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Pin and Phinn
Apr. 21st, 2009 05:30 pmThis week I've had the privilege of meeting two inspirational people.
The first one is called Alice Searle. Just over ten years ago, Alice was a British VSO volunteer spending a year in Natal at a university in a primarily Zulu township area, heading up a training programme for social workers. She became involved in the struggle with HIV and, though a trusted network of local students, reached deep into the local community. There she became aware of the large number of grandparents (usually grandmothers) left bringing up children orphaned by AIDS. You can read more about the project she helped launch here. It began with a group of local grannies (gogos) making pins - the original aim was to raise money for a kids' Christmas party. When the appeal brought in £500 it became clear that there was potential to do a lot more, and from those beginnings a remarkable movement has been built. Despite her fear of flying, being involved in two gun holdups and an explosion that cost her the sight in one eye, Alice has returned to Natal 27 times. The project is now financed and run by local people, and Alice is heading up a Fair Trade company selling the beautiful jewellry they make. As well as the crafting grandmothers, PIN now has the resources to offer work to the children they began helping years ago, who are now teenagers. Bursaries are available to put the children through college and Alice has also been heavily involved in campaigning to make retroviral drugs available to HIV sufferers (which, tragically, often include the children bourne by mothers who died from the virus shortly after giving birth).
Alice is sensitive to the dangers of postcolonialism and has worked tirelessly to hand the Project over to local people, who have been heavily involved throughout. I met her at a jewellry party hosted by the mother of one of my daughter's schoolfriends, who works as a volunteer with HIV sufferers here in Manchester. It was a wonderful, inspiring evening and it really challenged me to have more courage and faith in the ability of everybody to make a significant difference.
Then, today, I went to a talk by the writer Gervase Phinn at my local children's bookshop. Launched six months ago just as the recession was beginning to bite, nobody expected Razma Reads to last for long after Christmas, but they've worked incredibly hard, launching a child-friendly cafe and numerous activities, and as a result we've an independent bookshop with the emphasis on quality children's titles - a wonderful benefit to the community. I'm not sure how well Gervase is known outside England - he's a James Herriot type writer, and has published a series of warm and funny books about his experiences as a School Inspector in Yorkshire. (Example - he told the story of calling a Catholic school to arrange an OFSTED inspection, to be greeted by the alarming introduction, "You're speaking to the head of St John the Baptist.")
He's the best sort of Christian - warm, witty and totally passionate about introducing children to books. He read from a series of wonderful picture books, and a bit of his own work too. It was a terrific afternoon - do check him out. He renewed my own enthusiasm for my work with children.
Two very different people, both living, breathing examples of the saying, "Be part of the change you wish to see in the world."
The first one is called Alice Searle. Just over ten years ago, Alice was a British VSO volunteer spending a year in Natal at a university in a primarily Zulu township area, heading up a training programme for social workers. She became involved in the struggle with HIV and, though a trusted network of local students, reached deep into the local community. There she became aware of the large number of grandparents (usually grandmothers) left bringing up children orphaned by AIDS. You can read more about the project she helped launch here. It began with a group of local grannies (gogos) making pins - the original aim was to raise money for a kids' Christmas party. When the appeal brought in £500 it became clear that there was potential to do a lot more, and from those beginnings a remarkable movement has been built. Despite her fear of flying, being involved in two gun holdups and an explosion that cost her the sight in one eye, Alice has returned to Natal 27 times. The project is now financed and run by local people, and Alice is heading up a Fair Trade company selling the beautiful jewellry they make. As well as the crafting grandmothers, PIN now has the resources to offer work to the children they began helping years ago, who are now teenagers. Bursaries are available to put the children through college and Alice has also been heavily involved in campaigning to make retroviral drugs available to HIV sufferers (which, tragically, often include the children bourne by mothers who died from the virus shortly after giving birth).
Alice is sensitive to the dangers of postcolonialism and has worked tirelessly to hand the Project over to local people, who have been heavily involved throughout. I met her at a jewellry party hosted by the mother of one of my daughter's schoolfriends, who works as a volunteer with HIV sufferers here in Manchester. It was a wonderful, inspiring evening and it really challenged me to have more courage and faith in the ability of everybody to make a significant difference.
Then, today, I went to a talk by the writer Gervase Phinn at my local children's bookshop. Launched six months ago just as the recession was beginning to bite, nobody expected Razma Reads to last for long after Christmas, but they've worked incredibly hard, launching a child-friendly cafe and numerous activities, and as a result we've an independent bookshop with the emphasis on quality children's titles - a wonderful benefit to the community. I'm not sure how well Gervase is known outside England - he's a James Herriot type writer, and has published a series of warm and funny books about his experiences as a School Inspector in Yorkshire. (Example - he told the story of calling a Catholic school to arrange an OFSTED inspection, to be greeted by the alarming introduction, "You're speaking to the head of St John the Baptist.")
He's the best sort of Christian - warm, witty and totally passionate about introducing children to books. He read from a series of wonderful picture books, and a bit of his own work too. It was a terrific afternoon - do check him out. He renewed my own enthusiasm for my work with children.
Two very different people, both living, breathing examples of the saying, "Be part of the change you wish to see in the world."
