Young people empowered with skills
Tsakane - The Matshidiso Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) School in conjunction with Sichaba Advanced Enterprise (SAE) is helping to upskill young people with learning disabilities.
This is so these learners can be able to live independently after leaving the school.
“As a project we identified the school after partnering with the Department of Arts and Culture, to accelerate arts and culture in disabled learners, as these young people normally tend not to have such opportunities. Since we mostly don’t find them in arts and culture, we wanted to give them this privilege.
“In working with them, we are able to enhance their skills,” says SAE director Vusi Yende.
Currently the staff from the project who are working at the school teach the learners beading, pottery and art.
Yende adds that giving these learners skills is imperative because they are good at doing things practically as opposed to studying theory.
“This is the first year we are holding some of these additional classes and are hoping that this will help them so that when they exit school, they can create jobs for themselves, supply to businesses or sell to individuals.
“So far progress has been good; however this is still the foundation phase.
“In June the work of these learners will then be showcased at the school during open day, to help promote their work” he says.
At a later stage the project aims at looking to help the learners sell their work.
School principal Thapelo Tshetlo says they are happy to have partnered with the project as they want to give these learners skills so they too can have opportunities available for them, as do learners in mainstream schools.
“Guided by this vision, we have partnered with some companies so our children can get work experience through internships.
“Through such initiatives some of our learners are currently working temporarily while others of our former learners have been hired permanently by local businesses.
“In the end we want our children to be able to provide for themselves and not be beggars,” he says.
Tshetlo adds that they are just happy to see their learners gaining the knowledge and skills, saying that the community should not look at what these learners can’t do but rather focus on what they can do.
