29470112 Sulet Linde

note;The school on which Sulet wrote her article and where she did her photography practical are different schools.

“Given a chance I can.”

This is the motto of the Tshegofatsong Special School, the only school in the whole of the Mamelodi townships, that caters for children with disabilities with educational needs.

It was founded in 1984 by the Pretoria Mental Health Association and the former Department of Education and Training.

Because it’s the only special school they are crammed to the brim. “We are (still) overcrowded. We need more infrastructures and facilities,” said Jane Modisha, deputy principal. There are currently about 220 children in the school and only nine teachers. “There are an average of 32 children in each class and they’re very demanding.”

“Because we are nationally identified by the government we cater for all,” said Modisha. They supposedly only specialize in severe cases, but because it is a public/governmental school they accept moderately mentally disabled children too. They also make provision for partially blind and deaf, hyperactive and children with behaviour problems.

It is a no-fee school because it’s funded by the government. Parents don’t have to pay anything except transport for their children. Transport is very expensive. Some parents can’t even afford this.

The government only pay the running costs (feeding scheme, teachers, staff, water and electricity, etc) of the school (according to the Department of Education School funding norms). That leaves the school without funds for new infrastructures and facilities (especially for the workshops). It relies on donations.and sponsors - mostly from the community. This creates a problem – the school can’t fully rely on them, because the people are poor and most of them can’t even fully support themselves.

Another solution the school staff came up with is to start workshops. The workshops is their own unique way to pay for their own expenses (that expenses the government is not willing to pay). It’s a win-win situation. The workshops are also a way to emphasize the children’s strong points – the fact that they do better in practical skills. It is also a way to teach the children skills they can use after they leave the school.

They do the workshops during school hours.

These are the following workshops currently in use: Leatherwork, Home Economics, Art Class and two outdoor workshops. In Leatherwork they make Bible covers and key containers; in Home Economics they make beadwork (tableware and jewelry), and needlework (clothes, cushions) and in the Art Class they make sculptures, vases, paintings. The two outdoor workshops are carwashing and gardening.

They also had a bakery and a brick-making workshop, but these are no longer in use because of a lack of resources and funds.

They’re planning to start with woodwork and a laundry workshop this year, but still need some of the resources for example with the washing machines they have no room in which to store it.

They have two separate gardens on the school grounds. This workshop is already four years running/in use. One garden is solely for the school. They plant vegetables to sell or to use in the feeding scheme. They also allowed the community to start their own garden. During school hours you can see community members working in the garden. “They also help pull out the weeds,” said Gift Nkoana, an educator at the school and in charge of the gardening project.

Carwashing is a workshop they have for the more senior children. The community bring their cars to be washed. This is an after-school employment/working project for those children who are 19 and older who have to leave the school. “It’s a way to ensure they get a job and an income,” said Nkoana.

They sell the products they make during the workshops on street corners. This is not very succesful, because of the poor community and bad (if any) publicity. They also don’t know how and where to sell it. “We weren’t educated in business,” said Modisha.

“It is very hard. Every year feels like starting all over again,” said Modisha. But underneath it all Tshegofatsong is still a blessing for the community. “It’s like a second home for their children.”

For more information check out their website www.tshegofatsong.com or email them at tsh@netactive.co.za.