NEWS, VIEWS & OTHER INTERESTING THINGS

The help2read Literacy Tutor Programme kicked off in 2018 with 112 dynamic young individuals, 65 of which were from Paarl, Wellington, Franschhoek and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape, and 47 from Diepsloot and Alexandra in Gauteng. The Tutors offered their learners the gift of reading for enjoyment through their one-on-one reading sessions and reading clubs. While they dedicated themselves to improving their learners’ literacy skills, the tutors became positive role models and gained the respect of their communities.

Western Cape Graduation Ceremony

On 30th November, the help2read team in the Western Cape celebrated the graduation of 56 tutors. all of whom had reached their goal and had successfully completed the 10-month programme. The ceremony celebrated their hard work and highlighted their achievements. The principals and teaching staff from the 7 schools that implemented the Programme in the Western Cape in 2018, as well as a representative from a community newspaper were invited to attend the celebration, hosted by Wes-Eind Primary School. Melody Volmink, who coordinates the programme, presented guests with an overview of the year through a photographic presentation, showcasing the most spectacular moments of the year. Individual reading sessions, group reading club sessions, spelling bees, Lego challenges, storytelling and reading and writing activities were captured and clearly showed the passion with which the tutors undertook the daunting task of fostering a love for reading within their learners.

The Tutors themselves have developed and grown in leaps and bounds during the year. Tiaan Papier, a Literacy Tutor who was based at Wemmershoek Primary took up the immense task of being the Master of Ceremonies. He proudly managed the agenda and kept all the speakers on their toes, ensuring that they adhered to their allocated time and task. The senior tutors were invited to share their thoughts on their leadership roles, highlighting their learnings and sharing with the team how the opportunity has encouraged them to further their studies and has opened the doors for new opportunities. Some of the first year tutors shared their learning experiences and indicated how this year had allowed them to make informed decisions around their own studies and has helped them to understand the difficulties that young learners face. Upon receiving their certificates, the tutors were beaming with pride.

Proud principals shared their experiences and gave an indication of the positive changes that they have seen at their schools since implementing the Literacy Tutor Programme. Mr. Saayman from Wes-Eind Primary, Mr. Boonzaaier from Wemmershoek Primary and Mr. Williams from Pauw Gedenk Primary sang the praises of the tutors who invested their time, energy and efforts, giving back to their communities. A proud moment for Mr. Boonzaaier was being able to identify tutors as former learners who attended the school not too long ago, and returned to plough back. He indicated that due to the programme the academic results of learners on the programme has improved, and he has seen the positive attitude changes that these learner’s display towards their school work.

Special Awards

As a way of acknowledging the literacy tutors who really stood out this year, and adding an element of fun, a collection of special awards was presented. The token of appreciation and acknowledgement was embraced by the recipients as well as the rest of the tutors. The “Drama Queen” trophy was awarded for the individual’s confidence and making her presence known. The “Joker” trophy was awarded for keeping the team spirits up, making time to laugh at work and putting a smile on someone’s face. The “Chatterbox” trophy winner kept every one informed and engaged. The “Leka-Jy” award trophy winner was always ready to serve, nothing was too difficult to accomplish, has a winning attitude and determination to get the job done. “Mr. Personality” is known as the gentleman, confident in himself, readily acknowledging his mistakes, and has developed and grown on a personal level.

The “Tutor of the Year” award was presented to an individual who displayed overall growth, developed her leadership skills, and is recognized for her kindness, her ability to build the confidence of others and being a role-model to her peers. She pushed herself to excel despite the difficulties experienced at the school. The speeches were concluded by the address of the Western Cape Programme Manager Vastrohiette Gilbert. Her words of encouragement to the tutors reminded them about the impact that they made on the lives of the learners, by being committed and willing to share a little bit of themselves. The help2read Managing Director, who was in the U.K at the time, conveyed a special video message to the tutors, encouraging them to keep the flag of help2read flying high.

Gauteng Literacy Tutor Graduation

We look forward to celebrating our Gauteng Literacy Tutors at their Graduation Ceremony on 13 December.

Life after Help2read…

The majority of the tutors will leave the programme and start a new journey either in the form of work or further studies.
Asiphe Nkumbi graduated from the University of Western Cape
Tuleka Tose, senior LT at Sobambisana Primary, was accepted into the B. Ed programme at UCT
Simthembile Kweleni, has found a space to be a radio presenter at the Khayelitsha community radio station
Sinazo Gabile, senior at Mbekweni, will be the new librarian at the local primary school in Mbekweni
Two tutors at Van Wyksvlei primary have been accepted by CPUT in Wellington to complete a three-year teaching course

Many are looking for opportunities to study Early Childhood Development part-time and working to support their families in 2019, while others have expressed interest to return as Literacy Tutors next year.

The tutors who left earlier this year have found permanent jobs in the hospitality industry, became computer lab assistants at schools in the area and continued their studies after acceptance mid-year.

Plans for 2019

We look forward to 2019 as we continue to strive to improve the implementation of the programme and selecting the best teams to serve and support the schools in the areas. Recruitment, interviews, training and induction process starts in January next year for our literacy tutors.