Project intro:
Back during the Soul Survivor 2009 events we told you about three initiatives we'd love to support financially. Before our evening meetings we showed videos introducing the idea behind each initiative and at the end of the week we asked you to vote on which project you thought should receive a portion of our summer offering. The chosen project focused on helping pupils at schools within Durban, South
Africa achieve better literacy rates.

Well, a few months down the line, you'll be really happy to know that your money is being put to brilliant use in and around Durban. Phil & Rach Bowyer, our Soul Action South Africa Coordinators have been running around like crazy getting the initiative off the ground, and it's all due to the money you guys donated! Here's where the project has got to so far.. it's an extract from a local Durban newspaper article, so things must be going well!

'The distressing disparity between the results achieved by rural and urban schools in the 2009 National Senior Certificate has provoked a good
deal of debate, with the result that a decision has been taken at national level to return to an educational focus founded on literacy and
numeracy.

The proof of the wisdom of this policy can be seen in the classrooms of Amaoti 3 School, where Soul Action South Africa’s Rachel Bowyer is heading a literacy project that is causing great excitement among both staff and learners.

The aim of the project is twofold: to equip the teachers to teach the children to read and write in English through modeling, team-teaching, developing appropriate resources, and lesson plans; and to empower the children to reach their full potential by learning to read and write in English.

Rachel, an experienced teacher who holds an Honours degree in Music and Mathematics as well as a qualification to teach adults and children with Specific Learning Difficulties, moved with her family from the UK to Durban in 2007. “We felt called to explore how we might use our time, skills and experience to benefit the poor and marginalized in some way,” explains Rachel simply.

Last year Rachel began to work with Durban-North based NGO Indlela, which was already working into two schools in the informal settlement of Amaoti, teaching a very successful Life-Skills programme. The Life-Skills team had identified low levels of literacy as an obstacle to the success of the programme and Rachel developed a programme to address this need, travelling to Amaoti 3 school once a week to teach two groups of learners who were struggling as well as to ‘team-teach’ a class of 69 children with one of the school’s teachers. The progress achieved by these children was both exciting and encouraging. 

As a result of money donated by delegates attending Soul Survivor’s 2009 festivals Rachel has been able to broaden the scope of the literacy project by employing two local people, who work at the school four mornings a week implementing the programme under her supervision and guidance.  When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon he said: “One small step for man; one giant step for mankind.” Indlela’s literacy project is a small step but all those involved believe that it will enable the children of Amaoti to take a giant step into a better future. '

Name: Kholiswa Mathangana
Age: 19

Kholiswa is a born again Christian young lady.  She grew up in the Amaoti community and completed her matric (final school exams) in 2008 at her local secondary school. 

Kholiswa likes going out, meeting new people, networking, watching TV and listening to music. Mostly she likes going to church and just being in the presence of God.

Kholiswa was raised by her mum, a single parent, and it was difficult growing up without a father.  But as she grew up she came to a level of acceptance and understanding.  She has three sisters who are still at school and Kholiswa lives with them.  It was hard for Kholiswa to accept that her mum couldn’t afford varsity (university) fees once she had completed her matric.  As a result of this she stayed at home for a couple of months and suffered with depression, she felt the situation was hopeless, but she continued to pray and trust God for a job.  He was faithful to her prayers and was employed by Lungisani Indlela as a receptionist.  Through having a job Kholiswa managed to save money and enrolled at varsity in June 2009.  She is studying a BA in social work as her passion is to work with children.

2010 brings its new excitement and challenges for Kholiswa as she has been employed as an education worker and is going to be working four days a week in one of the schools in Amaoti with the children.  Kholiswa says, “The lessons are going to have a great impact in the schools.  I think the children will really love our lessons especially since we balance our lessons regarding learning styles.  We will also be playing games with them to help them understand.”  Kholiswa is really trusting in God to help her work patiently with the children.

Prayer:  Please pray for Koliswa, that God would continue to bless her and that he would use her in a mighty way in the school.

Name: Nompumelelo Thusi
Age: 29

Nompumelelo was working at a clothing store and it wasn’t easy for her because she was only doing the job to make a living.  Before she went there she was able to do a life skills and leadership course at World Changers Academy in 2005. 

Nompumelelo regards this as the beginning of her life and she has never looked back since then.  The course shaped her and her world view changed.  She developed a strong passion to do something that would help her to accomplish her vision.  She is now a fourth year social work student.

From January this year Nompumelelo has been employed as an education worker and is going to be working four days a week in one of the schools in Amaoti with the children.  She will be teaching English to the Grade 2’s (7 year olds), Grade 3’s (8 year olds) and Grade 4’s (9 year olds).  Nompumelelo says, “This will be a big opportunity for me to make sure that I pass the knowledge to the children differently so that they understand, even the ones who have some difficulties.”  She is looking forward to working with the children, she wants to work to the best of her ability and be an example by the way she lives.

Nompumelelo knows that it is not just going to be teaching, that it actually needs to be impacting the children’s lives.  When she received the call and was offered the job she was very excited.  She has already acknowledged that it is making a difference to her life.  She made the comment, “What I like about the organization (Indlela) is that the people walk the talk, they are about the well being of the staff that makes the staff function at the top level.  I think this is going to be a place for me to develop spiritually, personally and career wise.”

Personally Nompumelelo wants to spend more time with her family.  She wants to be able to visit them more often as they are not living together.  She wants to save money through this year so she can build a home so she can live with her child and siblings.

Prayer:  Please pray for Nompumelelo, that she would be able to accomplish the vision that God has given her and that by the end of this year she will be able to live with her family.

Note:  The organizations Indela, Lungisani Indlela, and World Changers Academy are all part of Soul Action’s Network of Christian’s who are seeking God and serving the poor and marginalized throughout the city of Durban, South Africa.

GIVE NOW TO SOUL ACTION... BACK TO TOP...