Partners for Possibility (PfP), the flagship programme delivered by Symphonia for South Africa (SSA), hosted a teaser of its popular Execs Back to School event on 3 June 2021.
Proudly sponsored by investment holding company Sphere Holdings, Execs Back to School has facilitated an important cross-sectoral approach to addressing the challenges in South Africa’s education system since 2018. Business leaders are given the opportunity to engage with their counterparts to gain important insights into the challenges that are faced by principals in South Africa’s under-resourced schools. The event is also a novel way for participants to learn more about the internationally acclaimed PfP programme and its recently launched #TheFutureWeWant sustainability campaign.
SSA’s Sustainability Lead, and lead organiser for Execs Back to School 2021, Tambu Muzenda, said: ‘’This teaser of the Execs Back to School event has succeeded in creating an awareness around the challenges principals face, while highlighting the importance of collaborating across sectors to solve the pressing challenge of education. It spotlighted the need for socially conscious leadership in both the corporate and education sectors. We hope these experiences will continue to spark much-needed conversations on the role business plays in supporting education. Now, we are challenging many more socially conscious business leaders to take a ‘walk with’ our principals by leaning into their lived experiences and participating in our main event in September. It will be an unmissable experience.’’
The online debrief session allowed participants to share their observations and learnings on leadership as they reflected on their school visits.
SAPREF refinery’s Human Resources Manager, Mpume Mbambo, together with the company’s Managing Director, Victor Bester, visited Qondokuhle Primary school in Umlazi, Durban.
Mbambo said: ‘’It was refreshing to see how the school leadership worked together with staff towards the betterment of the school. Even more refreshing was the fact that, of almost all the challenges that the principal presented, she had a solution to mitigate each challenge. This shows leadership and initiative. It shows a leader who is not waiting for external interventions, but is making things happen with the little that she has.’’
Bongani Mvelase, SAPREF’s Production Unit Manager, touched on the similarities between the challenges in education and business. ‘’We (corporate leaders) always think that we lead in a unique space, with unique challenges. Having visited an under-resourced school, I can tell you that the problems across the sectors are not very different. We have isolated ourselves, and neglected the problems in our communities. It is the lack of sharing and collaboration that deprives us of the many possibilities to achieve more.”
Alan Chetty, Refinery Reliability Manager for SAPREF, also shared what he discovered about leadership after his Execs Back to School experience.
‘’I realise that leadership is not always about presenting solutions, but rather about opening up important dialogue with others. Learning opportunities often come from allowing ‘mistakes’ to happen in a controlled space. There is no need to ‘force’ a solution.’’
In her vote of thanks, PfP Programme Director, Komala Pillay, said: ‘’There is no doubt that education is critical to the future of our country. There are so many people who want to make a difference, and so much money being channelled into education. But we know that this challenge cannot be solved by one or two people. We need to empower local leaders to solve the problems within their communities. That’s what Partners for Possibility, and the programme that complements it, Execs Back to School, is trying to achieve.’’
Be part of a cohort of business executives who have found Execs Back to School an enriching experience. Register now to take part in September: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Execs2021
Your contribution: Each participant is asked to make a financial contribution of R4,000 or more, which will make this event possible while also raising of funds for future Partners for Possibility partnerships
Visit www.PfP4SA.org for more information
