Volunteer: Earthchild Project extra mural clubs

Dear friends of the Earthchild Project

We’d like to invite you to our upcoming Volunteer Workshop.  The focus will be in line with our
Term 3 theme – the environment.  We have a fascinating and inspiring guest speaker, Robyn Smith, coming to shed more light on why we should go organic.  Together with her husband, Robyn started the online organic store called Faithful-2-Nature.  Her talk is highly informative and shows us how everything is connected and how literally, “what we put in, is what we get out”.

In addition, we will also be running a short facilitation skills workshop where you will learn lots of new games and songs to use with the earthchildren.

You’ll also get to meet our new volunteer coordinator, Linci Abrahams :-)

Date: 23rd September 2010
Time: 2:00 – 4:30pm
Venue: KarmaShala Yoga Studio – 117 Hatfield Street, Gardens
Refreshments will be served
The workshop is open to volunteers, old and new, and is free of charge

Please RSVP as soon as possible and feel free to contact us should you have any questions.

We also have some exciting volunteer opportunities coming up…

YOUNG WOMEN’S CLUB

Xoli, in collaboration with Hannah Loewenthal (movetomakespace) will be exploring a 5Rhythms dance -based group for young women, with a vision to create a safe space for these adolescents where they can find new pathways to empowerment and to achieve their goals.

The group will begin with 12 adolescent women ages 12-16years from Sakumlandela Primary and other surrounding schools in Khayelitsha, meeting once a month on a Sunday.  The first session is on Sunday19th September 2010.

We need volunteers to help achieve our mission, so if you feel inspired about the project and would like to get involved please find below a list of how you can help!

·        Preparing Lunch: This will require shopping for lunch ingredients and helping to prepare it (money, utensils and space will be provided)

·        Fundraising: If raising funds is your passion and you have contacts that we can send the proposal to, this might be a great offer for you.

·        Resources: This will require sourcing materials for our arts &crafts sessions

·        Sourcing Mentors: We need to source 12 amazing elder woman to mentor our young ladies

·        Planning excursions: This will involve sourcing exciting outings around Cape Town and helping to organize them.

·        Helping to source guest speakers or running an activity

·        Media: This could involve writing press releases, connecting us with your contacts or even coming to take photographs of some of our sessions

Contact Xoli @ 0731446475 or xoli@earthchildproject.org for more info

Frequently Asked Questions

General:
1. How do I join the newsletter?
- go to http://www.learnxhosa.com and click on red/blue flashing button.

About CDs:

2. What level am I at and what is covered on what Cds. Which one is right for me?
- See detailed CD/Course content here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2009/12/audio-cd-content.html. Level 1 is designed for absolute beginners who know nothing. However, many people who did know those basics found it extremely useful to recover it and get a feel for the way in which our style of Xhosa teaching is structured. Recovering the content will increase your knowledge and your confidence.

3. What are the prices of the various CDs?
- See http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2008/07/xhosa-cd-orders.html

About Courses:

4. When are the next course dates?
- See http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Courses

5. Which course should I do? What level am I at?
- See detailed CD/Course content here: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/2009/12/audio-cd-content.html. Level 1 is designed for absolute beginners who know nothing. However, many people who did know those basics found it extremely useful to recover it and get a feel for the way in which our style of Xhosa teaching is structured. Recovering the content will increase your knowledge and your confidence.

6. Am i going to be able to speak fluent Xhosa after the course?
- You will know how to confidently approach Xhosa people, greet, introduce yourself, be polite and respectful, communicate clearly your Xhosa speaking ability, ask for help, ask and answer some polite questions in various conversational contexts and finally to escape a conversation. What you put in is what you get out. Each CD gives you more and more conversational ability, but becoming fluent in a language depends on how much effort you put in to learning and how much time you spend practicing with mother tongue speakers. It is a journey. We know how to get you started and how to support you along the way.

7. How do I book?
- Decide which course you want to do and email us at: info@learnxhosa.co.za. Send us your cellphone number as well. We will then send you booking info based on availability.

About Village Experiences:

8. When is the next one?
- See: http://ubuntu-bridge.blogspot.com/search/label/Village%20Experience
Or join the newsletter here: go to http://www.learnxhosa.com and click on red/blue flashing button.

How much will you learn?

9. How effective will I find your CDs?
- You will find the CDs and manuals very effective. They are great leaning tools for the car or for learning on the go. See below.

10. How will your CDs help me in learning this language?
- What's great about the CDs is that they have a unique way of introducing the underlying grammar and structure of Xhosa sentences in a way that is practical, simple and immediately usable and practical in conversational contexts. The Cds teach and explain in clear English, with silent spaces for the listener to practice and repeat what they hear. Throughout the Cd, the English is spoken, a pause follows for the listener to attempt the answer, thereafter the Xhosa is pronounced clearly, followed by another pause for the listener to repeat the Xhosa out loud. It helps you to develop a feel for the rythym, tempo and pronunciation of the language. The manuals are clear, user-friendly and well structured.

"THE CDS WERE GREAT! They really help to get the sound, the rhythm and tempo of the language right" - Gene Falk, Exececutive Director, Mothers2mothers HIV Counselling -

"There is an obvious attention to detail shown in the development and structuring of the CD and notes. An excellent learning tool." - Beryl-Lyn Cocks, Operation Manger for the Cape Region of Valuation Alliance -

11. After the course, will a person be able to speak Xhosa?
- You will be speaking Xhosa during and after the first lesson. From there you keep learning.

12. And how long will it take me to speak the language fluently?
- Fluency is different depending on your effort to learn and your commitment to time spent just listening and practicing the language with people. You will get immediate results of great value within a couple of weeks (or even days), but fluency over a number of contexts and courses can take from a couple of months to a year to a couple of years, again depending on your efforts and circumstances. You will need dedication and patience. We give you the best (clear, humourous, multiplatform, mobile) materials to make it as easy for you as possible.