Bringing hope and literacy skills is what the Eastern Cape for Africa Foundation (ECFAF) aims to do with their Blossom Literature Initiative on September 13 at Walter Sisulu University’s (WSU) Potsdam Campus in Berlin.
An initiative run exclusively by first-year journalism students, Blossom Literature aims to not only look at boosting literacy levels among primary school pupils, children but also give them life skills.
ECFAF founder Mncedi Magade said they wanted to promote reading and writing to grade 5 to 7 pupils at Lujiza Primary School in Duncan Village.
“We want to instill this skill and confidence from a young age. The WSU students are tasked with adopting a pupil from Lujiza that they will then teach,” Magade said.
The initiative forms part of the WSU first-year publishing technology module which sees where the students will use the work to create a publication.
“They must create blogs, a Facebook page, set up Twitter and Instagram accounts and also make videos.
“They must also learn to work together with community organisations such radio and newspapers,” he said.
The GO! reported (“WSU students boost pupils” on September 27 2018) that the first-year students also organised a sanitary towel drive that year.
“I have the idea of producing graduates that will create employment and identify the needs within their communities.
“The students come up with an idea, source the beneficiaries, source funding and organise it themselves – my job is to oversee it,” Magade said.
First-year journalism student Sesona Mqheliswa said she had always wanted to help young pupils.
“In my village in Mount Frere, I’ve already adopted five pupils whose progress I check on when I’m home.
“I have always wanted to help the disadvantaged and those without resources, and have joined similar organisations here in East London,” Mqheliswa said.
Another first-year journalism student, Noluvo Khonkwane, said she had developed a bond with the child she had adopted.
“The experience has been lovely and exciting even though I was a bit shy when we started.
“The moment we first walked in was just priceless,” Khonkwane said.
She said the experience so far had not only helped her as not just as an asset to her studies, but also provided providing skills she could use to start her dream of organising her own foundation.
