Jul 6, 2009
Shane looks beyond the horizon.
by Irma Titus
Sixteen year old Shane Barnes returned from a three-month voyage through the waters of experience to hit the ground running – straight into the exam room..
Barnes and nine other youths made the Western Cape proud when they hit the high seas in April to spend ten weeks of their school year learning aboard the floating classroom that is Canada’s SV Concordia.
The students had found themselves a part of Class Afloat, a Canadian learning project that takes students from all walks of life on a voyage of cultural explorations.
This time around, the students, all between the ages of 15 and 18, watched over by their team leaders, traveled from Cape Town to Bermuda via Namibia, St Helena, Brazil and Trinidad. The South African contingent was brought together by the Cape Windjammers Education Trust (CWET), a youth development organization that offers sail-training voyages for the purpose of youth development.
The group returned Wednesday 17 June, when they were welcomed by friends and families at Cape Town International Airport. “It was a life-changing experience; I feel inexplicably different,” says Barnes. Between catching up with family and friends, this Grade 11 learner of Christel House South Africa (CHSA) is also diligently writing his exams. The exams started just a week after the aspiring doctor returned.
“I’m happy to be back home,” Barnes says. “The long time away from home made me feel how much I really love my parents and sisters. I know now I will do anything for them.”Although Barnes dreams of becoming a surgeon, his experience on the Class Afloat programme has given him a definite interest in sailing.
Recalling Bafana-Bafana’s 1-0 loss to Brazil on Thursday, he says that among the highlights of the programme for him was the visit to Brazil.
“There is a lot I want to do, and I still need to think hard about it. I also want to play professional soccer – play for the national team and take Bafana to new horizons. “I love Brazil and I love soccer.” On Sunday 28 June, the youths met up at the CWET offices in Woodstock. Here they delivered feedback to Cape Windjammers about their experiences. Barnes now gears up to do the same on Thursday – in front of the whole school.
