Author: Shela

FutureLife-Now! is a new regional programme that’s built on the successful Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL) framework developed in the early 2000’s and that, in 2018, reached over 27 million of the region’s learners with support services. This innovative approach has strengthened the education sector’s ability to respond to the growing numbers of vulnerable children and youth in the region, by providing child and youth-friendly services in support of health, gender, migration, food security, violence and other challenges.

By bringing together two critical elements for human development – education and health­ – and by building upon the systems’ strengthening and policy development that has taken place through CSTL, FutureLife-Now! aims to promote greater self-confidence and hope for the present and future among young people in the SADC region. A combination of activities that includes strengthened HIV education policies, enhanced Comprehensive Sexuality Education,

In the years of implementing the SADC Care and Support for Teaching and Learning (CSTL) programme, it has become increasing apparent to CSTL partners that there is a major gap in the delivery of school-based care and support to boys and young men, and that this gap is hindering programme and regional goals for gender equality, HIV reduction and improved educational outcomes for all children. Limited existing literature on boys and young men point to a dearth of evidence on the specific vulnerabilities of boys in schools, and what might be effective in addressing these vulnerabilities.  To this end, an exploratory regional research study was commissioned by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, to better understand the key issues and identify recommendations for future school-based programming.  Click here to download the full report.

MIET AFRICA is featured in the recently-published EU publication Walking the Long Road – a snapshot of civil society actors in South Africa. The EU has partnered and supported Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in South Africa for more than three decades to promote and protect human rights and work towards a more equitable and just society. The publication provides a glimpse into the work done by CSOs to fight for a South Africa in which every person’s rights are respected, protected, fulfilled and promoted.

Featured in the ‘Right to Education’ section of the publication, MIET AFRICA is a co-beneficiary with the British Council of an EU grant for a three-year Teaching for All: Mainstreaming Inclusive Education (IE) in South Africa Project. The project aims to improve the attitudes and capacity of pre-service and in-service teachers towards IE through the implementation of existing policy and the integration of training modules and courses on IE into universities and provincial education departments.

To commemorate Menstrual Health Day 2019, MIET AFRICA’s KwaZulu-Natal District Coordinator Nondumiso Mathenjwa distributed 1500 sanitary pads to Ntabeni Primary School (outside Esikhaleni Township, Richards Bay). This contribution is part of UNICEF South Africa and MIET AFRICA’s partnership project on ‘Strengthening school-based systems to improve education outcomes: sexual and reproductive health and rights, and menstrual hygiene management’. The sanitary pads – generously donated to MIET AFRICA by Donghae Diaper, a South Korean-based manufacturer of sanitary pads, tissues and wet wipes – are being distributed to learners through MIET AFRICA’s school-based programmes, in collaboration with the national Department of Basic Education and provincial education departments.

Pictured are learners from Ntabeni Primary School and Nondumiso Mathenjwa.

In March MIET AFRICA was invited to present a workshop on Curriculum Differentiation to mentors from Toyota-Teach, a sister organization involved in teacher development.  The two-day workshop covered the need for adapting what we teach, how we teach, and where we teach.

Other topics included:

• How to group learners in a multi-level class so that they can achieve their full potential
• Implementing DBE policies, such as SIAS
• How to diagnose learning difficulties experienced by learners in the key subjects of language and Maths
• Strategies to address the individual learning and support needs of all learners in the classroom

“The presentation was eye-opening and very informative in terms of how to group learners according to their levels of understanding,” said one workshop participant. “Now I am confident to capacitate teachers on the principles and strategies for differentiation,” said another.

Lihlithemba Technical High School is one of eight secondary schools currently supported by the Sanlam Blue Ladder Schools project – an initiative by the corporate to improve Maths learner performance in the country. Since 2017, MIET AFRICA has conducted extramural Maths classes with learners, as well as providing the school with Maths equipment and other classroom resources. In 2013 the KwaZulu-Natal Education Department ranked Lihlithemba, which is in semi-rural Ndwedwe, as one of the best-performing schools in the province. In 2013 and 2017 learners at the school were among the top 10 matriculants in KZN, and in 2018 the school did it again!

Mcebisi Ntenga achieved an outstanding seven distinctions in the 2018 National Senior Certificate examinations, including 88% for Maths. His top mark was for Accounting, a subject he admits he did not like at first. He narrowly missed full marks in the subject by 2%.

MIET AFRICA was recently invited by Norcros SA, through Tile Africa, to visit four primary schools in Gauteng to conduct WASH Training. This is part of Norcros SA educational programme to educate learners on how to safely use and take care of their school toilets.

Norcros SA started a corporate social investment project in 2017 to refurbish ablution facilities in under – resourced schools. MIET AFRICA’s training facilitators conducted the training to over 2000 learners, and provided materials to schools in what has been described as a very successful initiative.

“The material used for the programme was fun for the children and very easy to understand,” said Norcros SA’s Khanyisile Maseko. “The facilitators did a marvellous job in engaging with the children and keeping them engaged.”

For more information about the WASH programme, see here https://mietafrica.org/water-sanitation-and-hygiene-in-south-african-schools/