The Launch of the Learning Leaders

 On Monday there were about forty learners at school. On Tuesday there were at least fifteen. By Wednesday when we drove up to the gate there were only two boys there to open it.
 Jabu and I were well psyched up to begin the 'Learning Leaders' course. Jabu had even surprised me by wearing her blue Bambisanani t-shirt. We bit our lips and decided to wait until 9am before starting.
 At 8.20am, another boy walked in. I was ready to give him a warm welcome just for being another Mnyakanya learner, but then I looked closer - yes - it was Sabelo! Sabelo was part of my 'Cricket Crew' in my first visit and we had become good friends. He even sent me a letter over to the UK when a group of Mnyakanya learners visited St. Mary's last July. I was ecstatic to see him and told him so.
 Sabelo soon produced a football from the depths of the admin block and he and Sanele went off. I was left with the other boy, Alex, and we got chatting. He seemed fascinated with England and told me how much he wants to visit. I promised him any help I can give but also tried to break it to him that the UK is not perfect. I don't think he really believed me. 'I think that you are perfect,' he said, completely serious. I could only laugh.
 Alex also let it drop that his uncle was in China at the moment.
 'Oh wow, what's he doing there?' I asked.
 'He's the president. Jacob Zuma.' (Jacob Zuma's house is within sight of the school.)
 I had planned some ice-breakers but in the end the ice broke easily. The four of us killed time kicking the football around ('Play softly,' said Sanele, 'there is a lady present.') and before long three girls turned up - Nokwanda, Andile and Ignatia. I was vastly relieved. We had three boys and three girls, from different grades. That would do. We had our Learning Leaders team.
 In the classroom I began by explaining the why, what and how of the Learning Leaders course. I told them plainly I needed full commitment and it will mean extra work, both during the strike and afterwards. Then I took the sign-up sheet and went to each one, solemnly asking: 'Do you want to be a Learning Leader?' All of them put their names down. The ceremony of the thing felt very satisfying.
 After a short break, we got back to work. They divided into three pairs and came up with answers to the question 'What makes a good team?'. Then we put all the answers together to make our Team Agreement. One of Sabelo's answers went straight to the point: 'Be brilliant.'
 Next, I wanted to assess their current level of study-skills. First I led a self-assessment. They copied the template from the board of a simple eight-line star graph. On each line, marked 'one' to 'five', I asked them to rate various qualities: memory, concentration, confidence, etc. All of them copied it down beautifully but unfortunately only two of them grasped the idea of marking a cross on each line to show what they thought.

 Finally there were three demon memory tests. First came a list of ten random objects, including Nelson Mandela and a goat. The second test was just a long number of about eight digits. Then the third test was another list of ten numbers (I provoked general hilarity by trying to say these in Zulu).
 I collected in their results and promised them that within a week they would be able to do all three of these tests perfectly and would maybe even enjoy them too.
 Class was dismissed after a group photo of the new Bambisanani Partnership Learning Leaders team. They all promised to come on Thursday at 8am sharp. Considering the strike, the first day of the course had gone as well as could possibly have been hoped and I felt a great buzz of potential from my team. As I walked back to the car with Jabu I learnt to say a new Zulu phrase: Ngi jabulile - 'I am happy.'

My original Learning Leaders: (from l. to r.) Sanele, Sabelo, Jabu, Andile, Alex, Ignatia, Me, Nokwanda.