Building A Culture Of Support, Reflection And Respect
October 4, 2022
Welcoming The New CEO – Setungoane (Stu) Letsatsi
November 4, 2022
The Light That Shines When Things End – a Poem by Iain S Thomas
I hope that in the future they invent a small golden light that follows you everywhere and when something is about to end, it shines brightly so you know it's about to end.
And if you're never going to see someone again, it'll shine brightly and both of you can be polite and say, "It was nice to have you in my life while I did, good luck with everything that happens after now."
And maybe if you're never going to eat at the same restaurant again, it'll shine and you can order everything off the menu you've never tried. Maybe, if someone's about to buy your car, the light will shine and you can take it for one last spin. Maybe, if you're with a group of friends who'll never be together again, all your lights will shine at the same time and you'll know, and then you can hold each other and whisper, "This was so good. Oh my God, this was so good."
Reflecting over the past few weeks on the past eight years of my life which has run parallel to my time at Edufundi has been a really beautiful experience for me. I had a major personal loss with the death of my brother at the end of 2015, in my first year of leading the organisation. What I lost in one sibling, I have gained in a larger family at the organisation. Edufundi truly is a family of colleagues.
It is a unique configuration of exceptional humans that have come together at this moment, on this planet, in this beautiful country with the common goal of making a profound impact on our education system.
To say that it has been a privilege to work alongside my team over the past few years wouldn’t be expressing enough of the satisfaction I feel at the end of this chapter in my career. My heart is full and bursting with gratitude for this time. Together we have co-created a really magical and unique organisation doing exceptional work.
I am so proud of the journey we have travelled and the transformation we have accomplished together to change Edufundi in to what it is today.
At the heart of what Edufundi does is to provide SUPPORT. All of us need support in our own way and at no time has this been truer than in the last two years of the pandemic. I think every human has come to realise the fragility of life and the importance of connections and making sure that support systems are in place so that we can all be the best version of ourselves.
Our team provides support to a group of exceptionally hard working school leaders and teachers who work relentlessly in one of the noblest professions, under very challenging circumstances to change the trajectory for some of the most vulnerable members of our society and the future of our country-our children.
There are so many exceptional people that I have been very blessed to have met along the way. Each of them have played a massive role in providing us with their expertise and their passion for improving learning outcomes for our children. I have written personal notes to my team, my board of directors and to our generous donors to thank them for the role they have played.
I know that I am leaving the organisation in very capable, kind and committed hands and I know that Edufundi will continue to grow, transform and make an incredible impact on our education system under Stu’s leadership. It has been a pleasure working alongside her over the last few weeks and I wish her and the team all the best with the new part of this journey.
With deepest gratitude. Yours in education.
Taryn Casey
