Meet Nomfundo

One of our digital arts students here in Durban, Nomfundo, is a very good actress. She loved performing today, but was even more excited about learning to film. She is involved in a drama group who do stage performance so the idea of camera angles and retakes was confusing to her until we explained the need and purpose for multiple takes when it comes time to editing an interesting clip. To her a retake is asked for only when something has gone wrong or when there is poor performance.

She soon became comfortable and told us about her acting group. Her father is not in the picture at all and her mother is seldom there for her. She lives with her grandmother, who also raised her. She wanted to have another place where she could spend her free time because her home without parents and other young siblings to play with can be depressing. She joined this drama group at a very young age. The group performs in the township (slum) functions like weddings. The drama group does these events for free, just to entertain people. They hope to get exposure so that one day she can realize her dream of performing in a real theater. Nomfundo is the girl in yellow. We’ll tell you more about her story as the week progresses.

Charles

Digital Arts Workshop in Pinetown, Durban

The Pearson Foundation Africa team is spending the week with some amazing students in Durban, South Africa!

These kids will learn to write, shoot, and edit their own films about social issues that affect them all, such as HIV/Aids and drug abuse in their community. Most come from very underprivileged homes. In S.A. this means living day-to-day wondering where the money for meals will come from. These students recognize the importance of education as a way out of poverty.

The program, serving 33 students at Sithokozile Secondary School, is sponsored by the Pearson Foundation, the NEA Foundation, and Caversham Press in South Africa. 

Find out more about Caversham's CreACTive Centers: http://www.cavershamcentre.org/

BridgeIT programme, Nigeria

Ronel, Felix, and Charles recently traveled to Lagos to visit schools that will be part of our BridgeIT programme. We need to find out the state of schools as we implement our educational programme with Nokia in rural areas. Take special note of the "library" in one of the schools. Man, these kids could use some help!

3-in-1 Resource kit Training, Ikaya Labantu

 
Earlier this year Pearson donated "3-in-1" boxed classroom materials to nursery schools in South Africa.

Mama Nubuntu, the director of a nursery school had this to say about the materials and training:

"Pearson is changing the lives of these teachers! None of the 20 schools who are receiving these boxes have ever seen anything like them in their classrooms. Most have one or two books and a few donated toys. This will change the way they teach. Students in these schools are going to have a real chance to be ready for primary school. I want to tell you that they will be so advanced and this is what we need to do so that they stay in school. Thank you, thank you, thank you Pearson!"

We Give Books book donations: Kenya

The Tinga Tinga Tales Teacher Training Program provides teachers with valuable teaching skills, and provides them with the materials they need. These are a few of the classes benefiting from WeGiveBooks book donations and teacher training.

BridgeIT in Tanzania

We recently hosted Ministry of Education officials from Nigeria as they visited schools participating in the BridgeIT program, which uses cell phones, video, and TVs to deliver educational programs to rural areas.

Find out more about BridgeIT: http://pearsonfoundation.org/education-leadership/programs/bridgeit.html

We Give Books book donations: Tanzania

Students in Tanzania benefiting from We Give Books book donations to the Tinga Tinga Tales Teacher Training Programme in East Africa.