Shiriki means to participate in Swahili and that is what the programme is all about – it aims to pair British and Barberton volunteers so that they can share skills, ideas and experiences and act as cross-cultural role models in their placements.

Following the successful pilot project by Tenteleni last year, the Shiriki Programme saw the light this year. In essence it is a partnership between Tenteleni and the Umjindi Resource Centre (URC). It recruits and trains the in-country volunteers to work as cross country volunteers.

Ania Urbaniak, project coordinator for Tenteleni brought five volunteers with her from Great Britain – Nihad Gomez-Ćepić, Becky Stout, Laura Hulley, Anisah Shaffi and Alex Fletcher. They have teamed up with three South African volunteers that were recruited by Ananda Godfrey, manager at URC – Tamzen Marsh, Glenda Smith and Nokuthula Mathebula.

According to Urbaniak the volunteers received one week of training to prepare them for working as assistant educators in cross-cultural teams. They work at Fairview, Khanyisa en Dixie primary schools. Besides helping out at the schools in the mornings the volunteers assist children at URC with homework and school projects in the afternoon as part of the Shiriki programme.

“It is Tenteleni’s intention for this programme to be mutually beneficial and equal for both partners,” she said. Besides being involved with the school children some volunteers go to the St John’s Care Centre one a week and others to the Thandanani Home Based Care Centre and Ekuphileni drop in centre in Emjindini to organise some extra curricular activities for the children and young people there.

Tenteleni is an entirely volunteer-run charity founded in 1998 that supports United Kingdom university students to travel to placements in Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, Swaziland and Zanzibar. Volunteers engage in cultural exchange and skill sharing in formal and non-formal settings, including schools, communities and children’s homes supporting education and youth issues.

Tenteleni aims to form and maintain relationships with people and organisations to ensure a sustainable positive impact. Urbaniak said that was the main reason why they took a new partner (URC) on board in Barberton besides the department of education. When the UK volunteers return the South African volunteers will be able to carry on with the work.

For more information on Tenteleni and Shiriki contact Urbaniak on 082-062-6718 or Godfrey at URC on 013-712-6552. You can also visit the Tenteleni website www.tenteleni.org.uk or email them on This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . 

Some of the volunteers in front of Belhaven house are (front) Anisah Shaffi, Nihad Gomez-ćepić, Busisiwe Mbele (LoveLife), (back) Becky Stout, Surprise Mahlobo, Ania Urbaniak, Glenda Smith, Laura Hulley and Nokuthula Mathebula