Atle Vårvik is the co-founder of the MOT programme. [Picture: Leder Nytt]
In 1994, the concept of the MOT programme was born out of a conversation between an Olympian athlete and an ex-jailbird. Today, the upliftment programme has spread across four continents in the world, empowering youth to become better versions of themselves.
In an interview on Salaamedia, Viola Manuel, MOT Country Director for South Africa, explained how the group’s philosophy was born. She said the programme was all about fostering courage, as ‘MOT’ is the Norwegian word for ‘courage’.
“It was actually started by an Olympian named Atle Vårvik. He had won a gold medal and used some of that enthusiasm and energy and passion to set up MOT,” she said. However, that was not the beginning of the story of MOT.
She said Vårvik was inspired to begin the MOT programme by a conversation he had with someone who spent some time at his home after serving a prison sentence. They spoke about the consequences of decisions and how those brought each of them where they were. As it turned out, the ex-convict also began thinking about what a winning attitude meant.
“The conversation actually inspired him and he’s thinking about wanting to also be an athlete and wanting to be a winner. He started thinking about [the question of] ‘what does winning mean?’”
In 2008, South Africa became the first country outside of Norway to enter into a partnership with MOT. Schools and municipalities have since adopted five MOT programmes to empower youth to realise their potential. The programme promotes three values, as explained by Manuel.
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Courage to care
“When we speak about [the courage to care], what we mean there is how do you actually practice this value that says ‘I care beyond just myself and my immediate family,’” said Manuel.
She explained the first value was all about being able to acknowledge the existence and presence of people beyond your immediate circle. For example, she said, this could be gaining the courage to greet someone you see on the street. This would convey a message of caring.
Courage to live
With a youthful population, South Africa is incubating future leaders every day. These leaders-in-waiting need to be skilled. Even so, many of them do not even realise their potential to become leaders.
She said a part of this value of the MOT programme deals with how “you present yourself as a leader; how do you lead others if you can’t lead yourself.”
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Courage to say no
Manuel said this value was not meant to discourage anyone from taking action. Instead, she said, it was meant to allow learners to become aware of what they allow to influence their lives. She said it was about building a vision and saying no to anything that fails to contribute positively to this ambition.
“If I can give an example: when I say no to go to a party before my final exam, what I’m saying yes to is good grades and a better future,” she explained.
Manuel said the MOT philosophy has been a proven and trusted model, with research to back it up. They’ve also found the MOT programme to be relevant to adults as well as youth.
