Education| In order to activate communities to better their quality of life, individuals need to be empowered through the acquisition of necessary skills and knowledge. Education in |
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Transcape aims to help people access equal opportunities to education and resources, emerging as confident, skilled citizens, capable of making life-affirming decisions and contributing positively to the economy and society of their families, communities, and country.
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We believe in education as empowerment, and associated with this, building students’ confidence to a level where they actively seek and then utilise the knowledge and resources being made available to them. |
| Transcape is piloting an education alternative that tackles specific deficiencies of the schooling system in the rural areas of the |
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“Mdumbi Education Centre: where knowledge is power”
As with our other projects, the ethos at the Mdumbi Education Centre is one of facilitation. Lessons are student-centred, including non-formal education techniques like group work and games to gain and sustain students’ interest and creativity.
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The aim is for the Mdumbi Education Centre to be student-led, and community owned and run, becoming a sustainable model that can be replicated in other rural communities. This is an initiative that is about empowering communities to take ownership of their own education, contributing to and accelerating the improvements that the new Government has introduced. |
Outreach, Replication and Accreditation
MEC is currently looking into working much more closely with the local Primary School, which suffers from a lack of resources, teaching skills and motivated staff. MEC has already begun its first stage of Outreach Education in Lujisweni. We hope to support the OVC project’s educational needs more in the future. TransCape is presently looking into the pros and cons of starting a new support group for the orphans living in the Mankosi community. If this does happen, it will be something MEC will endeavor to support.TransCape is currently in communication with local and national educational institutions and governing bodies. We communicate as far as possible with these bodies about the progress of the Education Centre. We hope that our networking, research and exchange of information will allow the work within the Education Centre to be recognized and replicated in other rural communities.
Building the Mdumbi Education CentreOne of the main events for 2007 was the building of the new Mdumbi Education Centre. It was completed in Feb 2008 and the formal opening took place on the 7th of March 2008.
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It comprises of two of the biggest rondavels ever built by Mdumbi Backpackers or TransCape! One serves as the Pre School in the mornings and After School Enrichment in the afternoons. The second one is divided in two, one half being the Library and the other the Computer Centre for ABET and computer skills. There is a mezzanine loft level above the Computer Room, from where TransCape now operates. So many people have donated money, effort, skills, materials and equipment to make the new MEC possible.
Other MEC Events
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The Mdumbi yearly Soccer Tournament is attended by 12 soccer teams from the area, as they play to win the Mdumbi Cup. Hundreds of rural supporters turned out to shout for their home team. It is a wonderful extravaganza of soccer, dancing, music, food and HIV/AIDS awareness. |
The Mdumbi Education Centre Opening Day held in March was a wonderful celebration of the education initiative and all the people involved. The entire community turned out to sing, dance, ululate, celebrate and eat a hearty lunch. All in attendance were treated to HIV/AIDS sketches put on by Wild Coast Theatre Groups, as well as singing from Choir Groups and After School children. We even had a white guest from Coffee Bay sing love songs in Xhosa, much to the amusement of the crowd. We finished off the celebrations with an unveiling of a hand printed plaque and the planting of a tree.
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