By Khethiwe Khuzwayo | Director, Siyabonga Centre
I hope you are all doing well and enjoying life. Things have been going smoothly at Siyabonga since our last update. Funding continues to be a challenge, but I guess in our environment and in these times that is not surprising. We also continue to have unusual weather, like so many parts of the world. Right now, our challenge is unusually cold weather. I know this may not seem very cold to many of you, but the temperature has been hovering around 10° C, which we are not prepared for in our subtropical climate. Many of the children don’t have warm clothing, so we have been providing blankets to keep them comfortable.
I wanted to take the opportunity today to introduce you to one of our most dedicated teachers and one of her top students (pictured above and below).
Mrs. Nonhlanhla Masilelas has been affiliated with the center in a variety of capacities for many years. When I began working here in 2016, she was on the Board of Directors. Shortly after we met, Mrs. Masilelas decided to return to school to complete her education. In 2018, she started volunteering at the Centre, first as a cleaner and then as a cook. The following year, she completed her ECD certificate and, in 2020, was hired as a teacher. She first worked in the two-year-old classroom. Then, due to her hard work, initiative, and willingness to continue attending training, Mrs. Masilelas became the teacher of our four-year-olds. Additionally, she supervises the kitchen and provides oversight of the Centre when I need to be away. Mrs. Masilelas and her husband live nearby the Centre and over school holidays, she volunteers to periodically check the Centre and address any issues she finds or contact me if needed.
Mrs. Masilelas has been teaching for 4 years now and is doing extremely well. She takes her work seriously and is very creative. Her group usually leads the Centre when we do activities together.
When Mimmi started at the Centre two years ago, she was very shy and did not interact much with other students. Now four years old, Mimmi is very friendly, plays well with the other children, and is always willing to share. She is also very responsible and one of the best learners in her class. Mimmi is very good with numbers and likes building with blocks. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
Mimmi lives near the Center with her mother, maternal grandmother, and her older brother, Baraka. Baraka graduated from Siyabonga last year after completing Grade R (kindergarten). Baraka was also a very good student who did well in all areas.
Thank you once again for your ongoing support of Siyabonga. I, and everyone at Siyabonga, are extremely grateful! You are the ones that make it possible for us to provide this important, life-changing program for children in our area.
Kindest Regards,
Khethiwe
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