AN inspirational partnership between a Menston school and a South Afrian high school is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

In 2006, David Geldart, the then director of physical education and sport at St Mary’s, Menston, visited South Africa as part of a British Council and Youth Sport Trust initiative to promote sport in the country’s most deprived areas.

As a direct result of that visit, St Marys and Mnyakanya High School in KwaZulu Natal developed a unique partnership using sport to inspire young people in both countries. The two schools named their collaboration the Bambisanani Partnership - Bambisanani being the Zulu word meaning ‘working hand in hand’. The partnership has since gained international acclaim for its pioneering and inspirational work using the power of sport to promote education, health, global citizenship and enterprise in one of South Africa’s poorest rural regions. Ten years on, the partnership has become a multi award winning charity chaired by David Geldart and led by Mrs Catherine Chattoe at St Marys and Mrs PK Zondi in South Africa.

The visits to and from each country have had a significant impact on those involved. Students from St Mary’s who visit South Africa prepare 18 months in advance. In addition to fund raising and leadership training, students are involved in a learning programme that covers topics such as apartheid, South African history and politics, Zulu culture and traditions, HIV/AIDS awareness and Zulu language. When in South Africa the students (normally lower sixth form) mentor 20 Mnyakanya students through the ‘Bambisanani Leadership’ programme, taught through sports activities. At the end of the programme, the students from both schools have the responsibility of jointly planning and delivering a community Sports Festival and a community Reading Festival for over 150 primary school children from the Nkandla region. Significantly, even the Reading Festival uses sport to great effect. Beyond the leadership mentoring, St. Mary’s students also coach a range of specific sports and teach academic subjects at Mnyakanya, and sports and reading at Ntlowane Primary School and Zulufadder Orphanage.

The annual visits to South Africa have also included primary and secondary colleagues in order to encourage this kind of development in other schools. Business sponsors and supporters have also visited the project.

David Geldart said: “The process of the young people working together using sport for the greater good never fails to remind us of the awesome power of sport. The impact on all those involved is truly inspirational.”

In its tenth anniversary year, the Bambisanani Partnership has ambitious plans to extend its work and influence. In addition to the annual exchanges, the charity is working with the University of Leeds and Leeds Trinity University to develop leadership programmes with its own students in South Africa. At Mnyakanya School the charity is currently working on the instillation of Wi Fi and computers to enhance teaching and learning in this remote rural area. It is also the aim to create a football pitch for the school and wider community on land nearby.

William Vilakazi, Principal of Mnyakanya School, is in no doubt about the importance of the partnership: “The Bambisanani Partnership continues to be an inspiration to our school and community. It is difficult to put into words the impact of the partnership. Some of the impact is physical and very practical; some of the impact is psychological, influencing attitudes, confidence, motivation and aspiration. We all learn from working together and the focus on developing young leaders is changing people’s lives. We are working in an equal partnership where there is mutual respect. There is a saying in Zulu culture: ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’ – meaning, ‘we are what we are because of others’. We are genuinely working hand in hand and I believe that both school communities are enhanced as a result. What this partnership teaches cannot be learned from books.”

The partnerships founder, David Geldart added: "We have learned so much from our first ten years of working together; not least that we can achieve even more in the next ten years.”

For more information about the Bambisanani Partnership also see bambisananipartnership.org