Afri Twin was formed in 2001 to encourage mutually beneficial relationships between schools in the United Kingdom and South Africa. It has since grown from strength to strength and now has over 250 participating schools. Through regular contact, shared projects, reciprocal exchanges of teachers and learners, conferences and workshops, both individuals and schools are substantially enriched.

Afri Twin was the brainchild of Jayne Martin who, at the time, was a South African living in the UK. She felt that bringing together teachers and learners from the two countries could be enormously beneficial. Deeply committed to the project, Jayne continually explores fresh new ways of sharing ideas and experiences and planning joint events.

“Sale Grammar School became a member of Afri Twin several years ago, and thanks to the energy commitment, and genuine desire of its founder Jayne Martin, to establish meaningful global partnerships our international links have flourished. New learning opportunities have been brought to students and staff in developing links with South African schools, and these have been important in gaining us the International Schools Award.  Afri Twin brings our education communities together in forging strong and powerful relationships.” Dave Wilson, Headteacher, Sale Grammer School, Manchester

Afri Twin offers a unique opportunity for schools to promote inter-active learning, global citizenship and life skills.

Through our programme both learners and teachers can:

• Learn about other cultures
• Forge new friendships
• Gain a new perspective on life
• Create an international network

Afri Twin is recognised as an excellent initiative for:

• Sharing knowledge, cultures and experiences
• Encouraging racial tolerance and good citizenship
• Developing communication skills

How it’s done

 - Afri Twin indentifies and selects schools which are most suited in terms of size and age range.

 - A British school is ‘twinned’ with two South African schools, one a more resourced school and another which is located in the townships or a remote rural area. Alternatively two British schools can link with two different SA schools and a cluster therefore develops.

 - Afri Twin provides hands-on guidance from the outset, helping schools to get started and assisting them in every way possible.

 - Afri Twin supports the building of relationships with ‘twinned’ schools, acting as a facilitator to ensure that all participants get the most from the process and the exchange visits.

 - From simple beginnings, making ‘pen friends’ through e-mail contact and social networking sites, learners and teachers move on to joint studies of educational topics. Other opportunities, involving the exchange of teaching ideas and experiences, follow.

 - Where possible, Afri Twin develops ‘twinned’ groups into larger ‘clusters’ of schools across a broad spectrum, thereby creating greater enrichment opportunity.

 - Exchange visits are arranged so that teachers and learners alike can see at first hand what it is like in a culturally different school and community.

BENEFITS

Participating schools have all experienced the many and varied benefits of the Afri Twin initiative, which include:

• A clearer understanding of other cultures
• Development of good citizenship skills
• Building of international bridges
• Forging of friendships
• Improved communication skills
• Two-way knowledge transfer
• Opportunities to learn alternative skills and values
• Racial tolerance
• Pride, self-esteem and personal growth for all participants