Silindile Mgaga, centre, has been spending her Saturdays teaching children in the township to spell better. She is flanked by Nonhlanhla Nene and Sawmukelisiwe Simelane. Picture: Dawn Rouse O'Flaherty Silindile Mgaga, centre, has been spending her Saturdays teaching children in the township to spell better. She is flanked by Nonhlanhla Nene and Sawmukelisiwe Simelane. Picture: Dawn Rouse O'Flaherty
The Chesterville library has been abuzz on Saturdays thanks to a project being run by a University of KwaZulu-Natal student to prepare a group of township children for a spelling competition next month.
Silindile Mgaga has been going to the Chesterville Library since July to tutor Grade 6 pupils from a local school for the first annual KZN Spelling Competition.
The 23-year-old was prompted to start the initiative, Chocolate Kids, after her mother, who is a head of department at an eMbumbulu school, complained about poor literacy among pupils and children and their being unable to construct sentences.
Twenty pupils were chosen from Christopher Nxumalo Higher Primary, and every week Mgaga introduces the children to new words.
PM Makhanya, a maths teacher at the school, who was involved in selecting the pupils, said, “I’m hoping that it will help the children.”
“I’m focusing on improving vocabulary, building confidence, and public speaking,” said Mgaga.
Mgaga is happy with the results so far and the hard work the children have been putting in.
“The response has been amazing,” she said, explaining how the children had initially struggled to spell the days of the week, but were now spelling up a storm.
The tutoring sessions will culminate in a spelling competition, at which Mgaga hopes the children will be ready and confident enough to spell out words in front of an audience of parents and judges.
Mgaga, who is a postgraduate student in human resources, said she needed a microphone for the competition, T-shirts and food for the pupils on the big day, which is scheduled for October 26 at the UKZN Westville campus.
She said she was also trying to collect dictionaries, books and sweets as prizes for the children.
Next year Mgaga wanted to get schools in the Berea area involved in the project, with children helping each other.
Mgaga said she also wanted to hold poetry sessions, debates and start a book club.
“It’s tough,” said Mgaga. “I’ve learnt to be patient, and they are willing”.
To contact Mgaga about helping with the competition, e-mail her at [email protected]. – Cadet News Agency