Children’s School program

Stödet till skolbarn är en av våra basverksamheter, som ska fortgå oavsett vilka nya projekt som kan tänkas komma ifråga.
Från och med 2020 kan 450 barn numera gå i skolan tack vare stödet från svenska givare. Det sydafrikanska skolåret börjar i januari och skolkläder, skor och skolmaterial delas vanligtvis delas ut kring jul och nyår. Då är det bråda tider för Zibuse och hans medarbetare. De trogna frivilliga medarbetarna, nödvändiga för alla grenar av hjälpverksamheten, brukar varje år få en julgåva i form av ett paket med livsmedel till familjen.

Barn som gått i skolan får med sig baskunskaper i läsning, skrivning och räkning, som ger en bättre start i livet. Hundratals har passerat skolprogrammet genom åren och många av dem är nu vuxna. Flera har fått bra jobb i lokalsamhället eller på andra orter och lyckats skaffa sig en relativt ordnad tillvaro. 

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The goal with the Children’s School Program is to support young girls and boys so that they can start or conclude their studies in school. The school is free of charge in South Africa but it’s mandatory to wear school uniform. Not affording to buy a uniform hinders a lot of kids in Pongola.
Each support package includes a school uniform, a pair of shoes, a belt to the trouser, a pair of socks socks and a pair of underwear.
Below you will find some of the boys and girls that are included in the Children Support Program. They will get their support packages during December to be ready for the school start beginning of January.
During 2020 the number of children who get this support has increased to 450!
Below you can read about some of the children in the program.

	Nomasonto Hlatshwayo She is 18 years old doing 9 at Enhlanhleni secondary school. She is an orphan. They are 13 in the family. She got a skirt, shirt, underwears, socks and shoes from AKNMF.
	Mzuvukile Alaska Manqele He is 13 years old , doing grade 7 at Simandlangentsha Primary school. He still have both parents but who are all not employed who also never married and stay seperately. He is therefore brought up under a single parent. They are 8 in the family living in a government house. He got a shirt, trouser, underwears, socks and shoes from AKNMF.
	Nosipho Ncobela She is 15 years old doing grade 11 at Phongolo high school. She has a single mother who is not employed. She belongs to the family of 6. She received a skirt, underwears, socks, shoes and a shirt from AKNMF
	Sabelo Ncobela He is 12 years old. He is doing grade 6 at Simandlangentsha. He has a single unemployed mother. He belongs to a family of 6. He got a trouser, underwears, socks, shoes and a shirt from AKNMF.
	Xolani Buthelezi He is 10 years old doing grade 3 at Magadlela Primary school. He has a single unemployed mother in the family of 5. He got shoes, pants, socks, underwears and shirt.
	Ntombifuthi Ntshangse She is 8 doing grade 2 at Sinothando JP school. She is an orphan living with Gogo in the family of 11. She received underwears, socks, tunic and shoes from AKNMF.
	Sne Amahle Magagula She is 12 doing grade 7 at Smandlangentsha hp school. She has a single unemployed mother in the family of 11. She received underwears, socks, shirt, skirt and shoes from AKNMF.
	Bhekisisa Nkosi He is 15 years old. He is doing grade 7 at Smandlangentsha hp school. He has got both unemployed parents in a family of 13. He got a trouser, underwears, shirt, socks and shoes from AKNMF.
	Ayanda Myeni She is 12 years old, doing grade 5 at Simndlangentsha hp school. She has a single unemployed mother in a family of 8. She received a skirt, shirt, underwears, socks and shoes from AKNMF.
	Philasande Sthole She is 17 doing grade 10 at Phongolo high school. She is an orphan and stays with her unemployed Aunt in a family of 7. She received a skirt, underwears, shirt, socks and shoes from AKNMF
	Luynda Nkosi He is 8 and doing grade 3 at Magadlela primary school. He has got both unemployed parents in a family of 6. He stays with his grand mother. He received a trouser, shirt, socks, underwears and shoes from AKNMF.
	Luyanda Khumalo He is the second child in the family of five. His mother is homeless and this has made it to be difficult for this young man who has been in and out of school due to the absence of financial support for school. Luyanda is 14 and he stopped schooling at grade 4. His mother is currently taking chronic medication. Luyanda is hoping to start grade five next year. Luyanda is not hoping for anything for Christmas since no one will buy him anything. His wish for Christmas is a school uniform so he could go back to school.
	Mthobisi Siphelele Nkonyane He is 18 years. Both parents are late. He has three other siblings who do not live with him but are surviving on social grants. He loves to go to school but has never been lucky to get financial support to go to school. Even though he is 18, he still wish to continue schooling where he left at grade five. He does not remember anyone buying him anything for Christmas. “If a person may wish to buy me anything for Christmas it is school uniform that I may choose”
	Mandisa Sisana Simelane She is a very bright young girl who is in grade one. She does not know her father and was abandoned by her mother after that her late grandfather had chased both Sisana and her mother away. Instead of killing and hiding Sisan, her homeless mother decided to abandon Sisana with the neighbor family. And she has been brought up that way.
	Sanele Sbiya A very outspoken young boy who lives in the sugarcane farms of Pongola. His mother is dead. He has never been to preschool since the preschool is 30 km away. When his father is out working this young man stays alone in his home which is surrounded by sugarcane and banana trees which are very much attractive to dangerous snakes like mambas and python. Several people have already been killed by snakes in this area. He do wish to go to school one day but it is very hopeless since the preschool is mandatory in South Africa to be prepared for grade R in school. We will find a solution and pay them who drive the kids to the preschool to also include Sanele in their transportation plans.
	Xolani Magagula He is also under the support of Gogo Magagula. He is 7 years in grade 1
	Sanele Linda     He is 16 years old and currently in grade 8. Both parents are alive but do not live together after their house was burnt down in August this year. Nothing came out of the fire. Books , certificates and school reports were all destroyed. He resorted to seek safety on the neighbors where he currently lives. His father is a temporal worker and whatever he gets  goes into liquor. His mother is not employed. A young girl who comes after Sanele is 15 has already had a baby.
	Nombulelo Magagula Her mother passed away and her father is unknown. She is doing grade 4 and she is helped by grandmother’s pension. Her grandmother is the one we spoke about living in a plastic roof house and later on corrugated iron room
	Nonhle Magagula She will be doing grade 1next year. She has just been bitten by a snake this month but the immediate response helped her. It is suspected that it was a small green mamba. She is surviving under Gogo Mbatha.
	Nomvula Nsibande She is from Gogo Nsibande. She is 13 doing grade 8 . Both her mother and father are late and she is an aids orphan.
	Tholinhlanhla Mazeka (Stolo) He is in grade 4. Living with his grandmother who is not employed.His mother Purity died of AIDS and the doctors were not willing to put her on the HIV program . The conduct of the health department was challenged on this but no one could come with a solid reason as to why she was not placed of HIV program
	Mzo Manqele He is doing grade 5 with single unemployed mother.
	Wandile Mazeka This is Stolos brother also surviving under unemployed grandmother. He is in grade 3.