Our Grades 3-4 Teacher Sanele on His Teaching Experience at IKhaya

When I first started working at IKhaya, I was 24 years old, and I had planned to only stay for a year and go somewhere else. Now, it has been 10 years, and I can’t stop smiling each day I come to work. Each and every day, I go home and sleep peacefully. I wake up knowing that there is a child that needs my help. That child has lost hope because of what is happening at home, and I want to give hope to them. I live in this township too, so I know how it can defeat you, and convince you that there aren’t any opportunities for you in life. Working here, I noticed what a huge difference I make. The children know that I am from this community and they take me, and all their other teachers, as role models. They look up to us and think they can one day do something for this community too. They watch every step we take, and ask us about our life. I am in love with my job. I wish to see one IKhaya child run this place one day, and another one after that.

Each day I can feel myself becoming a better person. This place is a family to me. These children love us so much. Whatever we are going through, they are here for us. If you are sick or look sad one day, the children will send messages, they will say they love you and they are praying for you. They are only children but they are so caring and so loving. It makes me feel invincible. Imagine having 120 children appreciate you. When you are in your dark corner, they have you. When you enter through that gate, you can feel that there is something changing. You just be happy and be here for the children, and face what are you facing back home; but here, you are just happy with the children.

We don’t only focus on the child, we make sure we know what is going on at home. Some children don’t have any food at home, but they know that every day at IKhaya, they will have fresh and healthy food at 3.45 PM. There are many things our community needs so we all try our hardest to pull our weight. On Saturdays, I host a support group for the parents of 6 months-3 years old babies. There aren’t enough resources available for the parents to effectively engage their children, so I teach them myself. When Corona was at its peak in our community, people were losing their jobs, so we took it as our mission to give out fresh food to the parents. We would call them to get their masks and sanitisers. This organisation and this township work together for the children, and we care for each other. There were a lot of people supporting us to support the families, and we were proud to be able to help this community to the best of our abilities. iKhaya is what every township needs, and what South Africa needs for its own future.