A Mentor Like No Other

From the first moment I touched down in South Africa I kept hearing the name of a woman. “You have to meet her!  If not for Phumla there would be no Chintsa,” people declared.  

Who was this woman? I began to wonder. And how could one person play such an influential role in the lives of one community?

She could not have stood more than five feet tall and walked with a slight hitch in her step. Yet, what she lacked in physical stature she made up for with towering respect.  

In this school where teacher apathy was rampant and resources scarce she was the one figure I saw kids in all grades approach for help. Moments after finally meeting her, I too was a believer. 

In large part to Phumla’s efforts the Amathole District Municipality in East London had collaborated with Chintsa East to provide Waste-to-energy and renewable resources to this small K-8 school.  Compost consisting of vegetable, pig, and human waste was used to provide heat for the school’s stoves.  

Drinking water was reclaimed and used to properly flush toilets that were at one time a sanitation headache.  

Finally, rainwater collected in two man-made basins was used to water the school’s cherished garden.

I had answered the call for service many times but my time watching Phumla was different. I learned the artistry of caring. I admired how she saw people as opportunities rather than problems.  

She also taught me that a life of service was an honorable calling. I had never heard of Chintsa Village or even East London before my journey to South Africa. I would have never known about Phumla’s work had I not taken a chance to visit this part of the world.  

Yet, Phumla is not the only person in the world doing important work in her community. There are many like-minded and courageous people ready to meet you and offer their mentorship. The key is to take that first bold step.  

As a friend once observed, “You’d be surprised what you can get in life if you just ask.”