I welcome everyone to the inaugural newsletter for the Alvira foundation. This is my (Luca’s) first time writing one of these letters, and so I hope to have as much fun writing them as you do reading them.

I was once lucky enough to have participated in a reality-style tv show a few years back and the most enjoyable part was probably the fact that I finally got to see what happens behind the scenes. What is scripted, what is fake; what happened vs what was edited to be seen. Incredibly, despite the show trying to be as transparent as possible, there was still a polished and scripted appearance to the episode when it aired.

With the Alvira foundation, I too have the great privilege of seeing what happens behind the scenes in building a company, an NPO, a family. There is so much more than you might expect: planning, discussing, brainstorming, emailing and my favourite – questioning. It is important that behind every move, every action you know the “why” behind it – or at least be able to articulate your best version of it. Questioning, for myself, and the rest of the board of directors is the chisel that we use to refine all that we create.

It is my desire, that for this monthly newsletter, I get to share with everyone what happens behind the scenes in such a way so that everyone is part of the process, that you may too know the why behind how we move, that you too may offer your questions and your voice to us. So, unlike a reality show, what we present is the same as who we are.

I will begin every letter with some updates, significant milestones or frustrating challenges that we face. After which maybe share something I found interesting – video, thought or song.

This first newsletter will probably be a bit longer in length seeing as it is the first one, so I appreciate the time you take reading it.

Alvira updates

General

In one of our final meetings last year, we decided that to move into the new year, into this year, we needed to start creating structure. First within the board of directors and second, within the key members in the foundation who are assisting closely. I plan on creating a comprehensive organogram by next month’s letter in which we explain the roles in more detail but, in summary, we decided on some of the following responsibilities:

• Angela (President): Angela was single handedly responsible for finding the right people to connect to the foundation. Without her eye for people, we would be much further back in this process. Angela is probably one of the best managers and networkers I have come across; because of this, she naturally will take on the responsibility of expanding our network of people and ensuring we always put our people above all else.
• Elena (Vice-President); Elena has the incredible capacity to be present with people, to see their beauty and to cultivate freedom – skills inherent to her and sharpened over her many years teaching and mentoring. Thus, she will assist Angela in making sure that everyone in the foundation is seen and cared for as a family. From her wealth of experience and connections in the Arenales schools her primary role will be to the school – in particular, forming the business team.
• Tyra (Secretary): Tyra, the brainchild of the foundation, what started as ideas on a paper has become a team of people, from various walks of life and background. Her primary responsibilities are for the mentoring program and the philosophy team within the school. Her fierce desire for true human education will give her the resilience necessary to see these projects flourish.
• Luca (CEO): My responsibilities as CEO, are currently to ensure that our vision is ever-present in anything we do, to connect with people in the foundation and provide a space that we are heard, respected and loved. From a more operational perspective, I am in charge of the Alvira Institute, Alvira Studios and the marketing team (when we eventually get one).

Each one of us also holds support functions whereby we assist each other’s primary responsibilities. The idea is, for now, to have at least two of us involved in a project at any given time. I would like to mention three people in particular for the time, assistance and creativity they have offered the foundation in the past few months:

• Jason Gaskell – Jason, with his actuarial background and experience in finance is head of finance and has been handling all the necessary admin to set up our official NGO bank account. At which point we will have a place for future donations to go into! Yay!
• Robyn Smutts Erasmus – Robyn began with us by assisting Anthony in the brand and proposal design. Towards the end of the year, her desire to assist and her superhuman work ethic has put her into the role of consolidating and writing up all the content for the Umazisi projects. She will then move into assisting Tyra with more admin duties (you can’t believe the amount of admin work required!)
• Anthony Catano – Anthony was responsible for creating the “brand” of Alvira, the colours and the image that is on our proposals, and now, the Umazisi website! Yes, as of last week, the website is live! Thanks Anthony and Elena for reaching the milestone! 

https://umazisi.org.za/ 

On the 6th of February, we had our first event of 2021 – an online games night. What a success, to the events team – Daniella de Freitas, Daniela and Claudia da Silva, we thank and congratulate you on pulling it off. To the winner – Brian, Jinsi, I hope you enjoyed those UberEats vouchers!

Lastly- our first bureaucratic milestone has been reached! We are officially a registered NPC! Thank you Shelly and Tyra for all your work in assisting with the MOI – a tedious yet important process.

Umazisi Project

Last year we had set a meeting with Jeppe Girls and Greenside high to discuss in person what we could do with the schools – they both saw the proposals and were interested. However, the chaos of the end year + covid kicked in and both meetings fell through. With the schools reopening late this year we have decided to delay the project to June/July whereby we can meet with schools with more peace – this also buys us more time in building the Umazisi team.

The main priorities are:

• Getting a school to commit to the project
• Finding and training mentors
• Creating consolidated content for mentors and students

Alvira Institute 

For those who may not know, an important project for the foundation is to create an academic research institute. The purpose of which is to network with thought leaders in education both local and international, as well as to establish a body of knowledge which guides the foundation in its educational philosophy. In this, the research institute took its first step in establishing its ethos, the kind of questions it seeks to ask and what function it serves the foundation and all South Africans. As a first avenue, the most natural topic to research is Thomas Alvira’s philosophies. We want to assess its truth and validity from an anthropological perspective and the perspective of the modern South African context.

We are currently in contact with two professors (specialising in the field of economics and education), Dr JJ Clavel from Spain, and Dr Volker Schoer from Wits. The two researchers are assessing the potential of collaborative research amongst themselves and then with the Alvira Institute. The most important aspect right now is that the two professors and the Alvira institute believe in the value of working together.

Alvira Schools

Towards the end of last year, all the board of directors and some consultants met with two facilitators of a school ground that is currently vacant and looking to find potential tenants. The 

purpose of the meeting was to assess their expectations and for us to communicate our intentions and ask them for logistical information on the school.

Subsequent to this, Tyra and Elena have been corresponding with them and are carefully doing their due diligence in assessing the viability in obtaining the grounds for the Alvira school. There is a lot of work, a lot of investigation, and a lot of discussion around this topic. Despite the fortuitous timing and amazing opportunity, we are firm in not rushing any decision and in doing homework where necessary.

Our current focus for the schools is to begin the process of creating two teams:

• Philosophy team – responsible for constructing the ethos, vision and structure of the school in all its teachers, staff, parents and students.
• Logistics team – responsible for creating a business model of how the school will run and how the grounds will be used for business opportunities.

Thought for the month

I have, for the past year now, been drawn in more and more by the biology, philosophy and physics of life. With a lack of time I have resorted to reading the odd non technical book here and there, however, my primary source of information at this point is watching Youtube videos. There is one in particular that just astounds me everytime I watch it. It is a video detailing the biological machines that exist in our cells, at the level of our DNA, which perform mechanical functions like, splicing, joining and transportation (via actual walking, like little proteins with legs, no jokes).

The video titled “Molecular Machines ” is just an astounding realisation, not only of the intricacies of life, of the process going on millions of times a day in every single cell, but of the ability of the observant and questionaning human mind capable of understanding it all with so much precision.

Have a look at it, and if you feel compelled to, let me know what you think.

I hope your month of March is filled with life and I look forward to next month where I get to write to everyone once more.

Kindest regards, 

Luca Pontiggia 

CEO of the Alvira Foundation