Tag Archives: staff

by | December 26, 2012 · 1:50 am

PPI-NI Top 3 Moments for Fellow Chris Schumerth

This week’s blog post comes from International Fellow Chris Schumerth, who has been a part of the PeacePlayers International – Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) team since August of this year. Here, he shares three PeacePlayers highlights from 2012.

Several participants taking part in PPI-NI's Jingle Ball Tournament.

Several participants taking part in PPI-NI’s Jingle Ball Tournament.

1. Coaching at Jingle Ball. Of the nearly 200 children who showed up to the event, I was entrusted with twelve primary school boys that made up our team called The Jazz. The boys came from different schools around Belfast, and several of us were getting to know each other for the first time. We spent the day together, playing five basketball games and participating in various community relations activities.

My group was full of energy, which came in handy on the court. We won our first three games, then tied our fourth. We thought for sure that a win in our fifth game would earn a trip to the finals. But we gave up a lead in the final minute and lost! We were a little bummed out, but to our relief the finals match-ups were announced, and we had earned a spot anyway. We cruised in the championship, winning easily.

2. A fall residential conversation with staff members and program participants. In all our programming, we are always seeking ways to integrate sport with conversations about our experiences with prejudice, sectarianism, stereotypes, conflict, etc. Those things can be difficult for adults to talk about, let alone kids. But on this particular day, in an activity that ended a weekend we spent with about a dozen teenagers, they totally met us there, speaking openly and honestly about very difficult topics. The activity asked everyone how comfortable he or she was with certain groups of people: the police, Protestants, Catholics, homosexuals, Chinese people, etc. Not surprisingly, the activity led to a lively follow-up of stories, and several kids were quite vulnerable. Some of the views expressed were a bit uncomfortable, so we talked through that. I can’t speak for anyone else, but after the activity ended, I felt closer to everyone who had participated and I’m quite certain it was memorable for all the kids involved.

From top to bottom, PPI-NI staff at a recent Christmas dinner gathering: Gareth Harper, Chris Schumerth, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Darryl Petticrew, Tony McGaharan.

From top to bottom, PPI-NI staff at a recent Christmas dinner gathering: Gareth Harper, Chris Schumerth, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Darryl Petticrew, Tony McGaharan.

3. Working with the PPI-NI staff. When you spend a lot of time with people, you get to know them. Their strengths, their quirks, their passions, and their differences. I have learned that Joanne Fitzpatrick develops long-term, positive relationships with the schools we work with. That Darryl Petticrew is brilliant with kids. That Tony McGaharan possesses an endless energy. That Megan Lynch is one of the most organized people I know, and the office is better off for it. That Gareth Harper is incredibly clever at raising the funds it takes to sustain a charity in Belfast.

As a team, we certainly have our own diversities of skillset, religion, political conviction, and life experience, but the obvious commonalties that we share are commitments to kids, basketball, and peace-building. We all want a better future for Northern Ireland, so we continue to learn how to leverage our differences in ways that make the team better.

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by | January 19, 2010 · 5:42 am

Getting to Know Program Manager Menzi Zungu

Menzi at an Assegai Primary Practice

Menzi Zungu is one of PeacePlayers International’s longest tenured employees.  In fact, he and Ryan Douwie were two of the first coaches that Sean Tuohey recruited in 2002.  After meeting Sean and joining him to create PPI-SA, Menzi has not looked back.  His role within the organization has consistently grown, from coach to his current position as Umlazi Program Manager.  Menzi truly is vital to the success of PPI-SA.  I asked him a few questions to get his take on the program.

How long have you been with PPI?  How did you get involved?

In 2002, a friend in Umlazi told me about the program, and since that day my life changed for the better.  I already loved basketball and, after meeting Sean, I was excited that it could become my job.

Before you worked for PPI, how often did you play basketball?  What other sports did you play?

I love playing sports and trying new things.  Growing up, I played rugby, soccer, cricket, even karate and dancing, but I fell in love with basketball during the 1992 Olympics with the Dream Team.

What do you do for PPI in your current role?

I started as a coach, and now I’m the Umlazi Program Manager.  As the Program Manager, I oversee eight primary schools and the LDP team in Umlazi.  In my role, I meet with principals, coaches, players, and school reps to make sure the program runs well.  I also coordinate games for the teams and coach the LPD team.

Menzi with Sosha Phiri and Lael O'Shaughnessy

How has working for PPI changed you as a person?

I used to be just an ordinary guy, but now people look at me as a leader and a mentor.  PPI is huge in Umlazi, and I get a lot of respect because of my job.  It is a great opportunity to get involved in the community.

How has PPI changed the communities that it operates in?

For a lot of the kids, it helps them do better in school.  PPI runs through the schools so the kids have to go to school to be a part of the program.  Staying in school will give them a lot more opportunities.  Many of the kids also get the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to other communities in Durban to play matches.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  Where do you see PPI in 10 years?

I want to have my own company and I want PPI throughout Africa!

Tell us something interesting about Menzi Zungu that you want the world to know.

I like meeting new people, sharing jokes, foods of any kind, and seeing the impact that we make in these kids’ lives.  I also want to set the world record for making the world’s biggest Magwinya.

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by | November 24, 2009 · 7:29 am

PPI – SA is thankful for…

PPI - SA thanked their staff for its excellent work at an awards ceremony this November. Here, PPI-SA Ops Manager Ryan Douwie (left) and PPI Fellow Tim Roche (right), receive awards from PPI - SA's Managing Director, Sbo Vilakazi (center).

With the upcoming (in the U.S. at least) Thanksgiving holiday on my mind, I took a moment to think back about all PPI – SA has to be thankful for this year.  Without the support of our generous donors, PPI – SA would not be able to construct basketball courts, teach life skills, or run our Primary School Program (PSP) and Leadership Development Program (LDP).  We would like to thank the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Engen, Sasol, Spring Lights Gas, 3M, Mercedes Benz, the RedCap Foundation, and the many individuals who contribute to the program.

To make the daily operations of the PSP and LDP programs run effectively, PPI – SA would like to thank the schools, principals, and superintendants of all its partners.  The schools and their employees not only help PPI – SA from an administrative stand point, but also act as second coaches and help organize tournaments, clinics, and inter-area games.

Equally important in the operations of the PSP and LDP are PPI – SA’s coaches.  Despite not having the funds to pay coaches for the past semester, many chose to continue working with the schools and their kids because they love PPI – SA’s program and mission.  Without our coaches, PPI – SA would not be sustainable.

Among the many things PPI - SA has to be thankful for is its new offices, remodeled pro bono by the Durban University of Technology's Interior Design Programme.

I would like to thank the PPI – SA Program Managers, Area Managers, and the Life Skills team for their tireless work this past year and for making me immediately feel like part of the team.  The PPI – SA office staff works double duties handling administrative tasks and basketball operations.  Area Managers set the tone for PPI in each community, maintaining relationships with community leaders and the image and brand that PPI – SA has created over the years.  I would like to single out two PPI-SA staff members, S’bo Vilakazi and Ryan Douwie, our Managing Director and Operations Manager, respectively, because they are generally the ones giving thanks and not nearly thanked enough for their work.  Both have been, and will be, instrumental in keeping PPI – SA sustainable with local leaders.

Finally, all of PPI – SA would like to thank the staff in Washington, DC.  We are aware of your hard work raising funds for our program, your awareness for the individuality of our program, and your continuously help finding new partners and programs to expand our reach.  We all are looking forward to another successful year in 2010!

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by | October 27, 2009 · 7:13 am

PPI – SA Lifeskills: How Trust Can Give Hope

This week’s entry comes from guest blogger Laura Sibanda. Laura is a PPI Fellow originally from Zimbabwe, and is a Program Director for the South Africa Life Skills team. Here, she explains PPI – SA’s approach to Life Skills and how that differs from some other organizations’.
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Magic Hat: A Life Skills trust-building game

At some point in life, we find that we have a deep desire to share something about ourselves with – not just anyone – but someone we can trust to keep our secrets or help us when we need it. It is not often that we look to our teachers or parents for help because they tend to be unapproachable and can be judgmental. Instead, we look to our peers for comfort and advice. While “life skills” programs are implemented in schools throughout South Africa, these programs can be run by teachers who are quick to judge or threaten with repercussions for any choices that have been made. There can be little time spent trying to understand the reasons behind a decision or what has led to help-seeking behavior.

What PPI – SA seeks to do is to create a safe space in which one can learn and freely interact with both information and peers. Playing on a team is an additional advantage because bonds of trust are formed not just between the coach and players but among teammates.

In this age of HIV/AIDS, it becomes essential to build such relationships and allow for in-depth understanding of how behavior can threaten the future. Statistics have shown that young people in South Africa between the ages of 15 and 25 have a 50% greater chance of contracting HIV before their 25th birthday than young people growing up elsewhere in the world. The time has come to take off the gloves and begin the process of trying to understand what puts our youth at risk and what can be done to make information clear. Even better, we can determine what can be done to promote a culture of self preservation for the future.

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On court meetings with Life Skills instructors are a regular occurance

In response to these challenges, the PPI-SA Life Skills Program has evolved into a multi-focal program that has a strong focus on HIV prevention, coupled with a focus on the age groups that exhibit the highest incidence rates.

What differentiates our program from others is that our coaches have now established strong relationships with the participants they work with. They present information through open discussion outside confined classrooms, which encourages participation and interaction, in some instances even on the basketball court. Bonds of trust are formed between coaches and participants which allows us to reach our participants where other programs do not.

It is these bonds of trust that allow disclosure of any kind to happen within safe spaces created by the coaches. The resilience that is shown by our participants is proof that a relationship built on trust is one that can last a lifetime and give hope and faith in a bright future. This can only be a testament to the dedication and commitment that all PPI-SA staff have to the program and the faith our participants have in us.

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