The Mamelodi Voice 2011

The

UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

S U M M E R 2 0 11

Mamelodi Voice

Big bets on illegal dog fights Kevin van der List ________________________________

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llegal dog fighting has become a big business in the past three years in Mamelodi, and nearby informal settlements, with large sums of money used to bet on these fights.

Fights are often hosted in open fields or in garages, with crowds standing around to watch the grizzly affair. According to a Mamelodi community member, Xoli Mrali, bets on the dog fights range from R500R5000, with material possessions also being gambled. Although financial incentive is a primary reason for these dog fights, the owners also engage in these fights to prove their superiority against fellow fighters.

Sipho Mabana, one of the residents in the area, says these fights give the owners pride.

The breeds used for these fights include mostly Bull Terriers and Pit Bulls due to their aggressive nature, and their ability to lock their jaws during fighting. The dogs are well prepared for their fights because they are trained before each gathering. According to Mrali, the dogs are trained by running them on a treadmill for two to three hours a day.

The dogs are also injected with horse steroids which help them to fight for up to eight hours per day without feeling any pain, said Mrali.

Dogs that are badly injured after a fight are simply left to die in an open field, hung from a tree or shot, said Mrali.

Manager and vet at the Mamelodi Animal Health Clinic (MAHC), Dr. Liebenberg, says these dogs are bred in masses and simply replaced when they die. Liebenberg says that the animals are merely seen as “property.”

The clinic was established by the University of Pretoria to serve the community’s needs and often sees the effects on dogs involved in these practises. “Masses of dogs come into the clinic with their ears cropped,” says Liebenberg. Cropping is performed on dogs so that the other dogs in the fight cannot grab onto their ears.

“I am totally repulsed by this form of blood sport,” says a member of the Midrand SPCA, Catherine Lindsay. Lindsay adds that although the SPCA can rightfully confiscate these animals from their owners, the public is too afraid to come forward with information to identify the culprits. “Even if [the community] didn’t approve, they would do nothing about it,” community member Linda Marape says. “I haven’t seen the concern.”

Lindsay feels that the problem is too big for the SPCA to handle. The punishment for these offences she feels is also too lenient in with it being “basically a slap on the wrist and a bit of a warning,” she said.

There are divided feelings regarding the practise among community members in Mamelodi. Some feel that it is wrong and others such as Mabana feel that it is not a bad practise and that “dogs are made for fighting.”

Summer fun A learner from Zakhele Primary school enjoys the first gifts of summer on the playground outside in Mamelodi East. She shows off daisies - one of the beauties from the school’s garden. Read more about Zakhele inside.

PHOTO: ANNELISE SCHURING

Finding our Voice WELCOME to the first edition of The Mamelodi Voice, a newspaper produced entirely by the second-year class in the Journalism Programme of the University of Pretoria. It is the result of an extensive community reporting project first launched by the Journalism Programme in 2010.

Mamelodi is one of the oldest townships in Pretoria, but it gets little local media coverage unless it is about crime, or about protests, or about disasters. Yet it is a community rich in history and heritage with a present that brims with vitality and diversity.

We have found there, a host of community projects, the result of co-operation between the community, civil society, foreign embassies, international and local students, and UP’s own Mamelodi campus.

We hope this newspaper will help establish a stronger voice for both the community and the project workers who work so hard there, mostly out of sight.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Mr Edwin Smith, director of the Mamelodi campus, to Ms Helen Smith, South African representative of the Mamelodi Trust, to the community

project workers and volunteers, and to the people of Mamelodi themselves for making this project possible.

We are proud of the entire second-year class, who embarked on this story-telling venture with enthusiasm and commitment, and particularly of the dedicated editorial team who put this newsletter together.

Prof Pippa Green, Head: Journalism Programme

News

Photos

Poetry

Sport

p. 5

p. 10 & 11

p. 14 & 15

p. 19

2 SUMMER 2011

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Mamelodi Voice

Zakhele still faces safety issues - after 14 years new fence does not serve its purpose Grace Gilburt ____________________________________

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or 14 years a Mamelodi primary school has waited for the government to fence off a dangerous site next to it. But even after its erection, vandals have stolen parts of it, leaving the school vulnerable to criminal activity again.

Ms. Thandi Mnguni, acting principal of Zakhele Primary, a government funded school, joined the school in 1997 and says the area was never fenced off until a month ago.

Since the erection of the fence, sections of it have already been stolen and destroyed. “At this dump site people will leave household and human waste, which puts the health of our 400 pupils at risk. Worse is the criminal activity that happens here, in the backyard of our school,” said Ms. Mnguni.

The criminal activity that happens at the site includes the smoking of marijuana, the sale of hard drugs, rape, hi-jacking and breakins into Zakhele.

Thandi Makwane, a teacher at the school, said that it is not pleasant to try to teach a class and then hear the police searching for criminals near their grounds. Makwane believes it scares her pupils and does not send the correct message to them.

With no fence or adult supervision, teachers plead with their pupils not to go near the site, and so far no pupil has wandered off to the dump.

Some pupils even believe that snakes inhabit the site, keeping them away from the hazardous area.

Still, having a secure barrier separating the grounds of the school and the dump site would be a blessing and would make a difference to the safety and health of the

Zakhele learners are exposed to harmful waste, after vandals destroyed parts of the new fence that separates the school from an open piece of land. This part of the school’s property has been turned into a dumpsite.

PHOTO: LOUISE PIETERSE children, Ms. Mnguni said, adding: “I wish to remove the dump and to use the grounds as a sports field, thereby keeping the pupils

healthy and active.

“It has been a long wait to be in a better place. I want a primary school of which any

principal, pupil, parent and community member can be proud of.”

Gr. R class brings hope for brighter future P.J. Sehloho faces in the classroom is the Melina Meletakos _____________________________________ children’s inability to listen - a skill she says they would have learnt had they gone to MEETSE-A-BOPHELO Primary School lies Grade R. Sehloho has to resort to using gesin between the makeshift shebeens, hair salons tures to keep the children quiet, as shouting and spaza shops that line Hector Peterson only agitates them. Only 13 out of the 66 puStreet, a bustling main road in Mamelodi. In pils in Sehloho’s class have received a Grade the past, pupils were crammed into converted R education. This means that Sehloho has to cargo containers. Today, the school is barely teach Grade R skills in conjunction with the recognizable after renovations sponsored by Grade 1 syllabus, a task she finds challenging. steel giant ArcelorMittal South Africa, in Professor Eric Atmore, the director of the 2010.

Centre for Early Childhood Development in In addition to brand-new classrooms, a Cape Town, is a strong advocate of the library and a media centre, Meetse-a-Bophelo importance of Grade R education. “A child launched its Grade R programme at the begin- who receives a formal preschool education is ning of 2011, one of the few formal pro- better prepared for the literacy, numeracy and grammes of its kind in Mamelodi. Here, 83 life skills needed to be successful at formal children will be taught the skills, concepts and school,” says Atmore. Atmore’s arguments attitudes that will prepare them for Grade 1 are supported by observed evidence. The and lay a solid foundation for the rest of their HighScope Perry Preschool Study, done in the schooling careers.

USA, found that children who go to Grade R Headmaster at Meetse, Patrick are more likely to have higher earnings, hold a Sikhumbane, says the school decided to job, commit fewer crimes and graduate from implement the Grade R programme after it high school. experienced a high Grade 1 failure rate. The Atmore believes that, in order to improve main intention of the programme is to prepare the state of Grade R education in South the learners psychologically for formal train- Africa, the government needs to increase the ing by introducing them to a code of conduct, current level of Grade R funding significantly. says Sikhumbane.

Currently, only 1.3% of the education budget The biggest problem that Grade 1 teacher is spent on Early Childhood Development.

Young learners enjoy the new learning programme at Meetse-a-Bophelo — although it seems to be exhausting at times.

PHOTO: SIANNE CRIGHTON The government also planned to have 800 000 pupils enrolled in Grade R by 2010. By February 2009, it only had 45 950 pupils registered.

Atmore believes that in order to solve this

problem, new strategies and programmes are needed. He suggests that a national task team be established. It should consist of early childhood development educators who can advise on policy, strategy and practice.

The Mamelodi

Voice

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SUMMER 2011

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Autistic boy finds his special place Geraldine Venter ________________________________

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n the corner of a class at the Mamelodi Care Centre there is a small hideout where you will find a boy playing with water pistols or rolling beads around in a bucket. This is his special place, and he has been able to come here for six weeks thanks to the work of 21-year-old occupational therapy student, Alicia Wannenburg, from the University of Pretoria.

Wannenburg is part of a group of fourthyear occupational therapy students from the University of Pretoria who work at the free clinic in Mamelodi. The clinic opened on the 18th of February this year and their services are a way for the university students to complete their practical hours while giving back to the community. Occupational therapy teaches people with disabilities to be able to perform their daily activities independently and allow them to function properly within their communities.

Patients who come to the clinic are then allocated to the students by the O.T. lecturers. Wannenburg was assigned to Shimy*, a 12-year-old boy who suffers from autism - a neurological development disorder. Shimy also suffers from epilepsy as well as Sensory Modulation Disorder, which causes him to be in constant need of sensory stimulation.

When Wannenburg first met Shimy he had received no treatment for his conditions, which worsened the symptons he was experiencing. Shimy cannot speak, perform daily activities such as dressing and bathing, nor tolerate the sensation of water. His gross and fine motor co-ordination is delayed, and he does not understand basic concepts like colour and shape.

As part of the work at the clinic, Wannenburg provides Shimy with life skills and adaptive methods in his therapy. “I built him a sensory hideout in his school. This is to increase his ability to tolerate different sensations,” she says. In the hideout, Wannenburg can expose Shimy to different textures to help him cope with the world around him. During the sessions she also places a mattress over him and rolls a therapy ball over him to provide a deep pressure to help ease his need for sense stimulation, and performs activities to improve his motor skills and understanding of basic concepts.

The sessions are not without difficulty.

“All communication is non-verbal and the setting is not really ideal for therapy but one

has to make the best of what is available,” says Wannenburg. Shimy was initially non-responsive and needed prompting. Dealing with an autistic patient is a challenge for Wannenburg as the disorder is not included in the occupational therapy syllabus. “We do the basics in class but that is not enough for practice,” says Wannenburg, who did most of the research herself.

Autism is severely under-diagnosed in the community. Occupational therapists are not allowed to make diagnoses and are forced to operate based on observations alone. Therapists at the Mamelodi Care Centre have noticed that the majority of cases are either un- or misdiagnosed, thus no reliable statistics are available on autism in the community. Wannenburg has also had to work around the stigmas attached to people with disabilities. “People think a child with autism is bewitched and that it is not due to a medical problem. There is not enough education on autism in the community,” she says. According to Wannenburg, much more education needs to be provided about all disabilities because people do not know how to deal with those who suffer from them.

The work at the occupational therapy clinic is aiming to do just this. Not only is the staff providing a service, they are also educating people in the community about people with disabilities. “It feels really good to be able to reach out to the community, and when positive feedback comes you know it is worth it,” Wannenburg says. Diana Barnard, a mother of a young boy who is a patient at the clinic is one person who provides such feedback. “It is amazing to see what they are doing in his life. Everyone has noticed a change; even the teachers at his school have come and told me. They are doing such wonderful work and it is so great to see. We are so thankful for them here,” she said.

As an occupational therapist, Wannenburg will always have memories of her contact sessions with Shimy. Every day is rewarding, some days more than others, as Wannenburg describes a ‘breakthrough’ session with Shimy: “One day I went there and found him in his hideout underneath the mattress waiting for me. This was amazing to see because it meant he had realised that the activity was helping him.” Improvements like these make it all worthwhile, she says, “even if the results are small, any improvement is big.” * Not his real name

Zakhele:The hands that build With the helping hands of the staff, community, volunteers and the University of Pretoria, Zakhele Primary School is working towards creating a better learning environment for its pupils.

PHOTO: JUAN-RI GROBLER

4 SUMMER 2011

Editorial

The

Mamelodi Voice

Thís is for Mamelodi image of my classmates and me wearing Mariel Bird _____________________________________ scrubs and facemasks, performing a sort of crude surgery on a book by William Faulkner hen I began studying the art of or James Joyce. We were the Surgeons of writing in secondary school, Words, and we could play with their meaning my favorite teacher, Jonathan however we wished, turning deceptively simHowland, used to repeat one ple letters into powerfully moving pieces of phrase to us before every writing assignment work.

– “Find a vein,” he would say, pausing briefly Not surprisingly, I chose to study Journalhere for emphasis, “and trace it to the heart.” ism several years later at an American instituThe sentence was simple and for that reason it tion named Fordham University based in New was hard for me to pinpoint why every time I York City – a school I would later find was a heard it, I felt chills. sister school with the University of Pretoria.

Each time, I would find myself getting I enjoyed the thrill of the chase, the hunt for lost in these words, which evoked in me the the story, and the exhilaration of seeing my

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own words in print. When I arrived in South Africa in January of this year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant for the U.S. Embassy, I decided that one of the areas in which I wished to spend my time was as a mentor to some of the great South African journalists of tomorrow. I have been fortunate this year to do just that.

The articles in this Newsletter were carefully crafted by University of Pretoria secondyear Journalism students who were, for the first time, donning their surgeon’s masks.

They worked tirelessly each week, making their way to Mamelodi– a community usually mentioned in the news only in regard to crime

and violence. They found leads, researched, interviewed and furiously wrote articles about the inspiring people, schools and organizations that they discovered there.

Their goal was to write something positive about the people of Mamelodi for the people of Mamelodi and that goal has remained constant, at some point transforming into the vein along which each of our aspiring journalists has traced the path to his or her first stories.

This is their Newsletter and these are their words.

This is for Mamelodi.

Editors from left to right: Nicole Ehlers, Juan-Ri Grobler, Kevin Els, Mariel Bird, Ruan Mulder, Annine Dormehl, Laetitia Velleman

The

PHOTO: W AYNE SMITH

Mamelodi Voice A Letter from the Editor Ruan Mulder ____________________________________

Editorial Staff

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Editor: Ruan Mulder Deputy editor: Annine Dormehl News editor: Nicole Ehlers Deputy news editor: Koketso Dlongolo Chief layout artist: Laetitia Velleman Chief sub editor: Kevin Els Photo editor: Juan-Ri Grobler Deputy photo editor: Clement Manyathela Visiting Editor: Mariel Bird Layout team

Sub editors

Kylie Stephen

Nqabomzi Bikitsha

Melina Meletakos

Dikgang Kekana

Claudi Mailovitch

S’buyiselwe Mthembu

Refiloe Nyathikazi

Zamahlasela Gabela

Wayne Smith

Lizette van Niekerk

Jana Grobler

Somarié Gravett

Leandri Pretorius

anger, crime, rape, violence-all words that come to mind when thinking about Mamelodi. These were the kind of stories our journalism students thought they would cover when we went to Mamelodi as part of the second year journalism program at the beginning of the year.

Most of us have this horrible perception of Mamelodi. We only see the negative reports in the newspapers, and as a result expected only the worst when we were told that this was where we were going. Boy were we blindsided!

Mamelodi was not what we expected. Greeted with smiles and hugs at all the schools we visited, we soon realised our perceptions of this vibrant community were unfounded, there was much more to this community than what we had first thought. The positives of the experience far outweigh the negatives. Actually, the only negative that comes to mind was not having more time to spend in Mamelodi. Our tasks were simple. Find a story, interview, check facts and learn to be accurate. The stories you will find in this paper are the result of our second year journalism students’ wonderful writing talents. Just as we thought we were finished with Mamelodi, we were told that we were going back to take photos. We had to capture the essence of Mamelodi, and that we did

through the photos that were taken by our journalism group.

Thus The Mamelodi Voice was borne. A group of 21 talented students were chosen to create a paper that told the story of Mamelodi, in their words and their pictures. Albeit a small part.

We were given a deadline and some instruction on how to make a newspaper. Then we were set free. Given the power to be creative and learn how to be a real news team, from layout artists, copy editors to news and photograph editors.

We had it all and we certainly gave it our all.

As journalists, experience is vital. This opportunity gave us far more than just experience. It has taught us that making a newspaper from scratch takes time. Lots of time. It has taught us that early mornings and late nights are just as much a part of being a journalist as reading and writing is.

This has been an amazing experience. I would like to thank every single one of the people in my team for all of their hard work and effort, without which this newspaper would never have been finished. I would like to thank Prof.

Green, the head of our passionate Journalism department for all her valuable input. Ms. Jordaan, the best lecturer ever, for being there whenever we needed her, and for her wonderful surprises. The experienced Mariel Bird, who joined us all the way from America, giving us valuable input when we needed it most. Lastly we thank AfriSam for the competition prizes.

The Mamelodi

Voice

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SUMMER 2011

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US students lend a helping hand Robyn Simpson _______________________________

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heir doors have been open for three years only but The Mae Jemison U.S Science Reading Room continues to help up to 200 learners a day, from local high schools in Mamelodi, to improve their maths and science abilities.

Most of the learners who visit the Reading Room come from Gatang and The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom School, situated near the Mamelodi Campus.

According to Richard Kelley, a Harvard graduate who volunteers at the Reading Room and heads up most of the after-school programmes, 95% of their students identified maths and/or science as the area in which they struggled the most.

The Reading Room began with the aim of fostering a love for science amongst the pupils, but this changed after they encountered the needs that the pupils had. The reading room has assisted to fill the gap between what the students are learning, or rather failing to learn, in the local high schools of Mamelodi.

Max Cuddy is also a volunteer at the

Reading Room. He is a teaching assistant from the U.S, who has just implemented a reading programme that helps students to look for the important information from the texts they are exposed to. He has also noticed the trouble that the learners have.

“We see many students who ask for help with their assignments, but they don’t understand the nature of the assignments.

There is a lack of connection between the students and the teachers.”

Mark Dobson, Head of Libraries for the U.S Embassy, highlighted the fact that fewer than 10% of schools in Mamelodi have libraries and computer access, which is a great disadvantage to the learners. This environment is not conducive to learning as students will be unable to conduct research and obtain new knowledge.

When asked what he thought could be done to improve the level of education in these schools, Dobson said, “to ensure that you have a successful school, with successful learners, you need to ensure that you have good leadership. In other words, if there is a good principal who is able to run the school, then its success rate will increase.” He also said a formal library policy was necessary.

A high school learner studies at the Mae Jemison U.S Science reading room as part of its after-school programme.

PHOTO: MONIQUE VERMEULEN Kelley said, “In my experience, access to textbooks, internet access, or after school support is limited for many of the students.”

He also felt that maths and science are not being taught effectively but that it is difficult to pinpoint the schools as the only culprit. He mentioned the need to consider the lack of resources coupled with the poverty of the area, the unstable home environments and the various other social factors and lack of infrastructure, all of

which impact a student’s performance.

It is clear that teachers are also not being exposed to the proper training as they are not able to deliver the material to the children in a way that they are left with understanding.

“Are we willing to challenge teachers if they are underperforming? We don’t need to put more money into education, we need good leaders to ensure good education,” said Mr Dobson.

Arbeid vir Mamelodi Juan-Ri Grobler _______________________________

DIE ARBEIDSTERAPIESTUDENTE van die Universiteit van Pretoria reik hul hand uit te na gestremdes in die Mamelodigemeenskap. ʼn Nuwe arbeidsterapiekliniek het op 18 Februarie vanjaar op die Mamelodi-kampus geopen. Die kliniek word deur me. Lené Wessels, ‘n arbeidsterapiedosent, beman. Die studente bied verskeie terapiesessies aan vir verskillende ouderdomsgroepe.

Die drie week lange behandelings behels sessies vir voorskoolse kinders asook gestremde kinders. Die studente behartig ook individuele sessies met psigiatriese pasiënte.

Die gratis behandelings fokus op elke pasiënt se spesifieke gebrek. Volgens me.

Lizelle Groenewald, een van die studente, verskil elke pasiënt se reaksie op behandeling.

“Ons kyk maar wat die beste resultate vir elkeen individueel gee,” het Groenewald bygevoeg.

Wanneer die pasiënte deur ‘n bekende omgewing omring word, is die pasiënt se resultate na die sessies meer suksesvol.

Daarom vind die behandelings plaas by die pasiënte se huise.

Die spesifieke program waarmee die pasiënte behandel word, fokus op “die basiese areas van die daaglikse lewe,” het Groenewald gesê. Die studente maak gebruik van vrugte en groente vir visuele uitbeelding om die les so eenvoudig en verstaanbaar as moontlik aan te bied. Slegs twee soorte vrugte of groente word gebruik vir die les, “anders kan hulle dit nie onthou aan die einde van die behandeling nie,” het me.

Alicia Wannenburg, mede-vierdejaarstudent, gesê.

Die pasiënt raak opgewonde terwyl Wannenburg ʼn appel en piesang uit haar mandjie haal. Eers stel sy die vrugte aan hom voor en hy herhaal wat sy sê. Hy moet ook

die kleur van die vrugte memoriseer en aan haar herhaal. Die pasiënt moet dan die vrugte sny. “Die sny-oefening is maar een van die basiese tegnieke wat vir die pasiënt aangeleer word, want hulle vergeet hoe om dit te doen,” het Wannenburg vertel.

Die les word verskeie kere tydens die sessie herhaal. Wanneer hy wel die vrugname kan onthou en opnoem, kyk hy dadelik na Wannenburg, lag en herhaal dit ʼn paar keer.

Aan die einde van die program kon die pasiënt egter skaars onthou wat alles vir hom geleer is. “Jy doen maar dieselfde goed,” het Groenewald nadruklik gesê. “Dit is fantasties as mens die verskil kan sien wat mens wel in hul lewens maak, al is dit baie klein,” het Wannenburg bygevoeg.

Die kliniek is tans besig om vrywilligers op te lei, wat sal aanhou met die behandelings wanneer die studente weer moet terugkeer na hul studies. Die drie weke is te kort om werklik ‘n blywende effek op die pasiënte te hê, het Groenewald verduidelik.

“Die doel met die kliniek is om ʼn diens aan die mense van die gemeenskap te lewer, maar dit skep ook ʼn leergeleentheid aan die vierdejaarstudente,” het Wessels gesê.

Volgens die arbeidsterapiestudente is die kliniek baie suksesvol. “Die kliniek het baie uitgebrei in die tyd wat ons daar gewerk het,” het Wannenburg gesê. “Ons het begin met vier pasiënte en nou is daar al oor die dertig pasiënte,” het Groenewald bygevoeg. Wessels voel egter dat daar nog dinge is wat in plek gesit moet word, maar “sover gaan dit goed en die resultate is uitstekend.”

Die ouers van die pasiënte is gelukkig met die behandeling wat hulle kinders ontvang het. “Hulle help baie en my kind leer baie,” het die moeilike pasiënt se ma gesê. Hierdie Me. Lizelle Groenewald (links) en Alicia Wannenburg (regs), arbeidsterapiestudente kliniek komplimenteer beide die studente en aan die Universiteit van Pretoria, berei hul toerusting voor vir ‘n huisbesoek aan ‘n die gemeenskap het Groenewald gesê. Dit is pasiënt in Mamelodi. tien minute wat jou hele dag kan verander.”

FOTO: JUAN-RI GROBLER

6 SUMMER 2011

News

The

Mamelodi Voice

A clinic with compassion Mari-Louise de Kock ________________________________

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Some of the pictures by Mamelodi-born photographer Ernest Cole currently on display in the library on the Mamelodi Campus of the University of Pretoria.

COPYRIGHT: ERNEST COLE FAMILY

Photographer banned during apartheid brings work home Staff reporter _______________________________ THE WORK of renowned photographer Ernest Cole has been brought back to his place of birth, Mamelodi.

The University of Pretoria, in partnership with the Hasselblad Foundation in Sweden, the Swedish Embassy, and the Embassy of the United States is hosting an exhibition of Cole’s work in the library on the Mamelodi Campus of UP. This is the closing venue for an international tour of Cole’s work.

The exhibition features photographs from Cole’s book, House of Bondage, which was

banned shortly after publication in 1967 for its critique of apartheid.

Education programmes and a photographic competition for learners from Mamelodi form part of this exhibition.

The exhibition is open for the public until 30 November.

Opening hours are: Monday to Thursday from 7:30 to 18:00, Fridays from 7:30 to 16:00 and Saturdays from 8:00 to 13:00.

The library is situated on the Mamelodi Campus of UP on the corner of Hans Strydom and Hinterland Street in Mamelodi East.

ince its opening on the 18 February, the Mamelodi Children’s Clinic has had a positive impact in the community.

The Occupational Therapy (OT) Department in Mamelodi has opened up a children’s clinic where final-year students offer their service free of charge. The clinic is designed to help children with birth injuries or defects, physical problems such as blindness and deafness, developmental problems, behavioural problems such as social interaction hardships, as well as emotional and learning disabilities.

The clinic is run by Lené Wessels, a lecturer in the OT Department, who supervises the student workers. The students are trained to help children and teach parents to properly manage their children’s conditions at home. The clinic is also qualified to recommend referrals to a remedial school.

Launched on 18 February this year, the clinic bridges the divide between the community and the OT students. It offers free clinical services to anyone under the age of 18 in the community as well as giving the final year students a more practical approach to their field.

The clinic only works with children, as they do not have enough funds or a large enough facility to accommodate adults. “We do however work together with the caregivers and parents of the children so that we can get follow-through at home as well,” says Wessels.

As the clinic is still new, they have only had 35 patients since opening. “We are not well known yet,” says OT student Nele Bodvin. “I think the aim is that we would prefer more community members to know about the clinic, such as parents and teachers so that

referrals can come from the people who are living in the community, thus marketing our services through word of mouth.”

The clinic relies on many ways to promote themselves: “We have had two disability awareness days at schools through care centres and kindergarten,” says Wessels. “We also get referrals from Itsoseng psychology clinic and we put up posters and have had articles in the Perdeby (UP’s campus newspaper) and the Mamelodi Rekord.”

Although the clinic is growing within the community, Bodvin feels that it could promote itself even further through educating parents, care-givers and teachers. “We need to inform the community of what we do and how we help the children.

Mrs Mangokoana, mother of Tshepang Mangokoana, said that the Mamelodi Children’s clinic is very beneficial to her son.

Mrs Mangokoana was referred to the clinic by her son’s primary school teacher who told her that her son struggles with his short term memory and is a very slow learner. Mrs Mangokoana says that since her son started attending the clinic, visible improvements can be seen in his school work. “The clinic is always tidy and I feel comfortable with the way the students are with my son. It is very professional,” she said.

The clinic welcomes donations to keep the clinic running. Toys are especially important for the development of the therapist and child’s relationship as it helps them to interact with each other, to play, and to perform various tasks and movement functions. The clinic is also starting up a toy library for parents whose children do not have toys at home. Through this, they will be able to rent a toy for a period of time. Any donations in the form of children’s toys are always welcome.

Not just teachers, but ‘Mamas’ for learners been teaching for 27 years, nine of which she Koketso Dlongolo _________________________________ has spent at Meetse. Along with other teachers at the school she has informally “adopted” “WRITE AS IF you are eating ice-cream,” a child for whom she provides learning material and emotional support. Most learners says Mama Julia to her learners.

Most children love ice-cream. They enjoy come from impoverished backgrounds. As a licking it as it melts and trickles down be- result some come to school without proper tween their fingers. The learners show just as school uniform, if any at all, and without much eagerness to learn how to write as well, being bathed or fed. To tackle such problems using their imagination. Now holding their the teachers in Meetse decided to introduce pencils, they imagine holding an ice-cream the “adoption” system so that learners have cone but instead of licking it, they write with “mothers” who provide and care for them at school. it.

“I establish a relationship with them and Julia Sehlohlo, known as Mama Julia to tell them that I love them,” Sehlohlo says. her learners, is a first-grade teacher at Meetse “When I’m standing at the front, I’m like -a-Bophelo Primary School. Sehlohlo has their mother.” This, she believes, lets them

Mamelodi Animal Health Clinic

know that they should pay attention to her as they would their biological parents.

Most of the poorer learners lack skills the average grade 1 learner should have, like counting and knowing the alphabet. “It is as if they are taught nothing in crèches so they have to be taught from scratch,” says Sehlohlo. She says she works hard to instil basic principles like writing from left to right and from one page to the next.

Meetse closes an hour later than other schools and the teachers work for that extra hour without pay. Principal Patrick Sikhumbana said, “In Meetse-a-Bophelo we are striving for excellence to make a difference through contributing to the development of the community. Our teachers are highly

motivated and highly involved.”

Another programme results from a partnership with Takeni, a food scheme NGO, which gives children fruits and meals daily after school. The other program is Support Team which deals with any barriers that prohibit a child from learning. Teachers identify underperforming learners who are then assessed by the team and accordingly assisted.

“I don’t do what I do for money. I work hard because I love what I do,” Sikhumbana says. “The children need all the help we can give them as teachers and as caregivers.

There is still a lot that needs to be done but we are slowly making progress.”

Kliniking ya Mamelodi

Is your dog sick? Does it need an injection against common diseases?

Then come to the Mamelodi Animal Health Clinic next to the Mae Jemison Reading Room on the UP Mamelodi Campus, the Old Vista Campus.

A mpša ya gago e a lwala? Na e hloka lemao kgahlanong le bolwetše bja marabi? O ka tla Kliniking ya Mamelodi ya diphoofolo kgauswi le Mae Jamison Reading Room mo khamphaseng ya UP ya Mamelodi, elego Vista Campus ya kgale.

Re tla be re le moo go tloga ka 9:00 go fihla ka 14:30, Open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 14:30 Mošupologo go fihla ka Labohlano go alafa Diphoofolo tša lena.

For more information 012 842 3451 Moderate fees will be charged to cover costs

Nomoro ya mogala: 012 842 3451 Boleng bjo lefiwago bo Fase kudu

The Mamelodi

Voice

News

SUMMER 2011

7

Dagmoeder lewe vir gestremdes Simonè Sevenster ____________________________________ MET haar hande gevou op haar skoot glimlag Busisiwe Hlongwane (42) en sê haar hart lê by die Bophelong sentrum vir gestremdes.

Die Bophelong sentrum vir gestremdes, of die sogenaamde Charity Church in Mamelodi, is ’n dagsorgeenheid waarheen ouers hul kinders met gestremdhede kan neem vir gratis sorg. Hlongwane vanaf Desember 2010 in beheer van Charity Church.

Daar word tans na 35 serebraal gestremde kinders in drie klasse omgesien.

Serebraal gestremdheid is ’n breintoestand wat ’n persoon se beweging, postuur en koördinasie aantas. Volgens Hlongwane veroorsaak die toestand sametrekkings van ’n kind se spiere, dus moet hulle gereeld gehelp word om strekoefeninge te doen.

Hlongwane werk saam met vier ander dagmoeders om te verseker dat die kinders voldoende kos en medikasie kry, doeke omgeruil word en die aandag kry wat hulle benodig. Sy meen dat die ander dagmoeders nie die nodige opleiding het om met kinders met hierdie tipe gestremdhede te werk nie.

Hlongwane lyk minder opgewonde wanneer sy vertel van ’n insident wat deel was van haar motivering om só ’n organisasie te stig. “Sommige ouers het hul gestremde kinders die hele dag alleen by die huis gelos. Sulke kinders is glad nie in staat om na hulself om te sien nie.”

Sy vertel verder dat sy dit onder geen omstandighede verder sou duld nie. “Dis absoluut onmenslik.” Vandag is sy baie bly en dankbaar dat daardie kinders uiteindelik aan Charity Church behoort.

As deel van hul 240 praktiese ure besoek derdejaar arbeidsterapiestudente van die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) Charity Church. Hierdie studente se studies fokus veral op die gebreke wat die kinders hier ervaar. “Ons moet egter ook ’n hele dag by die arbeidsterapiekliniek op UP se Mamelodi-kampus deurbring,” vertel Fiona Millan (22), een van die arbeidsterapiestudente.

By Charity Church gee die studente opleiding en raad aan die dagmoeders sodat hulle die korrekte strekoefeninge op die kinders kan toepas.

Volgens Millan fokus hulle op die basiese hantering, posisionering en stimulering van die kinders.

Nele Bodvin, een van die ander arbeidsterapiestudente, vertel baie van die kinders se postuur is aangetas deur die toestand en as hulle nie gereeld gestrek word nie kan hulle postuur altyd in die verkeerde posisie wees.

Millan verduidelik dat die opleidingsessies ook vir streshantering, opvoeding oor die kinders se toestande en die klassifikasie daarvan gebruik word.

Ongeag die finansiële tekorte van Charity Church kry Hlongwane dit steeds reg om onophoudelik te glimlag.

Millan meen dat Christenskap uit haar straal. “Haar positiwiteit is aansteeklik.”

A lady tends to a vegetable garden planted at Zakhele by volunteer students from the Rutgers University in the United States.

PHOTO: MELINA MELATAKOS

Rutgers students pay it forward in Mamelodi Kevin Els _______________________________

A

group of students and staff from Rutgers, an American University in New Jersey, have visited South Africa to volunteer in schools in impoverished townships in Cape Town and Pretoria.

The group of 85 people visited primary schools in under-developed areas with the aim of improving literacy and the general condition of the schools. The group visited during their ‘spring break,’ from 9 to 20 March this year.

The students’ first stop was Cape Town, Western Cape. In Kalksteenfontein and Klipfontein Primary Schools the ‘community servants’ helped set up sustainable vegetable gardens, installed and repaired fences, and provided books for the development of a fully -functional library.

“Throughout the trip we were greeted by warm people who were eager to share their culture and their country with us,” said Megan Wadsworth, a marketing student who was part of the group. Kalksteenfontein proved to be no different.

“Once there we met many elementary (primary) school aged kids. It was amazing

how quickly we all connected. Before we knew it, they were singing songs, dancing, and posing for pictures with us.”

The group then left for Pretoria on 15 March where they visited Zakhele Primary School in Mamelodi.

Here they painted classrooms and, with the help of 17 bags of donated books, assisted in the improvement of another library – this time for Zakhele.

Due to Rutgers’ generous literature donations Zakhele is now able to provide books to a neighbouring school without a library.

The students also held after-school reading classes in which they read to the learners and taught them how to read. They even brought a few ‘pen-pal’ letters from similarly aged learners in America.

Rutgers has been involved in South Africa since 1992 and has made a great contribution to schools in the Mamelodi area, says Helen Smith, the South African representative of the Mamelodi Trust.

The Mamelodi Trust is a UK based charity that supports schools in Mamelodi.

“Each year they (the Rutgers group) bring large numbers of books, repair classrooms, share their expertise and skills with South African staff, dig gardens and spend time with the children. Their dedication to and

presence at Zakhele School and the Mamelodi community has a very positive impact.

“They demonstrate a sincere commitment to making a difference for children in Mamelodi,” says Smith. She is the wife of Edwin Smith, the Director of the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi Campus, and a Rutgers graduate. It is through his efforts that Rutgers maintains their contact with Mamelodi.

The Mamelodi Trust, as well as the University of Pretoria, are involved in efforts aimed at improving the situation for the Mamelodi community, and international visitors, like Rutgers, “augments the work that is already taking place locally,” says Smith.

Joseph Solomon, a Masters in Science student, recalls an occasion at Zakhele in which, upon arrival, he was rejected by one of the learners with whom he wished to share lunch. However, after a day of work and interaction with the learners, they were all eagerly inviting the visitors to join them for a meal.

Solomon feels the impact left by the community group was that of being amiable ‘outsiders.’ He feels Rutgers provided a fresh face able to demonstrate to the students that behind the school walls are opportunities; and they too can seize upon those opportunities if they focus in school.

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Mamelodi Voice

Library opens door for mother’s dream Nolwandle Zondi ________________________________

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Fairytales come true at Zakhele’s newly stocked library.

28 year old mother in Mamelodi has received the opportunity to fulfil her dream: working in a library.

One day Emily Mhlanga decided to ask Helen Smith, a member of the Mamelodi Trust (a UK based charity), for a job at Zakhele School. Thandi Mnguni, acting principal of Zakhele, said Smith was impressed by her volunteering and dedication and offered her a temporary job at the school’s new library. “She’s eager to learn.”

Mnguni added.

Emily Mhlanga attended high school in Mavhingo in Zimbabwe. She lost her mother when she was 10 years old, and grew up with her father, his two wives and an aunt. She had the dream of going to university after she matriculated, with the hope of studying to become a librarian. She could not though, because of a lack of money.

In 2005, she joined her husband in South Africa to find employment. In 2006 she found a small job making spathlo (a street-snack made from a quarter of bread filled with things like slap-chips, russians and atchar) to sell at a spaza shop. The job lasted for only a year because her employer was not paying her well: “She’d postpone paying me,” Mhlanga explains, “I have a child to look after.” So she decided to quit and relied on the money her husband makes selling flowers. Mhlanga then came up with the idea of selling spathlo and potato chips to the school children at PHOTO: W AYNE SMITH Zakhele, where her daughter Caroline (10) is

a pupil. Ms. Mnguni then asked her to come in for an interview: “We wanted to see if what she was selling had any nutritional value,” the principal said. She got the job, and was filling the children’s stomachs during their lunch breaks. This was her first contact with the school as a potential employee.

In 2009, Mhlanga took it a step further

“I’m getting there bit by bit.” and asked Ms. Smith for any kind of work at the school. This was when Smith gave her the temporary position at the school library.

What further motivated her to hire Mhlanga, Mnguni added, was that it helped the school since they did not have to employ someone else which would have cost them much more. Mhlanga, who at first just helped the pupils at the library, is now accustomed to the library’s system, cataloguing the books and managing the library.

Mhlanga, who works a few days in the week, receives what Smith refers to as occasional monetary tokens of thanks from the Mamelodi Trust for every day she works.

The pay, Mhlanga said, is enough for her to live on. “We are coping and living well.”

Ms. Mhlanga is not yet a permanent member of the working force nor a librarian, but is gaining the skills and experience of the job. She might not be a qualified librarian, but is working in the field. “I’m getting there bit by bit,” she laughingly comments on this ironic turn of events.

New homework programme motivates children Mia Swart ________________________________ WHEN ENTERING the VIP room at the Mamelodi Campus of the University of Pretoria, one is faced with a bustle of activity.

In the centre of the room, school children are running around, laughing and squealing as they play a game called “fruit salad” - an exuberant kind of musical chairs. They seem undaunted knowing they will be doing homework in a few minutes’ time.

The Mae Jemison US Science Reading Room at Mamelodi campus focuses on supporting maths and science education. Now the Reading Room also supports a new initiative - the After School programme which was launched in March this year at the Mamelodi campus.

“The main focus of the programme is homework,” says Richard Kelley, a student volunteer from the United States who currently manages the programme. “The programme aims both to meet the learners where they are at [in their academic performance at school] through homework support and to challenge them to go further through extra programmes in reading, writing, and math.”

Zanele Hokwana,14, a pupil from Vukani Mawethu Secondary School in Mamelodi, is one of the 60 children attending the pro-

gramme. She says the programme helps her understand her homework better. “I come on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and when I have homework,” Zanele says.

The programme is staffed by about 30 education students from the Groenkloof Campus of the University of Pretoria, and other volunteers. The students tutor the children while clocking their practical hours for their studies.

Caroline de Freitas, a 20-year old education student from the Groenkloof Campus, is one of the tutors. She believes that through the programme the children learn life, communication and writing skills. “At first they wouldn’t come to us or talk to us. Now the kids are more inspired, they want to be here, and they want to improve their marks.

They want to show us that they want to get involved,” De Freitas says.

In another corner, Shannon Forbes,19, also an education student from Groenkloof Campus, is helping 13-year-old Sharon Makobe. Sharon is a pupil at the Ribane-Laka High School and likes coming to the programme because “they (the tutors) make it easy” and before they go home they get snacks and juice.

Forbes says by now both tutor and pupil have established a relationship of trust between them. However, she says tutoring is difficult for the tutors because of the language

A tutor assists a young learner at the Mae Jemison Reading Room as part of the After School Programme.

PHOTO: LISA DE KLERK barrier: many children have trouble speaking English and the tutors aren’t familiar with African languages.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is improving comprehension,” says Max Cuddy, another student volunteer.

However, Forbes believes the programme is still useful. “It benefits them and it makes

you feel better to help them.”

On a whiteboard in the VIP room is a motto: “Learn. Grow. Succeed. Achieve.”

This is what the after school programme hopes to accomplish. “I can see the confidence in the children rising and the children learning and getting the help they need and deserve,” says Kelly.

The Mamelodi

Voice

News

Zakhele pupils read for their futures Miso Bane

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UP Law Clinic ready to serve Mamelodi Chama Mattick ________________________________

E

very week students from the University of Pretoria as well as international students visit a primary school in Mamelodi to read English books to the pupils.

This has had a major impact on these pupils’ vocabulary and attitude towards the English language.

Prior to the establishment of the weekly reading classes, learners at Zakhele Primary School had no resources to help them familiarise themselves with English books and relied on the material they received in their English classes.

However, with the reading classes, they can now read as well as speak the language proficiently. Busi Hoseka, a Natural Science teacher at the school, feels elated by the changes she has noticed since the reading classes began.

“The learners are now confident in replying in English or even when talking to each other,” she says.

At any time one can find several learners pacing the aisles of the library for books.

Paulos Mahlangu, a seventh-grade learner, enjoys the attention he receives from the international students and listens to them avidly as they read.

“I feel more confident when speaking or reading in English,” he says. Mahlangu arrived at the school in 2007 during his third grade.

He was transferred to the school by teachers from his previous school who experienced him as a “problem child.”

“I was convinced he was possessed by evil spirits,” says his mother Felicia Mahlangu about her son’s disruptive behaviour.

Paulos would talk back to his teachers, refuse to do his homework, and was always disrespectful to his mother, she says. But Mahlangu says she has since noticed the change in her son’s behaviour.

“He is now excited about his schoolwork and he interacts more with me as a child should,” she says.

Nomonde Mpofu, also a seventh-grade learner, had problems understanding what was being taught in her Natural Science class.

She attended the reading classes and after a month found it easier to understand what was being said.

“The more I went to the reading classes, the more it helped me understand what most English words mean,” she says.

The reading classes are organised by Helen Smith, the South African representative for the Mamelodi Trust.

The Trust helped rebuild and refurnish the new library at Zakhele.

With its partners the trust has made the school better equipped by also providing new books and other learning material.

International students from Rutgers University in New Jersey in the U.S donated books to the library as well as helped paint a number of classes at the school.

The children wrote “thank you” notes to guests who came to the school to show their appreciation for the help they received.

The children hope to encourage others to use libraries and read more books.

SUMMER 2011

A school boy improves his English reading skills by reading to a friend on the playground. With the renovation of the new library, Zakhele has over 500 books, fuelling their newly implemented Foundation Phase English instruction.

PHOTO: ROBYN SIMPSON

English in Education—the Facts • • • • • •

Zakhele is being transformed from a Zulu Medium School to an English Medium School.

English will now be introduced to the learners as a medium of instruction from Grade R instead of only starting in Grade 4.

The critical period for young learners to acquire the knowledge of the English Language is between the ages of 0-11.

23.82% of the South African population are IsiZulu mother tongue speakers.

English is the 6th most common mother tongue language spoken in South Africa at 8.2%.

Paulos Mahlangu is one of the many learners who benefits from the new English program.

“MOST people do not know about our existence but we are here,” says attorney Lobang Molepo of the Mamelodi legal aid clinic.

Molepo has worked at the Mamelodi legal aid clinic since September 2008, while the clinic itself was established in March in the same year.

The clinic aims to provide legal aid to the disadvantaged and marginalised communities in the Mamelodi area. Many of the clients that seek legal advice from the law clinic are illiterate and live below the poverty line.

The clinic is in talks with other organisations regarding how best to advertise their services, while also spreading awareness of basic human rights in the community. The clinic relies heavily on word-of-mouth for marketing.

“People know about the existence of the Hatfield law clinic but they don’t know about us. It’s very embarrassing if people are moving from here to town seeking legal advice when they can come to our office. It’s just within walking distance,” Molepo said.

Most of their clients speak either Sotho or Zulu. The few pamphlets in the reception area are written in simplified English. This language barrier makes it difficult to advertise the clinic’s services.

Some areas in Mamelodi operate under a Ndebele chief known as a headman. The headman often adjudicates petty matters such as squabbles between siblings. “I think it (the headman) is a good thing,” Molepo said “The only problem I have is that they are not doing things in accordance with the laws of the land.” Molepo suggests a workshop to be set up to teach them how the law functions.

When the headman fails to resolve conflicts he refers the disgruntled party to the law clinic.

Another attorney, 28-year-old Jane Mabelane, who has been stationed at the law clinic since 2009 said, “Most women are not aware of their rights and their husbands abuse them. Many times the abuse lasts for a number of years before a more informed person points out to the woman that her relationship is unhealthy. The women then seeks legal help and more often than not request a divorce.”

Divorce is one of the most common cases the law clinic deals with, and job loss is cited as one of the most common cause for divorce, with abuse following in second. “You’ll find that the woman just married the man because the husband is employed,” Mbelane said.

If the husband is retrenched and remains unemployed, the woman may feel he is no longer a man because he cannot provide for her, and thus she will want a divorce. “I strongly believe that most divorce cases I have are of no sound reason, I’m sorry to say.” With regard to evictions, Mabelane said that previously the people did not have title deeds.

Both Lobang Molepo and Jane Mabelane agreed that there needs to be more done to acknowledge the existence of the Mamelodi law clinic. ‘We are the law clinic, if we can’t help them who, will?’ said Mabelane.

10 SUMMER 2011

Photos

The

Mamelodi Voice

Held in the hands of a young girl are two different worlds, captured in one lens.

PHOTO: LUKA-LEE RIBEIRO

The faces of Meetse-a-Bophelo learners beaming with excitement.

PHOTO : MONIQUE VERMEULEN

A learner enjoys summer and dances to the rhythm in Zakhele’s school courtyard.

PHOTO : ZAMA GABELA

A young girl enjoys a playful moment on a jungle gym at Zakhele Primary School.

PHOTO: DIKGANG KEKANA

A Meetse-a-Bophelo learner quenches her thirst with a refreshing drink of water.

PHOTO: ROBYN SIMPSON

The Mamelodi

Voice

Photos

SUMMER 2011

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Splashes of water trickle down as fruit is cleaned at a drinking fountain at Meetse-a-Bophelo.

PHOTO: ANNINE DORMEHL

Meetse-a-Bophelo students walk down the path of success.

PHOTO: ROBYN SIMPSON

Reflections: Looking at Mamelodi through the eyes of a Meetse-a-Bopelo learner.

PHOTO: ROBYN SIMPSON

A Meetse-a-Bophelo learner licks her plate in delight after enjoying food provided by the Takeni feeding scheme.

PHOTO: MONIQUE VERMEULEN

A girl peacefully daydreams under the trees at Zakhele Primary School.

PHOTO: JANA GROBLER

12 SUMMER 2011

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Mamelodi Voice

School builds foundation in English Nicole Ehlers ________________________________

Z

akhele Primary School in Mamelodi East, a Zulu-medium school, is preparing to become primarily English beginning in 2012. This is part of government plans as result of community pressure for a uniform medium of instruction in the early phases of schooling.

Plans are in place to introduce English from Grade R instead of grade 4. Teachers are uncertain as to whether the transition will occur, while the change-over has been planned by the Department of Education and school management.

The 2001 Census revealed that IsiZulu is the mother tongue of the largest portion of the population – 23.82%. While English is only the sixth most common mother tongue at 8.2%, it is the primary language in which the Matric exams are written.

In 2002, the Department of Education insisted that “the learners’ home language be used for learning and teaching wherever possible.” This, said the Department, was backed by the Constitution which proclaims in Section 29 that everyone has the right to receive education in the official language of their choice. This choice should be accommodated where it is “reasonably practicable.”

A learner works intently on his English homework.

The English Academy of Southern Africa says the mother tongue should be properly learnt and that research into cognitive science suggests that this process should take about 12 years from birth, the average age of a grade 4. However the academy also stresses that an English programme must be in place from an early age so that the transition to the language as a medium of instruction is not so jarringly foreign that students cannot compre-

hend the work. Boitumelo Ntuthi faces this problem. He is a fourth grade learner at Zakhele who said his performance in his schoolwork is not good and that he “wants to go back to Zulu [as] English is too difficult.”

A fourth grade teacher at Zakhele, Francina Molatubidi, says that the sudden transition to English as a medium of instruction is “too difficult” and most of the time she still needs to resort to explaining concepts in Zulu.

PHOTO: LISA DE KLERK She thinks it is important that children whose home language is not English start learning the language in primary school due to the lack of secondary schools which offer instruction in a language other than English and Afrikaans.

Speeltyd sorg vir ontwikkeling Lizette van Niekerk _______________________________ ‘N GLIMLAGGENDE SEUNTJIE hop rond op ‘n blou hopbal oor ‘n grasperk. Hy loop voor in die resies met sy arbeidsterapeut wat hom aanmoedig. Uitasem kom hy eerste in die resies.

Hierdie seuntjie kry behandeling by die arbeidsterapie-kliniek op die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) se Mamelodi-kampus. Kinders met gestremdhede speel nie outomaties soos kinders van dieselfde ouderdom wat nie gestremd is nie. Hulle sukkel ook om maats te maak. Daarom help die kliniek hierdie seuntjie om sy vaardighede te ontwikkel in die areas van selfsorg en speel, volgens me. Lené Wessels, die toesighouer van die kliniek.

Dié arbeidsterapie-kliniek het op 18 Februarie vanjaar oopgemaak. Die doel van die kliniek is om kinders se lewens te verbeter deur hulle te help om beter te funksioneer.

Die kliniek help kinders met gestremdhede soos serebrale verlamming en Downsindroom. Verder help hulle kinders met leerprobleme.

Wessels glo kinders se lewenskwaliteit kan verbeter word deur hulle te leer speel. “Dis moeilik vir byvoorbeeld ‘n kind in ‘n rolstoel om rond te beweeg en te speel soos sy maatjies, so definitief is sy ontwikkeling sleg beïnvloed en ook sy kwaliteit lewe,” het Wessels gesê.

Enige kind onder die ouderdom van agtien jaar word gratis behandel. Voor ‘n kind ‘n pasiënt word, word daar ‘n onderhoud gevoer met die ouers of toesighouers.

Hierdie onderhoud stel die probleme wat die kind

ervaar vas en bepaal watter behandeling van toepassing is op die kind. Daarna word die eerste terapiesessie bespreek.

Terapiesessies word tans deur die 33 vierdejaar arbeidsterapiestudente van UP behartig. Wessels en me. Michelle Janse van Rensburg, ‘n arbeidsterapeut, hou toesig oor hierdie sessies. Die behartiging van hierdie terapiesessies is deel van die studente se verpligte praktiese ure. Hulle sal tot Augustus by die kliniek wees.

“Die doel van die kliniek is om kinders se lewens te verbeter deur hulle te help om beter te funksioneer.”

Vir me. Alicia Wannenburg, een van die vierdejaarstudente, is dit belonend om met die kinders te werk. Dié beloning is vir haar om deel te word van die kinders se lewens en te sien hoe groot verskil sy in die pasiënte lewens gemaak het. ‘n Ander student, me. Lizelle Groenewald, ervaar ouers is nie altyd bewus daarvan dat ‘n kind ‘n gestremdheid het nie. Soms is daar meer as een probleem en die ouers is nie ingelig oor wat kinders op ‘n sekere ouderdom moet kan doen nie, het sy gesê.

Wannenburg het vertel dat van die kinders onderontwikkel is. Van die kinders wat hulle sien is nog nie reg om skool toe te gaan nie en volgens haar is dit ‘n groot probleem. Die kliniek is daar om hierdie probleme reg te stel.

Arbeidsterapiepasiênte tydens ‘n behandelingssessie in die buitelug.

FOTO: LIZE-M ARIE MULLER Die kliniek se dienste is goed vir die gemeenskap, volgens Wessels. “Dit sal lekker wees as die woord kan uitgaan. [Die kliniek] is ‘n goeie ‘add-on’ vir die gemeenskap.” Die personeel en studente is entoesiasties oor wat hulle doen en wil graag meer glimlaggies op kinders se gesigte sit.

Wanneer die

gemeenskap meer bewus raak van die kliniek se dienste, sal meer kinders se lewenskwaliteit verbeter word vanweë behandeling. Dit is soos die kliniek se leuse sê: gesonde kinders is gelukkige kinders.

The Mamelodi

Voice

News

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Meetse-a-Bophelo: a transformed school

The renovated Meetse-a-Bophelo’s doorway to the future.

PHOTO: KENT ERASMUS

The building, designed for 1200 learners, Kylie Stephen _________________________________ uses light-weight steel technologies in an architectural combination that is a first for UP UNTIL THE 12th of November of last year, South Africa. The new school comes with its the classrooms at Meetse-a-Bophelo were old, own library and computer centre, as well as a prefabricated buildings supplied by the nutrition Centre where learners are given government. meals that they would scarcely get at home.

Around 1 600 pupils from local townships Although there are 400 more learners attend the school. Many of them are either attending the school than it was designed for, orphans or have unemployed parents. the school is not as crowded as it was before “It was terrible, terrible,” says grade-three the new structure was built. learner Pholoso Matlombe. “When it rained, “Now the students don’t share desks and water came through our classrooms and it was tables,” says Nthite. just very bad.”

The new classrooms have been designed Johanna Nthite, a teacher at Meetse-a- as three wings around a central area to make Bophelo, painted a woeful picture of the use of north-facing façades that promote natprevious state of the school. ural ventilation, heating and cooling. The “Classes were held in shack-like classroom windows can be opened just below structures that were in a completely the sloping ceiling line so that natural ventiladilapidated state,” she says. “It would also tion regulates the temperature on hot days. get very hot inside so we would have to teach “The children were very impressed when outside. Then the dust would be a problem, they went to their new school for the first because there was no paving on the ground.” time,” says Nthite. “It is so much better Now, the 3593m2 school looks ill-fittingly now.” luxurious against its impoverished surroundThe principal, Patrick Sikhumbana is ings in Mamelodi, Pretoria. A partnership optimistic about the impact of the new between the Department of Basic Education structure. and ArcelorMittal South Africa saw R35 mil“The children will be more motivated, lion allocated to rebuild the school in 2009, teachers will teach better, and marks will which took 13 months to complete. improve,” he says.

Tuks vet clinic offers affordable care sterilization, as well as treating diseases such Zain Ebrahim _____________________________________ as distemper. The clinic also provides stabilization and general anaesthetic for animals in brick-faced structure on the the event of an emergency, but cannot University of Pretoria Mamelodi hospitalize the animals due to insufficient campus, the Mamelodi Animal equipment. In this case, animals in need of Health Clinic (MAHC), offers intensive medical care, involving complex more than a decorative purpose to domestic operations, are sent to the Onderstepoort animals and residents within Mamelodi.

Veterinary Animal Hospital (OVAH).

The MAHC is the only animal clinic with- The MAHC runs from 09.00 to 14.30 during in the surrounding areas of Mamelodi. This weekdays. The staff is comprised of clinic provides healthcare for domestic ani- veterinary students from the University of mals as well as animal care education and Pretoria who volunteer and work alongside veterinary sciences awareness for children.

Dr. Liebenberg, rotating between The clinic, led by head veterinarian Dr. Onderstepoort and Mamelodi, assisting Dr. Cherie Liebenberg, provides domestic animals Liebenberg with administrative work and with basic healthcare such as vaccinations and tending to sick animals. According to Dr.

A

Liebenberg, their outreach to the community will also be extended to job creation by employing an assistant, a nurse and a kennel man.

The clinic only charges the cost price of medical material for the treatment, with no labour charges incurred. The clinic has tried to encourage Mamelodi residents to bring their animals into the vet for treatment, vaccination and sterilization, and to take an interest in animal care by offering free dipping of dogs.

Dr. Liebenberg hopes to plan a day where Mamelodi residents can come into the clinic, dip their dog for free and receive a hotdog, as an initiative for people to take interest in animal healthcare and the clinic itself.

Other initiatives are to expose children to

A Bull Terrier’s ear has been cropped for illegal dog fighting as seen in the inserted photo by KEVIN VAN DER LIST M AIN PHOTO: CHANE M ACKEY

veterinary science, bridging the gap between the disadvantaged and veterinary science, creating interest within older students to get involved with veterinary sciences and educating the youth on better animal care. Dr. Liebenberg hopes the MAHC can acquire support from drug companies to help expand the clinic, helping them to vaccinate every dog in the community.

The MAHC has so far had 30 dogs in one day, showing the interest of the Mamelodi community increasing. Developmental plans involve the building of waste storage, as all medical waste has to be transferred to OVAH and the construction of more general procedure rooms.

Voluntary vets at the Mamelodi Animal Health Clinic treating dogs from the surrounding areas at a cost that the community can afford.

PHOTO: MELINA MELATAKOS

14 SUMMER 2011

Poetry

The

Mamelodi Voice

Meetse-a-Bophelo Primary School

2

1

Z U L U

3

P O E T R Y

The Mamelodi

Voice

Poetry

SUMMER 2011

15

Zakhele Primary School 3

1

Zakhele Winners

Meetse–a– Bophelo Winners

1st Place:

1st Place:

Nompumetelo Mthombeni

Amukelani Mothe

2nd Place:

2nd Place:

Gladys Mbatsape

Nobukhosi Ndlovu

3rd Place:

3rd Place:

Acia Mathnlengroe

Annah Skhasana

Prizes!

First Place: Schoolbag filled with stationery Soccer ball Sweet hamper Second and third place: Schoolbag filled with stationery

Note from Deputy Editor Annine Dormehl _________________________________

2

The staff members of The Mamelodi Voice invited all fifth-grade learners from Meetse-a-Bophelo and Zakhele primary schools to take part in our newsletter’s exciting poetry competition. The competition allowed the learners to reflect on their thoughts about their community of Mamelodi and their school environment. All the poems we received from the learners

were creative and unique and brought a great amount of joy to our newsroom. The Mamelodi Voice staff would like to thank Mathapelo Sehloho, Tsholo Diale, Lieza Hammond and Belinde Dormehl from AfriSam for sponsoring the prizes for the first, second and third places from both schools. We hope the poems will put a smile on your face and bring a bit of Mamelodi happiness to your day.

16 SUMMER 2011

News

The

Mamelodi Voice

Students help at centre for the disabled Dianne Chapman __________________________________

T

he final-year occupational therapy students of the University of Pretoria (UP) offer free, practical training in therapeutic treatment of the disabled at the Bophelong Centre for the Disabled in Mamelodi.

Since the establishment of the UP occupational therapy clinic at the Mamelodi campus on the 18th of February this year, it has provided the community with free treatment.

Therapeutic services are provided by the final year occupational therapy students.

The students visit centres for the disabled weekly, with the aim of training caretakers for the disabled. The training consists of a basic overview of therapeutic treatments.

By the end of April there were 35 cerebral palsy patients at the Bophelong Centre between the ages of one and 23. Ms. Busi Hlongwane (42), manager of the centre, says she is thankful for the students’ help and she only wants the best for her patients. “I have a passion for the disabled at the centre,” she says.

There are three voluntary caretakers working together with the students at the centre.

Their focus is to treat the disabled through exercises. The three women take care of the patients. The patients’ levels of disability vary, thus different therapeutic treatments must be used. Much treatment is needed to see a change in the patients’ condition.

Ms. Fiona Millan (22), one of the students involved with the centre, says therapy is needed to help disabled people live their lives as normally as possible. She says intense therapy is especially important for children because their bodies are still developing.

“The patients at the centre don’t get all the therapy that they need, but the caretakers provide a service that will prevent further disability,” Millan says.

One of the caretakers, Ms. Julie Malgas (44), says she has a passion for children and wants to see a change in their lives. Malgas completed a six month course on the treatment of the disabled at an evangelical ministry. She says the treatment is effective.

“I can see the improvement in the children’s condition already.”

The centre was initiated and is driven by

PHOTO: SOMARIE GRAVETT

An O.T. lecturer helps children with exercises. the Charity and Faith mission church.

Hlongwane and Malgas, as members of the church, volunteered at the centre.

Pastor Titius Sithole (45), manager of the Charity and Faith Mission Church, hopes to be able to help more people in the future. “I want the centre to be a twenty-four-seven care centre and to extend to other

communities,” says Sithole. A goal he would still like to achieve in 2011.

According to Sithole the training sessions at the centre are making a big difference. He is thankful for the training the students provide.

“The students help the caretakers and, us as well, to reach our goals,” Sithole says.

Across

Down

1.

2.

5.

7.

9.

10.

15.

18.

20.

21.

Famous Street in Soweto having had two Nobel Prize winners as its residents.

South Africa surrounds this country.

The largest correspondence university in the world.

Legislative capital of South Africa.

South Africa has a colony of this bird on its West Coast, thanks to the cold Antarctic currents.

The world's largest ultra-marathon.

This animal appears on the 200 rand note.

This animal appears on the 50 rand note.

Judicial capital of South Africa.

See answers on page 18

3.

4.

6.

8.

11.

12.

13.

14.

16.

17.

19.

This region is home to some of the best dinosaur fossils in the world.

The world's highest commercial bungee jump.

South Africa is the world's second largest exporter of this in the world.

South Africa is the world's largest supplier of these nuts.

South Africa is home to the longest what route in the world?

How many provinces are in South Africa?

The world's largest open water swim.

Administrative capital of South Africa South Africa's national animal.

South Africa's national flower.

South Africa's national fish.

This waterfall is the second highest in the world.

The Mamelodi

Voice

News

SUMMER 2011

17

Meetse-a-Bophelo: More than just a school Ruan Mulder _________________________________

“H

elp in any way we can” seems to be the unofficial school motto for a group of teachers dedicated to making Meetse-a-Bophelo Primary School in Mamelodi, better able to cater to its children’s most dire needs.

Meetse-a-Bophelo was established 20 years ago as a cluster of prefabricated buildings. In 2009 ArcelorMittal South Africa implemented a building project that looks set to change the future of many of the students at the school for the better. After its completion, stands a media centre comprised of a library and computer room, an administration building, classrooms for 1 200 learners, and a nutrition centre with a kitchen and storeroom. In total the project’s cost came to about R34-m and will lay the foundation for many of the school’s successes.

“We help them as much as we can. In the end it’s because of their heart and determination that they do so well.”

One such success is that of the track team.

The school's head coach, Mr. K. Maleka, in charge of all sporting activities, says although soccer is his favourite sport, the track team has made him the most proud. “These boys don’t get any specialised training. They come to school to learn, but it’s after school that they really can’t wait for,” he says. “We help them as much as we can. In the end it’s because of their heart and determination that they do so well.”

In 2009 one of their boys reached the national championships and won a silver medal with

the help of teachers and the coach. The following year two of their boys reached the finals of the national championships but unfortunately did not place. Cletis Mulaydi is one of these stars and he says his teachers are like mentors to him. “They give me advice and help me do well,” says Cletis. “I’m here because I love sports and the kitchen makes it the best.”

The kitchen in the nutrition centre is at the core of the feeding scheme - an important part of the school’s success. Lunch is prepared daily for all the children for whom, coming from a poor community where most of them do not get any food from home, it becomes something of an event. The food helps the children concentrate in class, according to Matilda Matli, one of the senior teachers at the school. “The feeding programme is a big help, and it motivates the children to do better and enjoy school in the process,” she says.

“Striving for excellence” is what headmaster

Patrick Sikhumbana wants for his teachers, and when asked how he will achieve this, he replies: “Through good leadership and high levels of involvement.”

Many of the boys and girls in the school become like their children, according to Mrs Shole, the school’s counsellor. The teachers unofficially ‘adopt’ children in order to help them with food or clothing. “We try to help in any way we can,” says Mrs. Shole. Shole heads a core team to help many of the children in the school with learning disabilities or problems at home. By going to the root of the problem—the home, she says, many of the problems the children experience at school can be fixed.

Zakhele – Ray of hope ceived the materials to repair it. Learners take William van Jaarsveld _____________________________________ the warnings to avoid the dump seriously.

With the change happening in the dump, it ZAKHELE is a little school in the heart of will turn into a safe playground surrounded by Mamelodi, framed by residences and a dusty palisades, the school is otherwise functioning field. Children in mixed uniforms play marwithout any other major set-backs. bles in the dust, dance, and climb jungle-gyms This begs the question why Zakhele is a during recess, then head back to their classsuccess story when so many other schools that rooms each filled with about 30 students. do not rely on charity are struggling.

Zakhele is known as a school for the Firstly the government subsidy is a con‘poorest of the poor.’ The families of the chil- stant and reliable income with which the dren cannot afford to pay for their tuition of school can maintain a budget. The subsidies R100 per month, and they rely on money from and charities help relieve a lot of problems fund raisers, donations, and government that might be present in other schools which grants. It is the combination of government struggle financially. subsidy and charity that pays for everything While the socio-economic situation for the from stationery to library books to the com- children might look grim, and some of them puter laboratory. might never make it past primary school, they The school still has its share of problems - are given an opportunity denied to many other one being the dump site that lies on the school children in similar or even slightly better posigrounds. Littered with trash, hypodermic tions, thanks to the combination of governneedles and used condoms, the site is a dan- ment subsidies, fund raising projects and the gerous place for children. skilful application of resources.

A baby abandoned in a dustbin, and inThese children are prepared for the future stances of rape have been reported at the site. with the expectation of achievement that all This dump site is exposed to the neighbour- youth deserve. hood through a hole in the fence.

The fence has been left unattended for years and the school has only recently re-

The hand that feeds A volunteer’s hand rests on a table at the feeding centre at Meetse-a-Bophelo Primary School, where approximately 1600 pupils are given a hearty meal every day. Takeni, a non -governmental organization, works with the school to provide this basic need.

SEE PAGE 6 FOR THE STORY. PHOTO: CHANE M ACKEY

With government subsidies and fundraising projects, this student can see through the broken surroundings towards the promise of a new tomorrow.

PHOTO: RUAN MULDER

18 SUMMER 2011

News

The

Mamelodi Voice

Zakhele – Bazakhele

Abaningi babafundi baseZakhele, baphila S’buyiselwe Mthembu _________________________________ izimpilo zokuhlupheka kanti futhi bondliwa yi-feeding scheme yahulumeni esetshenziswa Nkosikazi Thandi Mnguni, yis’kole. uNkosikazi Mnguni, nothisha bakhe onguthishomkhulu waseZakhele, bafundisa abafundi izifundo zempilo ezizousekwenze konke isikole ebesi- basiza phambili. Inhloso yakhe, ukubafundisa mucele kona: Zakhele. Ndawonye ukuziphatha kahle, nenhlonipho. “Lezi yiznothish’asebenza nabo usekwazi ukwakha ifundo abaningi babo abangazifundi emakhalesikole ngokuziqhenya kanti futhi nan- ya, ngibafundisa ukuthandana nokuziphatha gomthetho, ukuze isikole sibe esinye esip- ngendlela efanele,” kusho uMnguni. hambili emphakathini waseMamelodi.

Ngosizo lwesonto lasemphakathini, EntokoIklasi lakhe lezinombolo liyub’khazikhazi, zweni, is’kole sikwazi ukusiza abafundi ligcwele amashadi ayimbalabala ezindong- abangu-20. Izingane zingadla, zenze umweni, kanti futhi nabafundi abamatasatasa sebenzi wes’kole, zicule kanti futhi ngokuqoqa, uNkosikazi Mnguni ehleli etafu- zithandaze. Isonto libanika izincwadi, nezinto leni lakhe eliphithizelayo, emaka. Njengoba zokubhala, libafundise ukufunda nencwadi uMama eyinhliziyo yekhaya, uthishomkhulu eyingcwele(iBhayibheli). uNkosikazi Mnguni uyinhliziyo yesikole. uthembele ekutheni inhlonipho iqhamuka Ukufudumala kwakhe kwesimame ebant- ngokukholwa. “uNkulunkulu kumele simuwaneni, kumenza umuntu okwazi ukukhu- beke kuqala kukho konke esikwenzayo, luma naye kalula, ngezinkinga zase’skoleni kungenxa yezifundiso zakhe izingane zami nezasekhaya. “Uyena kuphela uMama wami, zifunda inhlonipho nothando.” ngiyamuthanda,” kusho uShaun Masilela Izakhele iziqhenya kahulu ngomtapho ongumfundi webanga lesihlanu. wezincwadi omusha eskoleni, oqhakaza

u

ngemibala nezithombe ezinhle. Ukwakhiwa kwaleLibrari kuvumela ukuthi abafundi bahlale bakhululeke uma befunda amabhuku abo agcwele ulwazi. Konke lokhu bekungeke kufezeke ngaphandle kosizo lweMamelodi Trust Fund nabafundi abasizayo baseRutgers eUSA. IZakhele isizigqamise kakhulu yathola nodumo khona emphakhathini waseMamelodi kanye naphesheya, lapho bethola iminikelo evela kwabase British Educational Suppliers Associate(BESA). Besebenzisana nabafundi baseRutgers bakwazi ukuthi banikele ngamabhuku kanye nefenisha entsha.

IMamelodi Trust Fund iqembu elaqalwa eUK, lakhona besiza ngokufunda nokufundisa eMamelodi. “uThandi ungummeli omuhle wasemphakathini wakhe eMamelodi, nxa evakashela eUK kanye naseUSA eyokhuluma ngakwaziyo ngokufundisa,” kusho uHelen Smith, ummeli waseMzansi Afrika weMamelodi Trust Fund. “Ngikholelwa ukuthi uThandi unguthisha oqhakazayo futhi onesiphiwo

sokusebenzisana nabafundi bakhe. Uhlezi efuna izindlela zokukhulisa nokuthuthukisa ulwazi lwakhe.” “uNkosikazi Mnguni unomusa futhi uyisibusiso kulesikole,” kusho uBen Skhosana ogada isikole. Yena usesebenze’ Zakhele iminyaka engu-9. uSkhosana umchaza njengomuntu ongcwele, “ukufika kwakhe la akukho esisakubonile ngaphandle kwempumelelo,” kusho uSkhosana.

“IZakhele ayifikile la engithanda ukuthi ifike khona- asiqedile,” kusho uMnguni. uNkosikazi Mnguni ubona is’kole sakhe siyisikole esiphezulu esiyi-Model C, konke nendawo yokubhukuda, indawo yemidlalo, ingadi, itechnology entsha, nakho konke okudingakalayo ekusizeni kwempumelelo yemfundo. Uthando analo lwalezizingane lugudluza zonke izivunguvungu zempilo enzima yase lok’shini, kunjalo wakha is’kole esikhulayo.

“Lezingane, ziyikusasa lethu kumele sizibumbe ngendlela,” kusho uMnguni.

Imininingwane yaseZakhele •

iZakhele Primary School yakhelwe’ Mamelodi East.

• •

Kunabafundi abangu-380 eZakhele.

Uthishomkhulu waseZakhele uNkosikazi Thandi Mnguni, osesebenze iminyaka engu-14.

•

Bathola iminikelo ebasizayo, evela kwabaseBritish Educational Suppliers Associates(BESA), nabafundi baseRutgers eUSA.

•

Umtapo wezincwadi waseZakhele owubukhazikhazi wakhiwe kabusha kulonyaka.

Crossword answers

Abafundi baseZakhele bagxunyiswa yinjabulo sebethole ithuba lokudlala ebaleni.

MAMELODI LAW CLINIC WHERE: UP Mamelodi Campus COST: free of charge to low income clients OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 16:00

Across:

Down:

1. Vilikazi 5. Lesotho 7. Unisa 9. Cape Town 10. Penguin 15. Comrades 18. Leopard 20. Lion 21. Bloemfontein

2. Karoo 3. Bloukrans 4. Fruit 6. Macademia 8. Wine 11. Nine 12. Midmar Mile 13. Pretoria 14. Springbok 16. Protea 17. Galjoen 19. Tugela Falls

PHOTO: ZAMA GABELA

→ Over 3 000 books, magazines and DVDs →9 9 public access Internet computers →Free Free Science programs each Wednesday → Games and interactive displays.

•Chess club • Boys’ and Girls’ clubs • Mamelodi Initiative After School program • Science Reading room • Computer Literacy Classes • Math English and college access classes•

TEL: 012 842 3631 EMAIL: piet.breedt@up.ac.za

Is free to students and teachers from schools in the Mamelodi township.

Located on University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi Campus on the corner of Hans Strydom and Hinterland

The Mamelodi

Voice

Sport

SUMMER 2011

19

Batlhatlhi ba dipapadi ba hlohleletja baithuti ba Meetse Tinswalo Mlangeni wa mengwago ye 15 Nqabomzi Bikitsha _________________________________ yo e kilego yaba moithuti go tšwa sekolong se, o ithaopile go tlhatlha banenyana bao ba a mehla gare ga beke go tloga ka ralokago kgwele ya maoto le netball matsatši iri ya boraro baithuti ba Meetse-a a mangwe. O dira se ka ge a rata dipapadi le -Bophelo Primary School ba go thuša baithuti ba bangwe. raloka dipapadi tša go fapana ka Sammy Khanyile o thomile go ba maitapišo a batlhatlhi bao ba sa lefyego ba motlhatlhi wa rugby sekolong se ngwaga wa thuša fela ka lerato. go feta morago ga gore a šome mmogo le Dipapadi tše di ralokwago ke tše di mokgahlo wa go ikemela kanoši (NGO) o latelago: kgwele ya maoto, rugby, tša mabelo, bitšwago Passa Bolo. Passa Bolo ke volley ball, krieket, le netball. Ba bangwe ba tšhotšhometšo ya Blue Bulls le Mamelodi batlhatlhi ba rometšwe ke ba lefapha la Rugby Association go tlhatlha baithuti ba dipapadi, bangwe ba tšwa go ditho goba dikobo di magetleng go tša rugby. Pass Bolo mekgahlo ya go ikemela kanoši, mola ba e thomile go šomišana le sekolo sa Meetse-abangwe ba itletše ka sebona. Sekolo ga se Bophelo ngwaga wa go feta. Tlhatlho ya kgone go ka thwala batlhatlhi ba dipapadi, rubgy e tlile le ditšhitšhinyego, go ya ka barutisi le bona ba apalelwa ka lebaka la Khanyile. Bontšhi bja batho ba Mamelodi ba mošomo yo ba tshwaranego nao. dumela gore ruby ke papadi ya babašweu le

K

gore e kotsi kudu. Ba na le kgopolo ya gore rugby etshwanetše dikolo tša sekgoweng (Model C) fela e sego ba lekeišene. Khanyile o holofela go fetola dikgoplo tše bjalo ka go sǒma le mokgahlo wa Passa Bolo.

Batlhatlhi sekolong sa Meetse-a-Bophelo ba ikhwetša ka sebaka ba na le bothata bjo bo amanago le tšwelopele ya mošomo wa bona ka lebaka la ditšhitšhinyego tšeo ba gahlanago natšo. Tlhoko ya dinyakwa tša rugby ke bothata bjo bogolo lege nako e ngwe thušo e tšwa go baithaopi go tšwa mokgahlong wa Mamelodi Trust.

Bana bao ba dulang kgole ka sebaka ba palelwa go bonala dipapading ka tshwanelo, goba ba sepela pele go fifala.

Sekolo se se nale di nonwane tša phenyo dipapading. Ka 2009 omongwe wa moithuti go tšwa sekolong sa Meetse-a-Bophelo o

thopile medale wa silivera diphadišanong tša Athletics National Championships mola ka 2011 baithuti ba babedi ba kgonne go fihlela mafelelong a mantšhana mantle. Go ba gona ga batlhatlhi ba, go tlišitše tšwelopele. Tlhogo ya Meetse-a-Bophelo Morena Patrick Sikhumbana orile ka 2005 ge sekolo se se tlhamiwa, ba ithaopa gore ba rata go tšwelela ka tša dipapadi. Tšwelopele dipapading ke maitapišo le maikemišetšo go tšwa go batlhathli le baithuti. Morena Sikhumbana ore, re a mo tsopola, “Dipapadi di loketše baithuti gore ba hwetše dithuto ka botlalo.”

Bontšhi bja batlhathli bare ba rata mošomo wa bona go tšweletša bokgoni (talente) go baithuti. Khanyile ore, re a mo tsopola, “Ke rata go bona seo baithuti ba rata go ba sona (bokamoso).”

Real-Madrid Soccer Project in action

The imFunda project bringing children of Mamelodi together to sharpen their soccer skills at the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi Campus. The children are given quality gear and kit that makes them feel part of a team. The project kicked off at the beginning of 2011 with the help of foreign funding and local enthusiasm. After a bumpy start, practices now seem to be running smoothly.

PHOTOS: M ARELI OLIVIER (TOP LEFT), PRAISE M AGIDI (TOP RIGHT) & STEPHAN SCHOLTZ (BOTTOM)

The Mamelodi

Voice

Sport

SUMMER 2011

20

Admin problems hamper project Stephan Scholtz _________________________________ THE IMFUNDA project is a joint venture between the Komati foundation and the Real Madrid Foundation (RMF). Since the project started in January this year, it has had many problems. Teachers disappearing from the project as well as poor transport arrangements for the children have brought the project down.

The project entails social integration and a soccer academy, where the children of Mamelodi are taught life lessons. They also receive tuition after school hours. Forty children from five schools in Mamelodi were chosen to partake in the project. Teachers from the schools help with the after-school tuition and the foundation works along with

“Teachers disappearing from the project as well as poor transport arrangements for the children, have brought the project down.”

TuksSport, which handles the coaching.

Dr. Dan Tokoane, campus liaison manager of the University of Pretoria’s Mamelodi campus, says the program is successful under these circumstances. According to Tokoane, transport is the biggest challenge. “To get the learners from the various schools to the university and back home again, is still a problem.” Not all learners are involved with

the programme that takes place on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

According to Andreas Merino, secretary general of the RMF, this year is a trial run and more attention will be paid to transport in 2012. Until then the teachers’ fuel costs are covered to transport the children.

However, there are days when the teachers do not pitch for the afterschool teaching.

In these cases the children follow the soccer programme. According to Merino, this is because the teachers require training from the department of education.

Because the project is voluntary, the teachers do not get paid. They are however compensated for the fuel and are trained in various subjects.

According to the RMF website the children should be taught within a Spanish sys-

tem. The system’s subjects include mathematics, science, languages, life orientation and computer training. There are no computers for the learners to use and the children only do homework received from the schools. One parent however, who wishes to remain anonymous, feels the program focuses solely on soccer.

The fellow coordinator and organiser of the project, Mokgethi Maleka, says every day is a challenge.

According to her the administration of the project is a challenge, especially with regards to the education.

The Real Madrid soccer club will not get involved to recruit talented players. “The main priority of the program is that children should finish school and then go to university,” Merino said.

Mamelodisokkerprojek kom op dreef Mareli Olivier ________________________________

D

ie Mamelodi sokkerprojek, onder leiding van die Real Madrid Foundation en die Komati Foundation, het in Januarie vanjaar afgeskop.

Ten spyte van verskeie probleme, onder andere vervoerprobleme, leerder afwesigheid en ’n tekort aan kompetisie, het hierdie inisiatief sy eerste babatreë geneem.

Die projek, imFunda Sosiale Integrasie en Sport, beloof volgens Andrew Woghiren, van die Komati Foundation, om nog hoë hoogtes te bereik.

Internasionaal erkende sokkerklub, Real Madrid, het op 25 Junie 2010 aangekondig hulle beplan om deur die Real Madrid Foundation een van hulle sosiale akademies in Mamelodi te open.

Volgens ’n persverklaring is Emilio Butragueno Santos, direkteur van Real Madrid sokkerklub, se publieke sake en institusionele verhoudings, vol vertroue dat Mamelodi sowel as Soweto die ideale plek vir hierdie projek is. Volgens Santos gebruik die projek sportwaardes, dissipline, verdraagsaamheid en spanwerk om die persoonlikheid en werksetiket van die leerders te ontwikkel.

Hy het klem daarop gelê dat Real Madrid nie opsoek is na jong talent nie.

Volgens Dr. Dan Thokoane, die Mamelodi -kampus skakelingsbestuurder, is die projek suksesvol onder die omstandighede. “Dit is nog ’n relatiewe nuwe projek, maar die kinders geniet dit en neem deel daaraan,” het hy gesê.

Die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) dra tans by tot die sokkerafrigting by Mamelodi deur twee keer ’n week sokkersessies aan te bied.

Die sessies vind by die Mamelodi kampus van UP se sokkervelde plaas.

Hierdie weeklikse oefeninge sluit algemene oefening, fiksheid en spesifieke sokkeronderrig en tegniekontwikkeling in.

“Met my eerste dag het ek nie geweet hoe om sokker te speel nie, en nou weet ek.”

Tans is daar 40 seuns en meisies tussen die ouderdom van 10 en 14 jaar wat afgerig word.

Hierdie leerders kom van vyf verskillende skole in die omgewing en is volgens Dr. Thokoane die armste van die arm kinders.

Veli Madau, speler vir die UP Sasol dames sokkerspan en projekafrigter, sê konsekwentheid is die belangrikste aspek van die sokkeroefeninge. “Die geleentheid wat hierdie kinders kry is ongelooflik en dit bemoedig selfs vir my. Hulle moet net aanhou om op te daag vir die afrigting.”

Mandla Skosana, voormalige UP-student in Sportbestuur asook projekafrigter, is egter bekommerd dat die kinders nie kans kry om wedstryde teen ander spanne te speel nie.

“Ons doen alles met die afrigting wat ons kan, maar as die kinders niemand het om teen te speel nie, verloor hulle maklik entoesiasme,” sê hy. ‘n Tekort aan entoesiasme is egter nie te bespeur in Thabeng Mosue nie, tans ’n graad 3 leerder, wat opgewonde vertel dat hy eendag ‘n aanvaller wil wees vir Real Madrid. In sommige kinders se geval is dit baie eenvoudiger as dit. “Ek wou net leer om met ‘n bal te kan speel. Met my eerste dag het ek nie geweet hoe om sokker te speel nie, en nou weet ek,” vertel die tienjarige Marepo Magakwe.

Mokgeti Maleka, mede-koördineerder van die projek, is baie tevrede met hulle vordering tot dusver. “Almal betrokke by die projek wil hê dit moet suksesvol wees. Op hierdie oomblik is dit spoedig besig om op koers te kom en dit is alreeds in ’n baie Een van die kinders betrokke by die sokkerprojek oefen haar sokkervaardighede.

FOTO: STEPHAN SCHOLTZ gevorderde stadium.” Volgens Woghiren is