2018 has been an exceptional ride with ups and downs, goods and bads and a whole lot in-between. SA seems to move from one crisis to another and there has been quite a lot of gloomy news. But we continue regardless, reading all the motivational quotes, we try to be inspired by great leaders and we choose the con-tent rather than the discon-tent when we get up in the morning.
Early this year I was a bit peeved that I didn’t have the freedom to up and off and try life on another continent. We’re rooted here in the mountains where our grandmother decided to make her life. But, ultimately when we stop being silly and fickle, we know that it is where we are meant to be. We are rooted by our purpose and will remain committed to it for as long as we can.
So our purpose extends from the hotel and its immediate functions, it extends to the mountainside to conserving and preserving it but it is also about leaving the world a little bit better than when we came into it. In RSA that means trying to find a way to help and grow our community. We’ve chosen education and we have chosen early childhood development because we believe this will make the biggest impact.
In memory of our little nephew Fergus, we began the Khanyisela Project in 2006 and we have run our Royal Drakensberg School for more than 10 years and this year we have decided to try and unite these organisations so that they work off each other and uplift one another. We are working on developing a continuum for growth from birth to the age of 10 and we want our reach to be significant.
We remain committed to doing things properly. We know that we cannot be idle. We have an idea but it isn’t a completely clear path. But, this doesn’t worry us because we know that as we begin to travel, the route will become clear. This attitude stems from following our fathers, Peter & Ant, bundu-bashing through the veld, with absolutely no idea where we were heading, but always arriving at the destination. And, the destination was always just a little bit more special than if we’d taken the well-worn track.
Our project scope begins with BabyBoost, developed by Dr Marysia Nash, working with young mothers and caregivers, it then includes the pre-schools and the teachers in the Khanyisela Project and here we need to focus on improving teaching through mentorship at Royal Drakensberg Primary. We’re committed to helping children grow those important neurological pathways so that they are ready to learn in Grade 1. Royal Drakensberg’s mission is to teach children to read so that they can read to learn. It’s essentially a step-up. A step into a brighter future.
So I suppose if you’re brexiting or being trumped or just trying to make your way in RSA, we all have a challenge. Key to enjoying the ride is finding your purpose in the chaos!
And, it is about leaving the comfort zone and being a little bit bold. We experienced this when we decided to do a clip to promote the school. After sharing the video, a friend came back with a chirp: a little lipstick would go a long way… Oh dear! Sometimes we just have to get on with the job, fag the lipstick and dig deep. We’re hanging onto being significant and authentic in 2019!
Here’s to a Happy New Year!