Introducing a small project with mighty results

On any given weekday afternoon, you can arrive at Ethembeni’s Family Centre in Mpophomeni, the home of the Education Support programme (Ed Support) and find between 60 and 70 children ages 5 to 21 years engaged in meaningful academic activities. Facilitators are trusted, caring adults who lead small groups of about 15 children, helping them to do homework and projects. The children who attend regularly are diligent and committed.

This is an After School Programme (ASP) that started in 2012 and has been a source of support, education, and fun for hundreds of children since.

In their own words:

“I love Ethembeni because the Aunties (facilitators) love us, they help us with homework and sometimes they give us jerseys to make sure that we are warm in Winter.”
K.Z., 12-year-old.

“I love coming to Ethembeni because I get helped with my homeworks and projects.”
E.P., 12-year-old.

Why is such a programme needed? The schools in Mpophomeni are quintile 2 schools, serving the second most impoverished portion of the population. This picture illustrates the inequality gap between the different quintile school.

Source: After School Programmes in South Africa: The Investment Case by Joy Olivier, 2021

I sat down with Sindi Manyoni, the current manager of the Ed Support programme, to talk about what she does and why she does it…

Sindi, how did you end up working here?
In September 2017, Sofe (founder of the Ed Support programme), asked me to come and volunteer. I was working at PicknPay at the time. I gave up paid employment to come and volunteer here. A while later, Sofe advocated for us to receive a stipend which we did start receiving.

You left paid employment to volunteer here, why?
I’ve always had a passion for working with kids, and I feel like I want to make sure that I am their safe space. I really loved the job because I was studying towards a degree in teaching. It was so much fun! Being able to be there for the kids was important to me.

I went to Howick High, and I had teachers who were there for me, like Mrs Beard, my art teacher. If it wasn’t for Mrs Beard’s kindness to me… I want to be a Mrs Beard to those kids. I get so emotional when I talk about this!

Let’s talk about teen pregnancy, especially in Mpophomeni…
My pregnancy in Matric is not something I hide. I tell the girls what I went through, because honestly, it is so difficult. I talk about the challenges and the importance of continuing your education even after having a baby. Without a Matric, there is just nothing after school. I managed to finish my exams and I passed.

You are carrying on a legacy, mentoring and inspiring children every day. What are you hoping your legacy will be?
I hope this expands. I hope we do get funding; I would be so devastated if Ed Support were to stop. Even if they don’t have homework, some of them just need to be here because home is not always a good place for them to be.

What does it look like on a day-to-day basis in the centre?
It changes every day, and I feel like each term is different. Like term 3, last term, was project term and it was packed every afternoon.

What has Education Support Achieved?

• No girl child attending Education Support in the past 7 years has fallen pregnant whilst being a member of the programme.
• Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 38 learners stayed part of the programme and matriculated from it in grade 12. 36 of these 38 learners passed Matric.
• In 2023, 100% of the learners attending Ed Support who wrote Matric passed.
• Learners attending Education Support stay in school.

Given the context of education in South Africa, these are incredible achievements!

Please consider making a generous donation to the Ed Support programme this Christmas time.