Shared Cultures and Classrooms: August Volunteering 2025

August wrapped up our 2025 volunteer activities for this year. Project Zulu has had a busy year with the bi-annual choir tour to the UK, student volunteering and various professional development workshops in South Africa. 

July saw the arrival of our teaching students in Newcastle and Dundee, South Africa. Spending a month in local partner schools and staying with local families; students immersed themselves in school life, time with their host families and local South African culture. Adapting quickly to new curriculum, different age groups, class sizes and school routines, the teaching students navigated cultural and language barriers to involve themselves in all aspects of school life. Teaching across the curriculum in grades 4-7, students implemented different classroom management skills and teaching strategies to engage learners in exciting and interactive ways using creativity to work with limited resources. Along with leaving their mark in the classroom, many students left their mark on the classrooms, putting artistic skills to use to create inspiring and practical murals on school walls and doors, many of which visualise the ongoing partnership between PZ schools and UWE, South African and British cultures and have multiple uses as teaching tools.

Alongside the teaching students, a multidisciplinary team including learning disabilities nursing and occupational therapy students spent 4 weeks at YWCA Special School, working with learners and staff to share knowledge, practical skills and assist in bringing a fresh sensory-restoration to the school climbing frame and equipment which will enable learners to play, learn and explore the world around them. School educators valued training provided by the SEN team which this year focused on seizure management within the classroom, introducing a simple protocol and use of a timer, to assist in assessing the severity of the seizure and follow-up actions required. In addition, classroom resources and training were refreshed for assisting with reading, writing and dyslexia support along with a refresh of sensory / fidget toys for assisting with sustained focus in the presence of ADHD. In the midst of all this, teams of business and film students arrived, along with a second interdisciplinary team including students studying child nursing and policing, focusing on safeguarding awareness. The business team spent their two weeks bringing to life business and entrepreneurship skills with classes of Grade 10 learners. Blending the theoretical and practical, the PZ business team led learners in conceiving, implementing and running their own start-up businesses, equipping them with the technical skills and knowledge necessary to run a business. Learners who participated in the entrepreneurship project in previous years also gathered together and have formed an ‘Entrepreneurship Club’ with the aim to continuing building their skills outside the Grade 10 project and support each other as they start small local businesses and begin to think about life after school and matric (final Grade 12 exams). 

The film team spent time with a number of PZ partner schools this year, capturing life at Sipheni Senior Primary for a new school video and footage for new SEN and safeguarding project videos. Moving between schools and around Madedeni, they explored schools, health clinics and even the local police station when following the Safeguarding team. The Safeguarding team continued work started in previous years and focused on raising awareness of safeguarding issues, providing support as to how to implement safeguarding practises and furthered relationship with local stakeholders who are all vitally important in the protection of children in the local community. 
The annual, and highly anticipated, Madadeni Project Zulu School rugby tournament, was held again this year with Sithobelumthetho Primary School winning the U10 trophy, whilst Jobstown Primary School took home the U12 trophy. Learners, educators and PZ teachers joined in for a fun morning of rugby and friendly competition hosted by The Bears, a local rugby club, who additionally ran coaching clinic in all partner schools.

Each year staff from UWE provide professional development workshops for partners schools and other schools in the local area. Staff this year expanded the work of previous Behaviour Management workshops to additional partner schools in Madadeni and to those in Dundee. Interactive, whole-staff workshops looked at classroom management, practical methods to engage learners and how to create an environment in their school which exemplifies their values and beliefs. Schools who participated in these workshops previously had the opportunity to reconnect with UWE staff and review implementation of the principles in their schools over the past year. District-wide Cognitive Load Theory workshops were led by UWE staff for educators from around the Newcastle and Madadeni area. Educators spent time considering how the brain’s working memory capacity affects learning and the implications for educators and learners practically in the classroom. 

Each year, PZ students spend time fundraising before they depart for South Africa. This year a grand total of £5928.20 was raised for partner schools. Students, in partnership with principals, were able to buy new reading books, science kits, school equipment amongst other much needed items for each schools.