The initiation of several free progressive seminars by Tintswalo Property Group’s Nonesi Mall is helping to leave a lasting and positive legacy for local communities in Queenstown.
The initiation of several free progressive seminars by Tintswalo Property Group’s Nonesi Mall is helping to leave a lasting and positive legacy for local communities in Queenstown.
Since opening Nonesi Mall on 25 October 2012, Tintswalo has employed an on-site community development coordinator, Parks Pakkies, to oversee various community oriented seminars, with the aim of improving life skills in several identified areas.
Programmes initiated thus far include Study Skills for Life, Truth about Drugs, The Way to Happiness and Youth for Human Rights.
A prime example of the value of these programmes has been experienced by 57-year-old Nothemba Jacobs, who is a teacher at the local Nonesi Primary School.
Jacobs recently attended a Study Skills for Life seminar in order to gain information and perspective on how to better engage with her pupils.
The seminar presentations were created to improve the academic performance of schools in the area by empowering attendees with transferable skills that will assist both students and teachers in the classroom environment.
This includes teaching learners the necessary skills needed to learn and interpret and understand their learning materials, while equipping teachers and their students with better relationship-building skills.
Jacobs says that the seminars proved to be invaluable, because she realised that taking a different approach to potential confrontational situations could significantly change the outcome.
“The workshop taught me to engage with children in a better way, and demonstrated that there are other more effective ways of managing relationships in the classroom. We were also taught about how children behave and how we should respond to their behavioural patterns, especially if they don’t understand work."
“I would therefore like to sincerely thank Nonesi Mall for bringing these seminars to our school. The session has shaped us to become better teachers, and helped to positively nurture the development of the country’s future leaders.”
Jacobs notes that she has shared the ideas gained from the workshops with her fellow teachers and with her network group, and some teachers have even sought her advice when faced with problems.
She concludes that she is eager to attend more workshops, and learn more about helping her students succeed in their studies.
Tintswalo Property Group CEO, Lisa Goosen, asserts that Jacobs’ testimony validates the company’s decision to initiate the various workshops in the community.
Jacobs’ positive feedback definitively proves that the seminars that Nonesi Mall has implemented in the community have achieved their intended outcomes, and will continue to do so well into the future.
In particular, the seminar held at Nonesi Primary School is helping to raise the standard of education in the community, by ensuring that teachers have the tools to properly motivate students, and better their academic performance whilst improving their social skills.
“We are delighted with the successful results we have obtained thus far, and will continue to commit to these seminars, which are undoubtedly adding long term value to the local community,” concludes Goosen.
For more information on how to attend the various seminars, contact the Community Development Coordinator, Parks Pakkies, on 011 300 8700 or email him at nonesicommunity@tintswalo.com.
