Education

It all begins in the pre-primary school. At right is Doreen Zanyiwe for whom we built a two story creche (day care center) in 2001. Here, some of her students are off to Robben Island where Mandela spent many years in solitary confinement. This creche is entirely self-supporting and takes care of over 80 children.

We started and run the Physical Education and Sports programs for Ukhanyo students and also for older kids in the community after school. Soccer, basketball, netball and volleyball are offered which gives them something to do in the afternoons and at weekends. Players also have the opportunity of representing Masiphumelele in away matches.

Masi kids then go on to the Ukhanyo Primary School for Grades 1 through 7; we built a classroom for the school in 2004. At left a young group of township dancers helps celebrate the school’s recent graduation ceremony. The academic year in South Africa ends in December and many families travel to their ancestral homes in the Eastern Cape for the holidays.

For High School students and adults there are ten computers upstairs in the library. At right, volunteer Ray Steel teaches a beginners’ class. For most of the students, this is the first time they have had access to a computer, the Internet and the world.

At right, young mothers are displaying their certificates after completing the Early Learner’s course which is led by library employee Nosake and volunteer Kiyoko. In this course they learn such skills as parenting their pre-primary children.

During their time at Ukhanyo Primary and also at the Masiphumelele High School, many of the learners come to the library which we built in 2003 and tripled in size in 2005. There are a number of programs, staffed by volunteers from outside the community, to provide tutoring and homework help. At left is a Grade 4 class pictured last week.

Adults can take a course in Email, Internet and MS Office which provides them with skills to help them find jobs. At left is the graduating class of the Basic Course this month.

Other courses offer training in writing a resume, speaking on the telephone, writing and interviewing skills

These library programs are run by Sue Alexander of the Fish Hoek Library and by Millie Firth, Volunteer Coordinator. At left are volunteers at a meeting last week. A major benefit of the library is that it provides a congenial place for students to work and, most importantly, a safe space for volunteers from outside the community to come and assist the people of Masiphumelele.

Nondyebo Linens

Another business we have helped is Nondyebo Arts. We built a house for Nondyebo where she makes hand painted linens with several employees. She sells them in Cape Town and through Jane Philippi, a MasiCorp Director living in Charlestown Mass. Jane imports them into the US and has this year done over $32,000 in Nondyebo business! What began as a way to help a Masi entrepreneur has become almost a full-time job for Jane without whom this success would never have happened.
At right are aprons - a new and fast selling addition to Nondyebo’s product line.

Building

Scholars

We are happy to report that there is a revival at the Sosebenza Youth Center which we built in 2001. It has been dormant for several years as the original group of young people found jobs or moved away from the community. There is now an indigenous garden, a vegetable garden feeding some of the Masi children, and a recycling center has been set up. On the Sosebenza lot (which we bought and gave to Sosebenza in 2001) there is also a Bicycle shop and a women’s sewing group making clothes for sale; both businesses have received micro-finance loans from us.

In 2002 we built a house for Zola Notununu and despite job changes, an entrepreneurial attempt to start his own bus service and periods of unemployment in between, last week Zola finished paying off his interest free loan. Elize Taylor, our Finance Director, took him his title deed and a cake. Zola holds the title deed, his wife holds the cake. They should be smiling; the house is worth at least three times what they paid for it!
Our focus is now the multi unit owner occupied house. We have six applicants and find that we must appeal for a new NHBRC specification for township houses. Also the costs of building materials (especially cement) has risen considerably. This will not be an easy task, but we will prevail!!

The two young women in the picture on the left, Fikiswa (right) and Busisiwe (left) have graduated from Montrose College. Congratulations to both especially to Busisiwe whose baby arrived just before final exams. In accordance with our policy, Busisiwe forfeited her MasiCorp scholarship when she became pregnant but the father, Thembani, (former MasiCorp scholar now working as an accountant) assumed responsibility for her fees. Busisiwe is looking for a job in Human Resources; Fikiswa is going on to do a paralegal course.

Olwethu has finished his second year studying Mechanical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). He has a vacation job with the Cable Car Company on Table Mountain

Busi (left) and Zizipho (right) are cousins. Zizipho is at CPUT studying marketing and has a vacation job at Woolworths.

Lungile has completed his final High School year at False Bay College and is waiting for his Matric results (December 29). He is looking for a job.

Busi is in her final year at Fish Hoek High School and will receive a MasiCorp bursary to Montrose College next year if she passes her Matric exam.

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