In the past 15 years, Archie Danke of Itumeleng LSEN School has dedicated his life to helping disabled learners.
Itumeleng School For Severely Mentally Handicapped in Westonaria is a public school for learners with severe mental disabilities.
“When I joined the school it was a first-time experience for me. I had to learn so much, for example what their needs were considering each learner had a different disability,” Archie said.
“The job was not an ordinary one where you could simply ‘dive in’. You need to be good at mentoring, identifying strengths and nurturing them. It takes a lot of passion and dedication for a teacher to bring the best out of each individual.
“Many of those who have intellectual disabilities do not get to complete Grade 12, sometimes not even Grade 10. Therefore, they will not be employable as they do not have the capacity for a nine-to-five job. I wanted to make a difference,” Archie said.
He said to help turn their lives around, he became a sports coordinator as well.
“Over the years and through sport, many of these learners have shown that a disability is not a limitation, and that disabled people can achieve anything. By taking part in sport, they meet other children with similar challenges and this gives them a sense of belonging as well as self-confidence,” Archie said.
The problem, he said, is that many disabled learners are neglected and tend to be victims of mockery at the hands of society.
“I believe that if we can create a good place for them, they will feel like they are humans – their lives will change.”
To top it all off, Itumeleng LSEN School scooped the School of the Year award for 2019. This accolade they received from the Department of Education Gauteng West District during an awards ceremony at the Sandton Convention Centre in November.
