Thursday, August 6, 2015
People are the most important asset any NPO
Over the past 2 and half years, I have been focusing on my PhD in education economics. Taking on this task was largely inspired by the reality that we can "help 100" but not help millions. Getting out our youngest beneficiary out of the poor excuse of a school that she was originally attending was a great victory; positioning her in a former model C school happened after 5 applications later at different schools and a final plea for help from a headmistress! Wealthier schools just don't want "poorer" children because they are "weaker" and have "family background problems". Our youngest beneficiary however has proved them all wrong. But in many ways, I also felt a sense of great sadness in this victory because at the previous school she attended remains the rest of her classmates, and overall another 999 students or so. She was the likely one to get out of there.
Without being as actively engaged in the NPO beyond an administrative level for a little while, a person that I greatly admire has poured herself into making the lives of one family so much better. She has for all intensive purposes taken on the role of mother and mentor to two of our girls, dropping them at school everyday, fetching them from school, taking them to extra lessons and pouring into them all her professional experience in education. She aims to provide the best for these girls. I am extremely grateful for Dr. Caroline Goodier. She was actually my first "boss" at UKZN and is a brilliant, passionate woman for whom I am extremely grateful. There are many other friends that worked under Caroline at the Writing Centre at UKZN. Many of them are making a difference in South Africa and I wonder if Caroline was the key person who rubbed off on us all.
I realise more than ever that a great NPO is only great because of the people that serve faithfully (and for no reward). Thank you Caroline.
Gabrielle
Without being as actively engaged in the NPO beyond an administrative level for a little while, a person that I greatly admire has poured herself into making the lives of one family so much better. She has for all intensive purposes taken on the role of mother and mentor to two of our girls, dropping them at school everyday, fetching them from school, taking them to extra lessons and pouring into them all her professional experience in education. She aims to provide the best for these girls. I am extremely grateful for Dr. Caroline Goodier. She was actually my first "boss" at UKZN and is a brilliant, passionate woman for whom I am extremely grateful. There are many other friends that worked under Caroline at the Writing Centre at UKZN. Many of them are making a difference in South Africa and I wonder if Caroline was the key person who rubbed off on us all.
I realise more than ever that a great NPO is only great because of the people that serve faithfully (and for no reward). Thank you Caroline.
Gabrielle
