Skip to main content

Focus on the Project (24/06/2017)

Yesterday we hosted eleven year old kids from two local schools. During one of the exercises I observed something interesting. A group of five boys who were friends were given a girl to be their captain as they were supposed to build a tower, using only eight pieces of paper and a string of sellotape. One of the boys told me that the group does not want the girl as their captain so they were not participating. I tried to convince them to participate. They sulked and resentfully distracted her. I watched as she kept on working on the tower while rejected by those who were supposed to be her team mates. When the time was about to end they discouraged her and said 'let us give up we have already lost this competition'. Still she kept on working. I had to intervene when they physically destroyed her structure for the third time and told them to leave her alone as they were deliberately sabotaging her. She kept on working even as you could see hurt on her face. Her energy was not spent on convincing them to like and accept her. Her focus was on the project. Her tower won silver and the group claimed that honor. I knew better and I marveled at her quiet strength as the judges commented on the simplicity of the design. This happen in life. Please be like that eleven year old girl. Focus on the project even when they reject you, not help you and try to sabotage you. Even if you are breaking inside, JUST KEEP GOING and FOCUS ON SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE PROJECT.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Paarl Uprising 1962

Growing up in Mbekweni I got used to being associated with the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC/Poqo) when visiting other townships. This is because Paarl has been viewed as a PAC stronghold since the 1962 Paarl uprising that was led by that organisation. The history of the PAC struggles can not be told without mentioning Paarl 1962. That was when a mass uprising consisting of hundreds of men took place. They marched in the morning of November 22 from Mbekweni and Langabuya to town with the intent of attacking the police station and prison. The Late Minister of Justice in the ANC led government Dullar Omar recalled this event when accepting an award for Human Rights in 2004. Omar who, in 1963, was one of the lawyers who were to defend the men recalled that: “ The PAC was particularly active in Paarl. Suddenly hardly without any notice the so-called Paarl riots (the Poqo uprising) exploded on the South African scene. These poor migrant workers had had enough. They marched through...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Importance of Tolerance (June 2009)

Tolerance is a very important concept. It is based on actually respecting what others hold dear. This is what I have learnt growing up within organizations that valued diversity in all its forms. Strategic mobilization in Mbekweni meant understanding that there are many people who go to church and thus a conscious attempt at all times to bring them into the Mass democratic movement fold and not alienate them. Mass meetings were called in a way that they did not clash with the church programs and notices were in fact sent to the churches notifying people of community programs. There was a clear understanding that the church is an important social structure in the community. I did not belong to any church and did not even believe in God but I always had respect for faith based organizations. Many things could be burned down in Mbekweni but I can’t recall ever hearing of a church being deliberately destroyed. A number of events and occasions could be disrupted but never ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Public Transport -2010 and Beyond (07-2009)

The Soccer confederation cup has come and gone South Africa was not disgraced on the field of play. We were pleasantly surprised by the performance of Bafana Bafana. They held their own against big names in international football. Off the field of play a lot of good things were said about our organization of the event. One of the major shortcomings related to the country’s transportation system. The FIFA President, Sepp Blatter gave us a seven and a half out of ten and transportation was one of the issues he raised as needing attention before the Soccer World Cup in 2010.  I think a major problem with our public transport system is that it is not client centered. This is a diagnosis that is based on my experience with taxis, trains the bus service.  There was once a bus service in Mbekweni as I was growing up but we later got to depend more on trains to move to other areas. I still can recall getting onto trains that were, sometimes, without windows in winter and very late....
Post a Comment
Read more