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Students build brighter African future

15 October 2008

The lives of poverty-stricken South African children are being brightened up by Monash student volunteers.

An extensive volunteer program at Monash South Africa (MSA) is improving the lives of thousands of poverty-stricken children and instilling a strong sense of social responsibility among MSA students destined for powerful positions in Africa.

The incongruity between the beaming smiles of the young children at the Phumelelo crèche and their extremely disadvantaged lives is not lost on MSA student volunteer Grant Gilburt.

"The kids are so joyful, you can just feel it, and they're so welcoming and loving, even given their circumstances," Mr Gilburt, 22, said.

For the past two-and-a-half years, MSA student volunteers have been regularly visiting and supporting the children at the Phumelelo crèche, which is located in Muldersdrift, near MSA's campus in Ruimsig.

The crèche is housed in three large, ventilated shipping containers that student volunteers have painted in bright colours in an effort to bring the environment to life for the children.

The students have also started planting a section of grass and installing a sandpit and playground.

The Phumelelo crèche project is part of the extensive volunteer program run by the Monash University South Africa Student Association (MUSASA).

Mr Gilburt, MUSASA's Community Outreach Officer, heads up the program, which involves about 200 MSA students who give up their weekends to help thousands of disadvantaged children.

In addition to the crèche, the volunteer program runs the MSA Saturday Weekend Program in partnership with Hope World Wide. This program brings 170 disadvantaged children from the Zandspruit informal settlement to the MSA campus, where staff and student volunteers tutor them in maths, science, computer skills, life skills, chess and the AFL-South Africa Footy Wild Program.

Mr Gilburt said the ultimate aim of MUSASA's volunteer program was to help disadvantaged children lead happier, more prosperous lives - but the program also shaped MSA students, likely future African leaders, into more socially aware and responsible citizens.

Monash South Africa students will also have the opportunity to be involved in a new partnership between Monash and Oxfam Australia. Two MSA students will be selected as student interns to undertake 12-week internship placements with Oxfam working on human rights and HIV/AIDS issues in the country.

See Monash newsline to find out more about the partnership with Oxfam.