The Co-Operative, Governance and Tribal Affairs (COGTA) organised a holiday programme for the learners of Lekamoso, Vesukhono, Mpengesi and Barcelona schools in Etwatwa, Daveyton.
The programme was designed to help learners cope with the rigours of education and life, considering that they reside in one of the troubled areas in Etwatwa. various life skills practitioners addressed learners. Captain Ramothakhi Maqabe from the Etwatwa SAPS advised learners as did David Lephoto.
the Department of agriculture gave learners seeds to plant at home and gave a rousing lecture on the advantages of agriculture in developing nations.
Nthabiseng Chabeli gave them yoga and meditation dances while facilitators from Atleha Educational Workshops partnered with COGTA to ensure the event became a success.
COGTA and Atleha plan to run the workshop again in October and are keen to implement it through the province of Gauteng in the coming years.
Below are the testimonies of the leaners who attended the workshop.
LINDOKUHLE
MAZIBUKO
 |
| LINDOKUHLE MAZIBUKO |
Grade
8
Lekamoso
Secondary School
Greetings. My name is Lindokuhle Mazibuko.
I am going to tell you what I have learnt. I have learnt that in life I have to
be successful. Without education there
is no success, but first let me tell you what is success. Success means an
achievement of your goals and desires.
The
effects of having not having education are:
Poverty
Poor health
Poor sanitation
No values
The
four steps to success are:
Organise
Lead
Control
Now I done with success I am going to tell
you about friendships and relationships.
Bad
friendships
It is when bad friends always make you to
do bad things, for example:
Smoking
Dating
Good
friendships
Good friends that always make you t do good
things like, giving you good advice, helping you to achieve your goals; I have
learnt that in life I have to have good friends and not bad ones.
Now I am going to talk about hobbies.
Entertainment
hobbies
We do in our spare time, for example
Drawing
Playing netball
Watching movies
Cooking
Etc.
Money
hobbies
Thank
you
 |
| XOLISILE KAMBULE |
XOLISILE
KAMBULE
Grade
8
Lekamoso
Secondary School
I would like to thank the department of
agriculture and rural development, the department of co-operative and
traditional affairs and the department of education for giving me and others
this opportunity to get information and knowledge about what is happening in
our world.
I would also love to thank facilitators for
giving us their time to hear the little voices of our cry to be listened to by the world and for giving
us the courage and belief that we can make South Africa a better country too.
From the first day I have gained so much
that I am sure that the information will help me in the future sooner or later.
I have learnt a lot about relationships and friendships of how some might lead
you to the right and some to the wrong way.
Prosperity and peace make you think of what
you did in the past and what can you do to change and to keep reminding
yourself of what you want to do in the future. They keep reminding you of what you want to
achieve in life. Sometimes you can find yourselves in deep trouble because of
different types of pressures or find yourself even quitting because of them. And
I learnt about myself, who I am, and that I should know that I am not better
than the other person, no matter what. I have to love, I have to be kind and
care for everyone and everything that I see. And I should protect them too. I
have to think about other people to before I start to do anything. I have to
take care of the world, of the animals and the plants too. And as they say, I
can be small but I can do great things. And another one says ‘You will learn
until you die’.
 |
| CLARINHA NTSALI |
CLARINHA
NTSALI
Grade
7
Barcelona
Primary School
We learnt about relationships and
friendships. We also learnt about
success and peace and also steps to success, which are to plan, organise, lead,
and control. And we also learnt about talents, making money, surviving and
about our strong points.
Then we learnt about the agricultural
sector. They told us about career opportunities in agriculture. There are
indeed many opportunities in that sector like research, journalism, vets and
forestry where they produce wood. There is also nature conservation and we
learnt about equestrian farming.
 |
| NOMPUMELELO MAZIBUKO |
NOMPUMELELO
MAZIBUKO
My greetings to everyone.
As you all know my name is Nompumelelo
Mazibuko. In this programme I have learnt a lot, even the things I didn’t know.
I learnt about relationships and friendships. In friendships I leant that there
are certain things we must follow, by that I mean that we must be able to
choose good friends not bad friends (toxic friends) because if we choose bad
friends they may be a bad influence to us by giving us bad advices.
I learnt that it is better to be educated
than being uneducated we all know the effects of not having education. The
absence of education or too little of it results in poverty, crime, gangsterism,
teenage pregnancy etc.
And I have also learnt the four steps to
success which are to plan, organise, lead, and to control.
I learnt about extra mural activities which
are the activities that are outside the walls or limits of the school,
entertainment hobbies are the things that we do for fun without being paid and
money hobbies are the things that we do to earn money. I also learnt about the
SWOT analysis which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and
threats.
 |
| SELBY MOAHA |
SELBY
MOAHA
Grade
9
Lekamoso
Secondary School
In the first day we learnt about
friendships so that we may be able to choose good friends.
We were also told to form groups of four
each. Each group was given a different topic. Mr Kabeli Lichaba, Ms Fikile Matsinye, Ms. Nthabiseng
Mokgwatle and Ms Nthabiseng Rafapa assisted us on how to behave and facilitated
the topics on how you can make money in your future when you have grown.
We also did some yoga, which was really fun.
Some of the other topics we dealt with were
on discovering our talents, what re our strong points, how to let you hobbies make
you money. Other group activities included topics on poverty. Ms Manyitse, also
gave us two words and we were supposed to write a paragraph on each word. My
two words were mistakes and failure.
Then we were people who come to educate us
about something we knew nothing about. They were from the department of
agriculture. Many of the things they said were so unfamiliar but it got better
as they trolled along. Did any of you know that there people who are specialists
on horse farming and were called equestrianism? And he also told us where you
can study agricultural
Mr Kabeli asked us to write our strong
points down and so we learnt about the SWOT analysis. And how can we I forget
the food we ate all week? On day one we
ate the delicious slices, and on day 2 we had samp, gravy and meat, mmm…so
mouth watering, and the following day we feasted on rice, meat, cabbage,
chakalaka, and juice.
So we had fun in the development. It was
like we were family but indeed we are a
family.
Thank you
THANDO
BUTSHINGI
 |
| THANDO BUTSHINGI |
Grade
8
Lekamoso
Secondary School
I learned a lot about friendships and
relationships and peer pressure when it comes to friendship. I have learned the four steps in order to be
successful which are to plan, organise, lead and control.
I have learned about extra mural activities
(things which I do when I am not at school) money hobbies (these are things I
do and will earn me money), entertainment hobbies (things I do for fun) and I
have learned about educational hobbies. And I have discovered new things regarding reading. I learned about
agriculture and that there are careers in agriculture like researchers,
journalists, animal health technicians, agricultural engineers, forestry,
nature conservationist and equestrianism.
I
was taught to discover my strong points and how can I use these to make money
and also to survive.
BUHLE PHIRI
 |
| BUHLE PHIRI |
Phandimfundo
Secondary School
I
learned a lot from you guyz (sic). You have made me learn about right and wrong
things in life so thanks guyz. And you have taught us about making new friends
in life and other things. If you join drugs and if your friends are the drug
dealers so you have to choose right friends in life. So thanks for every moment.
I have enjoyed spending time with you guyz. Thank you very much sis Fikile and Atleha
Educational Workshops and you have made me realise that building grudges against
other school learner is not right at all. But I feel bad that today is my last day
of seeing you guyz but I want you guyz to know that I love you so much. THANK
YOU!!
TSHEPO NHAMABANGO
Grade 9
Lekamoso Secondary School
I
learned about toxic relationships and friendships. And I learnt about good ones
that help you grow as an individual.
We
also did yoga because it helps my body to relax and have self-confidence.
We
also learned about stress and depression and their causes. I was taught to
respect everyone, young and old. We also did a phrase that says, ’My mind is
like a pearl, I can do anything in the world’, and a prayer that helps a lot.
We
also did some exercises and games and we had some fun doing it. I also learned
that as a child you can do mistakes but must never repeat the same mistakes. We
were taught about agriculture and all the careers it offers. And the importance
of it, that everything comes from the soil.
We
also learned about SWOT and what we want to be and if that career does not
succeed you have to have a back-up plan.
 |
| ZANELE DUBE |
ZANELE DUBE
Grade
7
Dumehlezi
Primary
Things that I learn these days! I learnt
many things. And things that I learnt on first day are how to build relationships
and the following day we learnt about how to use our hobbies, things that I do
that I do when I am not at school or at church my talents. Things that I do and
give me money, like hobbies that will give me money in the future, like for
example entertainment hobbies I do for fun.
And my strong points.
Steps to success.
I have a learnt a lot thank you.
 |
| SMANGALISO SAMBO |
Lekamoso
Secondary School
I now know which relationships and
friendships are toxic.
I must be in a friendship circle with
friends who push me to do my home work at all times.
I also know what my talents are; playing football,
singing with people in group, talking too much etc. I know how to use my
hobbies to earn money; playing football, opening a magwinya shop, car wash. To be successful you have to plan,
organise, lead and control.
My
strong points:
Playing with peers.
Good in team work-project manager.
Help people where I can.
Can walk a long way.
Go with my home language (Zulu).
WANDILE
DLAMINI
Lekamoso
Secondary School
I learnt that you must know what you want
in life and to see yourself achieving your dreams.
The people who visited us want to make our
future better and to see us become successful.
They told us many things: if you to achieve
in life you must not depend on someone and if you need anything to change to do
it yourself, and educate yourself.
Education is the key to success, if you
want to achieve in life you must get education.
There are things that they taught us to
plan for our lives, to have confidence, to know your career path and the other
thing we learnt is to be always positive in choices.
 |
| SANELE VILAKAZI |
SANELE
VILAKAZI
Grade
8
Quantum
Secondary School
Hi everyone, here are the things I learnt
this week:
We learnt about relationships.
We ere taught how to communicate with other
people.
We learned about which subjects you are
going to do in grade 10 because they will affect your career-and your life
style.
I choose to be a doctor because I want to
help people.
We learnt about the life that you choose
the life want to live.
In life you have to choose if you want to
be a gangster or a good man.
We
learned about my strong points:
I master soccer
I master drawing
My
talent:
I am talented in swimming
I have talent in drawing
Making
money:
Drawing
Making jokes
I
can survive without:
Running
Singing
Agricultural
advisor came to tell us about:
To advice farmers
Plants have disease
Many things are made from the soil
Agricultural researchers
Which elements are needed?
Agricultural engineers
Agricultural journalists
Agricultural animal help with technical
Forestry
Fisheries, nature conservationists
PRINCE
SKOSANA
Grade
8
Lekamoso
Secondary School
This programme taught me about life’s experiences,
about the challenges we face and still going to face in our future.
It also taught me to make good friends and
how to avoid toxic relationships.
Taught me signs of a person who wants to
commit suicide and how to deal with stress or depression.
And I learnt two new terms that are respect
and defeat.
I learnt four steps we have to take in
order to achieve our goals.
It taught me the importance of agriculture.
I also figured out my talents and hobbies.
The opportunities I can get using my strong
points.
Thank you
VONANI
KHOZA
 |
| VONANI KHOZA |
Grade
8
Lekamoso
secondary school
What I have learnt on this programme is
that:
I have to discover what challenges I will
face in life and how should I prepare for when things becomes to get tough. And I
must not stop until I get what I want.
And if you want to be successful you should
choose good friends so that they may help you reach your dreams and goals.
And the in life they are four steps you
take in order to be successful.
It taught me the importance of agriculture.
I have also figured out my talents.
And what I learnt on this progress can help
me achieve my goals.
HLONIPHILE
DUBE
 |
HLONIPHILE DUBE
|
Grade
8
Vezukhono
Secondary School
I learnt about types of relationships and
friendships at home, school and in the community.
We have different kinds of relationships with
other people, like family relationships, relationships with friends, romantic
relationships and relationships with other people in the community.
Friendships are based on your right to
choose who you want to be friends with. And often they are led by a common
interest.
Family relationships are based on family
roles and identities.
And we learnt about careers.
And
we learnt about what are effects of poverty on me:
No education
You don’t have good friends
Effects
of failure:
Poor
education
No success
Your goal will be destroyed
BRANDON
NDLOVU
Grade
8
Lekamoso
Secondary School
I have learnt about relationships and
friendships.
A relationship is an interaction between
two or more people who share something or advice or love.
And then a friendship is the relationship
between two or more people sharing advices and trusting and loving each other
What I learnt is this: We must choose good
friends so that we can share good advices with one another. There are many
people who may make you do wrong things-peer pressure. Sometimes it may be due
to that he/she was taught by his/her parents when he/she was young to be the
way the way they are.
What I have learnt is that as students we
must prepare for our future before we are tempted by peers. We must keep our
dreams in our hearts and feel so. What I have also learnt is that as students
we must perform well at school.
What I have learnt is that in order for me
to excel and reach my goal I need to plan, organise, lead and control so that I
can see things that I am not good at and things that I am good at and things
that are similar to the career I want I want
to do.
I learnt about the careers of agriculture
and its importance.
 |
| KHANYA MATSINYE |
Grade7
Cuno
Helderwyk School
I was absent on the first day but everyone
told me that they discussed team work. Team work teaches us to interact, to
collaborate and to communicate with others.
We learnt about prosperity. It is broken up
into different versions. We also learnt that we must plan, work and arrive.
We also learnt about peace.
We
also learnt about SWOT analysis.
 |
| ZANELE DLAMINI |
ZANELE DLAMINI
Grade 9
Lekamoso
Secondary School
When I grow up I want to be a doctor or a
nurse because I can communicate with people and I am brave. I am also patient
and I have a passion for nursing. One day I wish to change my community,
especially the pollution.
From the 9th of July up to the
13th July 2018 a winter school holiday programme was held here at
our school. The community development workers of Etwatwa under the supervision
of Ms Fikile Matsinye came together and facilitated this programme.
I learnt about relationships and types of
relationships. I also learnt how to identify bad friends and toxic relationships.
I also learnt about prosperity. They taught
us about failure, which is the inability to achieve. We dealt with the effects of failure which
among others, include, crime and less job opportunities.
We also dealt with what you want to be when
you are successful.
Plan, organise, lead, control
I learnt about extramural activities e.g.
writing poems. And I also learn about our entertainment hobbies e.g. singing in
a church choir.
People
I learnt about SWOT analysis which I was
writing my two strong points and the group I was tell me where will be
qualified for a job.
And I also learn about agriculture.
Agriculture is about advising farmers.
Agriculture researchers. They can research
plant disease or fertilisation of the soil.
Agricultural engineers. They can design
milk machines and meal machine etc.
Agricultural journalists. They only talk
about farming and produce magazines
Animal health technicians. They take care
of sick animals and inject them so that they can be healed.
Protecting nature
Equestrianism. They study on horses which are specialists
Nature conservationists. The y conserve
nature to always being protected and this reserves have been scorpions to
protect animals especially rhinos.
