WORK AT OPERATION HOPE

My two weeks on the job has been primarily job shadowing Tshidi, who is running the BOOF (Banking on our Future) program for Operation Hope in South Africa.  She works with primarily high school teachers and volunteers who use OH's manual to train in financial literacy.  Many volunteers have quit as budgetary issues have eliminated the stipends that they were receiving, which were primarily used to reimburse transportation costs to the schools.  She is working hard to get the teachers to incorporate the program into their classes and to also get funding so she has volunteers again.

I am VERY impressed with the work she has done so far.  We have visited schools in both poor and affluent areas, and the principals and teachers I have met were welcoming and enthusiastic about the program, and it is clear she is well liked.  We have also visited two banks who have volunteer programs that provide instructors for the program as well.  When visiting the volunteer coordinator at Citi Bank, it was easy to imagine the very same conversation in the U. S., except for the accents.

There have also been team meetings that I have listened in on, and a board meeting where I was introduced and offered resources from some of the board members (the Chair of the board is the head of the South African Bankers Association).

A side note here.  It was just announced on the news that the Federal Reserve upped the prime lending rate to 9%.  And, petrol prices are going to be increasing.  Not good news for the economy here.

I will be learning about the content and likely attend a train the trainer session with Tshidi soon, and begin to get ideas about how to adapt the material to adults in rural areas, although that is a huge leap, and I won't know until I do the research when I make field visits next month.  I am most eager to get out into the country!