29 Jan About our MathMoms
Posted at 08:40h
in Mathmoms
From the Soreaso Report (2019):
The positive experience of the MathMoms emanating from their involvement in this programme is clearly reflected in their responses to an annual evaluation of how they experienced their participation. They were asked to reflect on the year that have passed and rate their experience in terms of twelve emotions, indicating the frequency they experienced the respective feelings. From the responses, their overwhelming positive experience is self-evident. In all instances the positive emotions were rated significantly higher than the negative emotions.
Regarding the impact MathMoms as an organization has on their lives, these ladies categorically strongly emphasised the positive influence the programme has had on their personal growth. This growth happened on two levels, i.e. emotional development and the acquisition of new skills. The emotional development of these ladies touched them on various levels. The most important of these is the unique opportunity offered and facilitated by the MathMoms intervention in creating the space for emotional healing. This is a crucial and much needed aspect given the broken social context the majority of these mothers come from and are still having to function within. This lays the foundation for further personal growth.
The other levels of emotional and personal development are:
Building of a positive self-esteem
Enhanced levels of confidence
Enhanced social and interactive skills
Opportunity to build a meaningful life and thus replacing the typical fatalistic view of a life and negative future expectation to a positive future orientation. This is well captured by one respondent interviewed: “Ek weet ek maak nou n verskil” (“I know that I am making a difference now”).
With regards to the development of new skills and knowledge, the skills highlighted by the mothers are primarily those that involve the building of close relationship with their learners. The mothers are very sensitive to, and aware of, the importance of their role in facilitating positive, nurturing relationships with learners. Due to their dysfunctional domestic environment the vast majority of these learners are in dire need of positive and caring relations.
Although mathematics is the vehicle for this intervention, the moms understand that the establishment of meaningful relationships is the driving force and ultimate goal. As noted by one mother, “Maths is the tool to build up the child”.
The cumulative impact of the personal healing and growth evident in the individual MathMom is most pronounced in how they are viewed and experienced in their personal social environment, i.e. their family, since joining this programme. This is probably best confirmed in a comment by one of the children of a MathMom who dreamt of being a doctor; “I (rather) want to be a MathMom. Because since you are there [at MathMoms] you are so much happier.” Another child declared, “She comes home every day she does it [MathMoms], she says she is tired, but she loves what she does.”
