Writing Club With Big Dreams
A dedicated group of 15 members that attended Sifunda Kunye writing camp in Keiskammahoek last year has launched their own writing club at school, under guidance from Sifunda Kunye facilitator Yonela Swayi the members meet up every week to write their own short stories and poetry.
Asemahle who is in Grade 11 and is now a facilitator of the Writing Club wrote a poem for Freedom Day.
Freedom Day (A new page in South Africa’s history)
1994 was the year it all changed
Where we all voted as one
And opened a new page
Before, it wasn’t easy
But we managed to get by
If a white and black man person met
It was hard to say hi
Nowadays it’s quite simple;
Because we’re one as a nation
We can broaden our horizons
And free our imagination
We can pave new roads for the new generation
We can pray for better days
Because we’re God’s creation.
Asemahle Dyantyi Grade 11 – 2018
Asemahle Dyantyi says; he learnt to write in Grade 8 and since then he hasn’t stopped and he has nurtured that skill ever since then. By going to the Sifunda Kunye writing camp, he has learned about different styles of poems and different types of stories. He would like the club to help young minds learn as well as write their own stories and poems so that they can better their speech, writing and reading skills.
Sinesipho Habana said he has always been writing short stories and poems, the Sifunda Kunye Writing camp helped in bettering he’s writing skills and now he hope this club will help learners that are passionate about showcasing their writing skills to be able to come out of their shells. Asemahle hopes and dreams for this writing club – focus on young children’s talents so they can be proud of their writing talents.
Innovative Writing Camp Empowers Learners
Seventy learners from four area schools explored creativity, learning, and self-expression in an intense writing camp over the weekend. The camp was sponsored and hosted by the Sifunda Kunye Educational Project, a local public benefit organization that has been active in the King Williams Town district since 2008.
Sifunda Kunye invites 10 to 15 learners from each of its partner schools in the King William’s Town District and Grahamstown district participate in these camps. This past weekend, learners from St. Matthew’s, Xolani, Richard Varha, Toise and Hendrik Kanise combined Schools spent an intense 3 days (Friday-Sunday) focusing on a specific theme, completing personal works, and submitting them for peer critique. This session’s theme was “Dreams are made of…” and learners were encouraged to express what dreams and ambitions means to them in essays, poems, and group discussions and drama. Participants received guidance from a talented group of volunteer facilitators, student leaders, and the Sifunda Kunye staff. Participants submit their work for inclusion into a published student journal at the end of the camp. The journal is a unique opportunity for many to see their work in print.
Learners and teachers are continually impressed with the writing camps. Participants relish the opportunity to engage in an in-depth weekend of imaginative learning. They enjoy improving their language and writing skills in a fun and creative venue outside of the classroom. Teacher’s enjoy witnessing the progress these young writers make over the course of a weekend.
The Sifunda Kunye Literacy Project’s writing camps have been successfully running since they first launched in August 2014. Sifunda Kunye supports literacy and technology programs in Eastern Cape schools.
Training Day
Sifunda Kunye Educational Project did a training day at our school on the 1st of August 2017, training consisted of Community reading clubs and drama. Hendrik Kanise would like to thank Sanga from our partner school St Matthews High School in Keiskammahoek and full time Sifunda Kunye drama and reading club facilitator for training our learners. The learners had a fun time and learned a lot.
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