By Mmathabo Bless Maebela
“I feel like some coffee. Can I offer you some?” asks Gadra Education’s research and communications manager, Kelly Long, with a warm smile as I am welcomed into her office.
“Yes, please, mam. Two sugars and no milk,” I reply.
It is an unseasonably cold and rainy morning in Makhanda, so coffee is necessary. A few minutes later, she walks in with two cups of coffee and settles into her chair as the aroma of the coffee fills her office – a room that came to house an hour-long interview between her, an advocate for educational justice, and me.
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Long’s small gesture exemplifies her welcoming approach to life, work, and relationships. Having spent 17 years advocating for transformation within the Makhanda educational landscape, this hospitality reflected the openness and sincerity that drives her course – warm, steady, and deeply rooted in caring for others. This care has shaped her passion for social justice and education.
Long has always been a Makhandan at heart. She was born in Pietermaritzburg to parents who were both in the educational sector—and moved to Makhanda when she was five years old, attending Oatlands, Victoria Primary, and Victoria Girls. She later pursued a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English, Philosophy, and Linguistics. “I was interested in the subject, right? Not because I had any idea of where I wanted to go or what I wanted to be,” she said.
After graduating from Rhodes, she spent some time in London, working under a temp agency. Six months into doing temporary work, she was assigned to the PR and marketing division of JP Morgan Fleming’s investment bank. What started as a temp job became an eight-year career trajectory in PR and marketing.
Eventually, she worked for a recruitment agency sourcing free advertising from journalists through wine and dine experiences, resulting in many journalist relationships. She continued working in marketing and PR upon her return to South Africa in 2004 and was involved with the Cape Town Comedy Festival.
The trajectory of her life took a different turn after she had her two children. She began seeking a job that was not as demanding as PR and marketing- a job that would allow her to balance parenting and profession. According to Long, “Women can’t have it all. You must sacrifice something.” For her, it meant finding a flexible schedule to accommodate all aspects of her life. It meant giving up one path for a new one that began with her return to Makhanda in 2006.
This new path began with a Mobile Science Lab her mother initiated after retiring as a biology teacher at Victoria Girls. Long would work 12 hours a week in the lab, assisting with running practicals for students in no-fee-paying schools that do not have access to science equipment. Eventually, she juggled three part-time jobs in three different places- the mobile science lab, RUCE’s Maths and English online curriculum, and GADRA. However, managing these three commitments did not come without a challenge.
She finally joined GADRA full-time in 2011 and has participated in transformational education projects in Makhanda. One such project is the Whistle Stop Schools (WSS), which offers small-group reading interventions to Grade 3 learners. She worked with various parties, such as a grade 1 teacher from VP who developed a phonics program that could be used to teach single-sound phonics. She also worked with a Grade 4 teacher, Jane Berriman, who helped design a great intermediate-phase program. This program helped with that transition between Grade 3 and Grade 4 by reinforcing what the children learnt at school with more focus on reading and writing.
Although Long does not teach full-time, she received a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) through UNISA and a Master’s in education and social justice from Rhodes, which added to her home-attributed knowledge of education. She has been described by Dr Lise Westaway, Head of the Rhodes University Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, as “the driver in delivering the high-quality education literacy intervention.” This intervention accentuates the importance of children being able to read for meaning to unlock potential. Long hopes this intervention could be scaled one day to assist children beyond Makhanda.
This year, Long also coordinated the Makhanda Teaching Awards that took place in August this year.
Outside of her professional and family life, Long enjoys a bit of Zumba, taking walks, and chatting with friends. She is also an avid reader who practices what she preaches. Every day, she lives to put kindness into the world.
When asked how she hoped to be remembered, she said: “Those who remember me would remember that they felt seen and valued. To me, that is kindness; to make the effort to really see and hear people. Everyone has value and should feel valued. That is what I strive for – to allow for space for people to feel seen and heard. I’m sure I don’t get it right all the time! But that is the intent I live by.”
