One year ago, I said a bittersweet farewell to Amava Oluntu after having worked there for four years. And now, a year later, I have been invited to write a blog post about the experience. There are so many stories and things I would like to write about – what to choose? I could write about the challenges of an emerging NGO, the hurdles of dealing with complex community structures and post-apartheid systems, the lessons learnt from strategies we have adopted. But I have realized that I am very good at writing about other things, other people… but what about my own story? At Amava Oluntu, storytelling is central. So, let me try and express one of my most significant changes from my experience at Amava, and share some reflections and questions that still stick with me.
Working at Amava Oluntu had a huge impact on me – it empowered me holistically. I became more sensitive towards community dynamics I was not aware of before. I had the privilege of being part of diverse spaces of experiences, stories and wisdom that welcomed my differences, strengths and weaknesses. Spaces that enabled honest communication, built trust and allowed the difficult conversations that are so often ignored. I so enjoyed learning from the people around me, learning a bit of isiXhosa (although badly!), trying to understand the ancestry of this land and participating in deep and meaningful ceremonies run by Tumi. I have felt welcome and nurtured from within. I feel invited to speak up when I needed to whereas before, my “critical whiteness” perspective and my preference to be in the background may have gotten in the way. I also learned to be more process-oriented and less output-focussed, to move at the speed of trust and allow things to emerge organically.
Cooking together at Chrislyn’s community kitchen “Harmony’s Angels” in Vrygrond.
Amava Oluntu is like a school of life where we all try to figure things out together! Each person has so much wisdom/knowledge/life experience to share and as a collective we can draw on this to bring about the change we want to see. Helping each other to access this knowledge and other resources is part of our contribution to creating more equitable livelihoods. Creating hospital spaces for these connections and networks enabled the work that I did, especially with youth. A lot of young people don’t believe in their skills and talents, and surely not in a brighter future. It’s crucial to link them with people of other backgrounds, to open up new pathways and expose them to all kinds of jobs.
To do so, we need more role models to help youth believe in themselves. As a youth trainer by profession, I initially facilitated workshops and then gradually stopped facilitating as I finally realized how important it is for these youth to relate to their mentor/coach/trainer more deeply, in a way they potentially couldn’t with me. It came as no surprise that there is always a certain mistrust you have to break through, especially as a foreigner. Some of my most rewarding experiences have been when we have found ways to build trust together that transcend our differences. Through these experiences we felt most connected, something I still feel today.
Just two weeks before the pandemic hit us: we were just starting up the project Vukuzenzele that focused on how we can get up and actively shape more sustainable futures.
Coming from different cultural and historical backgrounds has not always been easy. Sometimes I would have liked to be more alike, other times I felt discriminated or took things too personally. We all bring different baggage and assumptions to the table. However, experiencing these tensions and inhabiting my discomfort and vulnerabilities has taught me more than any degree or schooling. It is in these spaces where we can overcome the barriers that still divide us, where we are challenged to leave our ego behind and where we are moving closer to each other. Amava Oluntu has allowed me and many other people experience these transformational moments. How can we create more of these opportunities to deepen connections and see discomfort as a chance to heal?
It was a real privilege to work alongside a wonderful board and leadership team. They taught me more about collective decision-making, moving at the speed of trust, pushing back against funders and creating a caring environment that fosters honesty and equality. How do you, as the head of an organisation, deal with money and other power structures in this diverse context? It is one of the most complex issues to navigate. Who gets paid how much, for what and based on what conditions? Partnering with donors who each bring their own expectations and requirements makes it even more complicated. It seems easier to try to avoid money and focus on volunteering. But then, how do you promote volunteering and make it appealing in a world where everyone is busy surviving? The Muiz Kitchen is a beautiful example of how it can work, although it’s hard work for those steering the ship and requires an exceptional team making sacrifices with resilience, resourcefulness and community sensitivity. I hope that more people may recognize the huge contribution of these rockstars and that un-restricted donations will become more of a norm.
There were many milestones that I loved being part of, such as the collective effort of fighting the consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown, the implementation of the Learning Seeds Network and the launch of the networking events at The Commons. What made the daily work most exciting though were the team check-ins. It was a safe space that allowed us to breathe, slow down and share our struggles and joys. One of the biggest highlights were the mindfulness sessions with Patrick who taught us to stay present and calm.
I thank all the people that I met on this journey who made it such a rich and blessed time!
During a workshop at GUFI in the project Community Changemakers 2030.
