On Sunday I joined my singing group Tutti, for our annual Christmas event. I have mentioned Tutti many times before in this blog, but for those that missed it the Tutti choir is a mixed-abilities choir that operates from the charmingly quirky and colourful premises of Tutti Arts, based on the MINDA campus.
I have been singing with Tutti for a few years now, and it is without question one of the best and most rewarding parts of my life. To stand alongside the able and those with physical and mental challenges, and together produce music that makes people smile, laugh and cry, is, quite simply, an endlessly amazing experience.
For this event we sang a variety of styles, including carols, folk, jazz and gospel, and, in true Tutti style, the South African National Anthem (Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika), as a tribute to the late Nelson Mandela. If you can believe it, we sang in Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, and Afrikaans. Not bad with only two days’ notice to learn it! It was a moving experience, for us and, judging by the applause, the audience as well.
President Obama said shortly after Mandela’s passing - “He achieved more than could be expected of any man. Today he has gone home…he no longer belongs to us; he belongs to the ages."
Whether or not you believed in his politics, or his stance on violence for change, there is no question that his courage and conviction forced change in his country. He proved that one man can make a difference. We may not all be Nelson Mandela’s, or Ghandi’s, or the countless other leaders, male and female, who defied the limitations of race, colour and creed to achieve great things, but we can all in our own ways stand up for what we believe in.
When I visited South Africa in 2001, it was to attend a lavish wedding in ‘polite society’, far from the poverty experienced by the mass populace. When I mentioned that I planned to visit Soweto, the ‘notorious’ slum, they struggled to hide their shock. It was so far removed from their safe and cozy existence that it really did seem like another world, and my mentioning it made me a threat. But I was determined, and, as Mark will confirm, I seldom back down when committed to something.
The next day, not only was I the only woman on the bus, I was the only person on the bus period! My driver gave me a fascinating tour of the streets and shared his favourite café. I shared lunch with an in spiring man whose father had been shot alongside Steve Biko, trained as a doctor in Cambridge in the UK and now had a practice in Soweto.
As it turned out, my visit to that dangerous place was the highlight of my trip, and forever changed my view of the country and, of course, Nelson Mandela’s fight to change it. I suppose I am a bit of a risk taker, but I also know that the risk I took that day influenced the way I think, and has in some way led me to where I am now, helping kids to achieve their best thousands of kilometres from the place I was born and brought up.
As Helen Keller said - “Life is either a daring adventure of nothing at all.” We don’t all need to climb Everest, hike to the poles (well done though Prince Harry) or save our countries from oppression, but we can take up smaller challenges. I love working with the kids in our centres, watching as their initial nervousness and lack of confidence gives way to a new energy as they gain knowledge and realise that they can actually do it. To them, catching up and gaining new knowledge is every bit as challenging as Mandela’s struggles, and I love being a part of their triumph.
I want to take this opportunity to wish all of our students and their families all the joy of the season and we both look forward to welcoming you back in the new year for more challenges!