Bongi teaches special needs adults for free

“These special needs students are only allowed to attend school until they reach the age of 21 years, then they have nowhere to continue their studies or to receive any form of training,” she says.

It was while she was teaching at a LSEN school that she realised her calling had changed from teaching primary school children to training special needs adults.

“I train them on basic cleaning and laundry skills,” she says.

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This Sharon Park resident gives these special needs adults a purpose.

Bongi says she finds it necessary to give these people the opportunity to learn certain skills they can use to find employment.

She has taught them they might be intellectually behind people of their age, but they have skills and the passion to learn just like any other person.

The cleaning skills does not only include domestic work, but also the cleaning of office blocks.

Bongi has recently registered as a non-profit organisation and is waiting for her NPO certificate.

“We have cleaning contracts with several businesses all over the East Rand where we employ these people after they complete training.

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A success story she likes to share is that of Jimmy Masina, who currently works at Special Olympics SA as a coach in various sport.

“This is a man who couldn’t read or write as a boy, but he excelled in sport,” she says.

She claims he travels all over the world and is fully competent in the skills he lacked as a boy.

Her laundry and cleaning services is self sustainable and the money is ploughed back into the training of more people.