his own. I always offer him the choice of reading with me or alone and he always chooses alone...I admire his guts and am very proud of him.
In terms of work standard, Glodi has a long way to go and I worry about how he is coping in Grade 5 where the topics covered are often complex, even for English speaking children. My older daughter is in Grade 5 so I am in touch with what is expected of the children at this stage. When Glodi's teacher asks me to cover things like EMS work with him and I try to explain concepts like taxation, resources etc with him I do wonder how much is getting through but I am comforted by the knowledge that he is getting a better understanding of these things than if he was just left to sink or swim on his own.
There are still days when I wonder if I am really helping but I also know that the one-on-one attention that children in the Shine Centre get is so vital in an environment where the teachers are often not able to give each indidual the attention that they really need. I have recently taken on 2 more learners, both in Grade 3 and am looking forward working with them both through the year.
I am really enjoying all the recent changes that have been made in the centre and feel so much more supported this year so a huge thanks you to all those who have worked so hard to expand the project and who are always there to guide us volunteers.
The Shine Centre gives me the opportunity to feel that I am doing something (albeit small) to give something back and I am hugely grateful for the chance to do that.
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