These are my children, all of them, and I worry about them. If we have these things, yoh, then I can die in peace knowing my community has all that it needs to be well. I have worked hard for this community, but there is still some work to be done. We started something when we built the first school. Now I can see our vision is coming true. But there are still these holes that need to be filled.
What do you think when you look at Mr Buthelezi teaching here at Ingweniphaphama?
Look at him, how good he looks here in our school. He is a product of us. I am so, so, so happy. He is the example of our efforts. I gave four young people bursaries and this is the one who has shone. Being from here, we can also trust him to give his best to our children. He grew up here, he ate our maas (sour milk) like the other children, he helped to build our school, so I would be happy to know that he will carry on with everything we have started. The reason I want Mr Buthelezi in charge is that I know that if he makes problems, the community will discipline him. They will whip him if he causes a problem. I hope that one day Mr Mahlangu, when he is old, will leave the school under the eyes of Mr Buthelezi.
What do you think the future of Ingweniphaphama will be like? It would be better if we saw our school growing into a high school as well, teachers in every classroom teaching one grade. For now our children leave us when they need to go to high school. We need them back here. They should start and finish school here. Let us have Grade 8 next year, then 9 the year after, until we have all of them. These things would make me very happy. The other thing that would encourage learning would be if we had help for bursaries after matric. We need our children to go further with their education. I hope that Mr Mahlangu will give me bursary information because I know who is completing matric, who is sitting around. I will then take it to those people so they can get opportunities. I was the one who told (student teacher) Sibusiso about the bursary. This will encourage these communities to bring their children here, because they will see the role we can play in their children becoming successful. I also want to encourage other matriculants from the surrounding schools, so that we can help them with bursaries. That way they will see that we are supporting them; then they will support us. I need to see this before I am gone! Page 182