ABANQOBI HUBS
Abanqobi has three Hubs located in the Thusong Centre in Klarinet, Tholulwazi Protective Workshop in Phola and Eyethu Centre in KwaGuqa.
Klarinet
The Abanqobi Klarinet hub is situated in the Thusong Centre in Klarinet. The hub is functioning under the leadership of the Youth care worker, Hildah Masemola and currently has 100 children. We have a large number of slow learners at the hub. They cannot read on the computerised reading program, so Abanqobi uses the Bob book range for learners that are not able to read on the Readers are Leaders Software. This software enables the Youth Care Worker to cope with a larger group of children as each child’s progress is monitored individually.
Hildah leads the reading program in Abanqobi and monitors the progress of the other hubs. Hildah is always coming up with ideas on how to improve this very important objective that Abanqobi is striving to achieve-helping our beneficiaries to improve their English reading skills. At Klarinet, the children are not studying in their home languages due to the fact that they study in Afrikaans and English. The Klarinet group also reads Afrikaans on the Readers are Leaders Software.
Klarinet currently has 2 industrial machines. When there is time children that are interested in sewing learn basic sewing skills, especially during the holidays. Hildah also supervises the adults that learn to sew as well as the production of orders. We are blessed to have a volunteer, Gogo Nellie that teaches the children creative stitches, beading and sewing in Klarinet. When we have sewing orders Gogo Nellie earns an income from sewing our product range.The Klarinet beneficiaries are all skilled to produce the keyrings, bag markers and other creative crafts that we sell and when new children are enrolled the old children transfer their skills to the newly enrolled children.
Phola
The Abanqobi Phola hub is rented from the Tholulwazi Protective Workshop that was built by South 32. The hub is functioning under the leadership of the Youth care worker, Olga Mndawe, who is a Social Auxiliary Worker and currently has 80 children. Olga has an assistant who helps her with the reading program in the afternoons when the children arrive at the hub. We have a large number of slow learners at the hub.
They cannot read on the computerised reading program, so Abanqobi uses the Bob book range for learners that are not able to read on the Readers are Leaders Software. This software enables the Youth Care Worker to cope with a larger group of children as each child’s progress is monitored individually.
Olga Mndawe is very creative and also leads the sewing program for the 3 Abanqobi hubs. Phola currently has 4 industrial machines. When there is time children that are interested in sewing learn basic sewing skills, especially during the holidays. Olga also supervises the adults that learn to sew as well as the production of orders.
The Phola beneficiaries are all skilled to produce the keyrings, bag markers and other creative crafts that we sell and when new children are enrolled the old children transfer their skills to the newly enrolled children.
Phola children utilize the hub as a homework centre as Abanqobi provides stationary, study guides and dictionaries to do homework.
KwaGuqa
Kwa Guqa Hub is situated in Ext 5 in Kwa Guqa at the Eyethu Centre across from Siphosensimbi. Ntombi Mahlangu is the Youth care worker and is also a qualified Social Auxiliary Worker.
We have a large number of slow learners at the hub. They cannot read on the computerised reading program, so Abanqobi uses the Bob book range for learners that are not able to read on the Readers are Leaders Software. This software enables the Youth Care Worker to cope with a larger group of children as each child’s progress is monitored individually.
Ntombi leads the beading projects at the 3 Abanqobi hubs. Kwa Guqa currently has 2 industrial machines. When there is time children that are interested in sewing learn basic sewing skills, especially during the holidays. The Kwa Guqa beneficiaries are all skilled to produce the key rings, bag markers and other creative crafts that we sell and when new children are enrolled the old children transfer their skills to the newly enrolled children. There is currently 50 vulnerable children enrolled at this hub and two youth are sewing and generating an income when we have orders.Ntombi also supervises the adults that learn to sew as well as the production of orders.
Reading Centre
The inital four computers and readers were donated by the Rotary Club - GTR ( Greatest Train Race) funding. Ngwete IT Solutions in eMalahleni donated 10 refurbished computers in 2016 that enabled us to grow our reading center in Phola.
In Klarinet, the youth do both English and Afrikaans reading; while in Phola and Kwa Guqa complete English reading programmes. We are sourcing reading programmes in mother-tongue applications and intend adding these to our programmes.
Children log-in under their own name and when reaching an advised reading speed they graduate to the next level and advance their skills. The programmes also teach concentration and grammar skills.
Slower learners read the Bob books, which allows them to build up confidence in their communication skills. The hubs all have small libraries, with books of varying reading levels donated by the Rotary Book Club.
Outcomes: All our children started on level one:
| Klarinet Hub English | Kwa Guqa Hub English | Phola Hub English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | 52 | 10 | 31 |
| Level 2 | 29 | 3 | 13 |
| Level 3 | 11 | 5 | 4 |
| Level 4 | 11 | 5 | |
| Level 5 | 1 | 7 | |
| Level 6 | 2 | ||
| Level 7 |
