Teacher hailed a heroine
MABEL Sikhakhane, head of department of the foundation phase at Nokuphila Primary School in Tembisa, wears many hats.
She is considered a heroine and community leader.
Besides her school duties, Sikhakhane is the chairperson of Nokuphila’s school-based support (SBS) team. She also started the Radisela aftercare and drop-in centre in her community, where orphans, children from childheaded families, and children raised by their grandparents can come after school to get supper and have their uniforms cleaned.
The staff conduct home visits to investigate the child’s home situation, especially if there is suspected abuse, which they then report. They have also established a women’s group to help bereaved families with funeral costs.
As SBS chairperson, Sikhakhane helps learners overcome learning barriers. The team compises a counsellor, who is Sikhakhane, a social worker, remedial teachers and a therapist.
Sikhakhane is also a mentor for student teachers at Nokuphila
When asked how she measured the success of her hard work, Sikhakhane said she looked at how the learner performed academically, the impact on a child’s situation at home, especially the change in parents’ involvement in their child’s education.
“Changing the parents means you will change the community and society at large,” she said.
Nokuphila Primary was started in 2009 by the Love Trust, a non-profit organisation with a vision to nurture future generations of leaders.
It provides vulnerable children with quality education and social care. It provides vocational tertiary education and training of teachers, and strives to reduce poverty and social inequality through holistic education and care of children, including nutrition, psychosocial and remedial support, as well empowering black women to qualify as teachers and equip them to be leaders in their communities.