South African storyteller visits Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust
Author Dr Gcina Mhlophe shares storytime with the HACT community to promote literacy and preserve the cultural heritage of storytelling.
AS part of their ongoing efforts to promote literacy and lifelong learning, the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) hosted storyteller Dr Gcina Mhlophe to attend an afternoon event in their multipurpose training room.
Mhlophe is an author, poet, storyteller and performer, and her creative works span across genres, ages and languages. Reporting on the events of Mhlophe’s visit to HACT, CEO Candace Davidson-Moolman said the organisation was honoured to have ‘the mother of books’ to share her passion with the HACT community.
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“The audience was taken back to Ma Mhlophe’s childhood when she fell in love with stories told by her grandmother. She also engaged with the audience about the love of books, songs and storytelling,” she reported.
Davidson-Moolman said the special event was not only attended by the HACT community but surrounding schools and other friends of the organisation.
“HACT sponsored a bus of learners from St Leo Primary School in Molweni to also attend. St Leo is one of the primary schools from the Valley of 1000 Hills in which HACT’s Goals4Life HIV-prevention and healthy-living programme operates.
“We also ensured that one of their senior peer educators from Tholulwazi Secondary School attended the event. One of the peers that were invited dreams of becoming a storyteller and writer, and they were greatly inspired to meet the iconic Dr Mhlophe,” said Davidson-Moolman.
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Davidson-Moolman further emphasised that the visit by Mhlophe highlighted the importance of preserving the cultural heritage of storytelling.
“Equally important, particularly in this digital age, is igniting young minds to love literacy books and establishing a foundation for a successful learning journey.
“Across all of HACT’s programmes and services, we encourage people to take ownership over their lives and acknowledge that no one is ever too old to learn. We, as communities, can learn and grow in our efforts to support one other and to value each other’s stories.”
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