Jane Kelel feels liberated. Thanks to the adult education programme at Ethembeni Service Centre in Joza, she can now sign for herself rather than having family members sign for her without her knowledge or consent.
Jane Kelel feels liberated. Thanks to the adult education programme at Ethembeni Service Centre in Joza, she can now sign for herself rather than having family members sign for her without her knowledge or consent.
Though Kelel used to know how to read and write, in her old age she has started forgetting. The education that she has been receiving at Ethembeni helps to refresh her memory.
The adult education programme started in May this year and teaches the elderly learners to read and write in Xhosa and English. Grace Ngcete, manager of the centre, sees this as being very important. At the moment, because the learners cannot read, Ngcete says that "people will bring them something to sign and they don’t know what they are signing."
The programme also teaches the learners basic arithmetic and how to use a calculator. According to Ngcete, this helps them handle money and change in their daily lives. "Now they can count their money in the taxi," she announces proudly.
The learners are taught by 26 year old Andiswa Hoyi. Hoyi says that she always wanted to be a teacher, although she first intended to teach pre-school children. Her mother inspired her to teach the elderly instead.
"I would see how she struggled to do things like count or write a letter," Hoyi recalls. So she began teaching her mother and soon decided to put her skills to more use by teaching at Ethembeni.
Though this is her first time teaching elderly people, she says she is enjoying it very much. "My favourite part", says Hoyi, "is when they teach me something!"
