A glimpse of life at Emyezweni - Wandiswa & Wandile:

“Twins Wandile and Wandiswa were Emyezweni's first Afrikaans speaking children. They lived with their Xhosa speaking Grandmother, Mamma Jane, in the nearby Afrikaans community of Chris Nissen.” “Life had been tough for Mamma Jane – she had no job and had lost both her daughter and husband in the last 10 years, which meant she has to care for the twins on her own. She desperately wanted the twins to learn English and to improve their Xhosa, so she was delighted when an offer of sponsorship from a member of a local church enabled Wandile and Wandiswa to join Emyezweni School.” “The teaching staff were keen for the pre-school to become cross-cultural, reflecting the spirit of the new South Africa, but the practicalities of communication and cultural differences were worrying – particularly as there’s a tradition of hostility between the communities of Lwandle and Chris Nissen.” “So far, though, everything appears to be fine. The children are coping well with learning in three languages and exploring new cultures. We are fortunate that three of our full-time staff speak Afrikaans fluently and the children converse happily in Xhosa with their peers.” Wandile is a quiet but energetic boy who watches new activities and experiences from a distance and will only participate when he’s ready. We’ve had to work hard to establish the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, but he’s now secure in them. He’s a loving child and enjoys sitting down with an adult making Lego models or exploring the workings of a watch or an old electrical appliance – in fact he relishes taking things apart to see how they work ... and he’s generally quite good at putting them back together afterwards!” Wandiswa is a gentle and friendly girl and she has settled easily into school life, making friends with children and staff alike. She’s different from her brother in that she’s always the first to try a new task or activity. She’ll do anything to work with an adult, and her favourite activity is playing in the home corner with the dolls and kitchen toys. She’s a star helper when it’s time to tidy activities away and she loves to organise the other children during snack time. She recently announced that she’s going to be a teacher, and we can definitely see her doing this in years to come.”

Success Stories

© Ukuthasa 2017 | Charity Registration Number: 1055539

Emyezweni Influence

Ukuthasa supports Emyezweni School that not only supports the education of the children of Lwandle, but also has a positive influence in the community.

How you can help

If you would like to make a difference in the lives of the people we support, contact us. No matter how small the amount, every donation makes a positive impact.

Other projects

Handmade Jewellery Ukuthasa supports small business projects with start-up funding to help men and women develop skills which can be used to create a source of income.

More success stories

Story from a Mentor Peer Educator Ukuthasa Peer Education Programme provided a Life-skills programme aimed to enable young people to make wise choices about education, future goals and careers, community involvement and upliftment as well as life decisions around sexuality and sexual choices. Athenkosi Emyezweni School provides vital foundation stage Education to young people in disadvantaged communities.

A glimpse of life at

Emyezweni - Wandiswa

& Wandile:

“Twins Wandile and Wandiswa were Emyezweni's first Afrikaans speaking children. They lived with their Xhosa speaking Grandmother, Mamma Jane, in the nearby Afrikaans community of Chris Nissen.” “Life had been tough for Mamma Jane – she had no job and had lost both her daughter and husband in the last 10 years, which meant she has to care for the twins on her own. She desperately wanted the twins to learn English and to improve their Xhosa, so she was delighted when an offer of sponsorship from a member of a local church enabled Wandile and Wandiswa to join Emyezweni School.” “The teaching staff were keen for the pre-school to become cross-cultural, reflecting the spirit of the new South Africa, but the practicalities of communication and cultural differences were worrying – particularly as there’s a tradition of hostility between the communities of Lwandle and Chris Nissen.” “So far, though, everything appears to be fine. The children are coping well with learning in three languages and exploring new cultures. We are fortunate that three of our full-time staff speak Afrikaans fluently and the children converse happily in Xhosa with their peers.” Wandile is a quiet but energetic boy who watches new activities and experiences from a distance and will only participate when he’s ready. We’ve had to work hard to establish the boundaries of acceptable behaviour, but he’s now secure in them. He’s a loving child and enjoys sitting down with an adult making Lego models or exploring the workings of a watch or an old electrical appliance – in fact he relishes taking things apart to see how they work ... and he’s generally quite good at putting them back together afterwards!” Wandiswa is a gentle and friendly girl and she has settled easily into school life, making friends with children and staff alike. She’s different from her brother in that she’s always the first to try a new task or activity. She’ll do anything to work with an adult, and her favourite activity is playing in the home corner with the dolls and kitchen toys. She’s a star helper when it’s time to tidy activities away and she loves to organise the other children during snack time. She recently announced that she’s going to be a teacher, and we can definitely see her doing this in years to come.”

Success Stories

© Ukuthasa 2007 | Charity Registration Number: 1055539

Emyezweni Influence

Ukuthasa supports Emyezweni School that not only supports the education of the children of Lwandle, but also has a positive influence in the community.

How you can help

If you would like to make a difference in the lives of the people we support, contact us. No matter how small the amount, every donation makes a positive impact.

Other projects

Handmade Jewellery Ukuthasa supports small business projects with start-up funding to help men and women develop skills which can be used to create a source of income.

More success stories

Story from a Mentor Peer Educator Ukuthasa Peer Education Programme provided a Life-skills programme aimed to enable young people to make wise choices about education, future goals and careers, community involvement and upliftment as well as life decisions around sexuality and sexual choices. Athenkosi Emyezweni School provides vital foundation stage Education to young people in disadvantaged communities.
ukuthasa Encouraging local communities in Africa
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