School Partnership Project: Bremen Meets Soweto

The name of this project is “Learning to Learn – Changing Perspectives between Bremen and Soweto”, or in short “Bremen meets Soweto”:

Since 2016, our school centre has maintained a school partnership with the Orlando Secondary High School in Soweto, South Africa.

The partnership began with two introductory trips. The purpose was to get to know each other and to develop common subject areas in which we would like to work in the years to come.

In April 2016, a group of pupils and teachers from Soweto came to Bremen for the first time. Following this, in October 2016, a group of students and teachers from Bremen travelled to Soweto. In 2017 and 2018, these trips were followed by longer three-week encounters with larger groups of students. Another delegation from Orlando High visited us in spring 2017, while the trip for a German group took place in May 2018.

So far, students have been able to gain many impressions of both countries; living conditions, culture, and education. In addition, the students from Soweto had the opportunity to accompany Bremen students during their social work internships in kindergartens and retirement homes

The Next Steps

(hier mal schauen, ob das wirklich noch drin bleiben soll)
In the coming years, the partnership should be developed in order to give – in the medium and long term – more students the opportunity to participate in such a cultural exchange.
In addition, we are working together with “Ostkurvensaal”, a supporters’ project connected with Werder Bremen, and with the Orlando Pirates in Soweto. By learning and working together these exchanges provide opportunities for mutual understanding and help reduce resentments and prejudices. The learning centre in Soweto also helps learners to prepare for their exams.

Further Details

This North-South school partnership is about promoting mutual understanding for other ways of life, foreign cultures, and also for global relationships. We want students to be willing to show long-term commitment and to participate in building a transnational network, communicating with non-governmental organisations and raising awareness of social change and social justice. We are convinced that this will have a positive influence on their daily interactions with each other and will enable them to become active participants in their environment, and to reduce prejudices as well.

Of course, there is also a cultural program: Children from Soweto have a chance to visit our historic capital Berlin, which was a wonderful experience for the young students, as was exploring Bremen and experiencing life beyond seminars and school. During our visit to Soweto trips through the townships, Johannesburg, and especially the visit to the Apartheid Museum, were special highlights.

Sponsors and Partners

A school partnership needs a good network, both locally through associations and clubs, parents, local companies and committed individuals as well as on a national scale by major sponsors or projects in education and information.

The school partnership between Bremen-Blumenthal and Soweto is a project co-funded under the ENSA program of the ENGAGEMENT GLOBAL gGmbH with additional funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. ENSA also supports the exchange through various pre- and post-traineeship seminars, as well as through workshops that groups plan and implement during the visits.

Support Needed!

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all supporters of our recent steps towards building a long and – hopefully – fruitful relationship for both schools.

We would be very happy if you could see the benefit in developing such long term partnerships, and would be very grateful for your support

You can find more information about the school partnership on betterplace.org.
You can also choose which areas you might want to donate towards

Please contact Mrs. Birgit Tölle at b.toelle@ewetel.net with any questions, ideas, or for additional information.