Teaching Boys to Fish by Jessie Frederick

The belief that if you “give a man to fish, you feed him for today. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime” is frequently used to demonstrate the importance of education and how it can alter an individual’s future. The necessity of learning and the struggle to find the most successful path has been a constant part of the Call of South Africa’s course, our class discussions, and the lives of children everywhere. While schooling is mandatory for children in the United States and usually easily accessible, the same cannot be said for many of the marginalized citizens of South Africa and many other children around the world. In these circumstances we often see the rise of untraditional teachers, those who may not work in classrooms or follow traditional teaching methods or lesson plans.

 One example of an untraditional teacher is Casey Prince. Casey is the founder of the Ubuntu soccer program and spoke with the class on one of our first days in South Africa. Ubuntu means interconnectedness in Zulu and represents the idea that if one individual is helped, we all grow stronger, but if one is harmed, we are all hurt. Casey uses the program to strengthen not only soccer skills, but also values and education in the hope of developing strong young men into future community leaders. He is not only “untraditional” in the sense that he is an American missionary living in the coloured area called Ocean View, but also in his teaching methods.

I was fortunate to visit Ubuntu for my work immersion experience, and because of this I was able to witness the lessons. Casey uses a series of drills, a short discussion, and a daily word to impart a lesson at each soccer clinic and makes learning active and stimulating. The boys come for the games, but leave with pride and knowledge.

 Casey along with a few other local soccer enthusiasts work with boys in Ocean View so that they may have the drive to stay in school and the ability and desire to lead and teach the rest of their community. Casey, like many untraditional teachers, has a big impact on their students, but an even bigger impact on the community and its future