“Act as if what you do makes a difference…. It does.” –William James
My name is Nqobile Natasha Mabobole. I am from a small town in the Eastern Cape called
Queenstown. My academic journey after I had completed matric in 2015 was brought to a halt in 2018. Before I took this gap year, I was compelled to make a decision about what meaningful thing I would be doing for others and myself as well. Whilst trying to figure out what my next step would be, I had to make a difference somewhere in the meantime. That is when I found out about the non-profit organisation, South African and Environment Project (SAEP). I loved what the organisation stood for and it just resonated with me.
After the interview I went through, I was introduced to most of the team at SAEP. Mam’Vee and Claire, who were part of the Hope Scholars Programme orientated me about what that branch of the organisation entails. Without a doubt, their enthusiasm and passion for what they do rubbed off on me.
Whilst tutoring at SAEP, I felt much fulfilment. I gained a lot of insight on how to thrive in the ‘not so best of conditions’. What I took out of it, was that one needs to utilise the resources one has to the utmost. Preparing and executing the lessons kept my mind alive and challenged my capacities at times. What made it even more fulfilling was that the learners appreciated the efforts we put in by doing their part in mastering the content taught.
Fast-forward to today, I am currently doing my second year in Bachelor of Education in Intermediate Phase, which I partly attribute to my time spent at SAEP Hope Scholars. I love what I do and I know it goes a long way, even though there may not be any immediate results thereof. I enjoyed how our tutoring lessons were more than ‘chalk and talk’, the team brought them to life and whenever we had the chance to make the lesson practical we did so.
SAEP gave me the exposure I needed as a student teacher to help me understand the complexity of each learner and what they are able to bring to the whole classroom experience. My entire experience with Hope Scholars was the nudge I needed towards the direction I am currently on.
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