By ‘Maleruo Leponesa In a quest to equip homestay entrepreneurs with skills to think bigger than just the local market, Bojanala in collaboration with Makana Tourism and Rhodes University Business School, recently held two days of training. The intention is to grow the homestay business not just for the upcoming arts festival but also for a global market. Professor Matseliso Mohapeloa, Director for Business Centre For Entrepreneurship and Rapid Incubation (Rhodes CFERI) conducted training for 50 participants in personal and business values, starting with Ikigai theory (a Japanese idea about essentialising your purpose or reason for being). “Doing what you…
Author: Maleruo Leponesa
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By ‘Maleruo Leponesa The milestone celebration also marked the official announcement of Gadra Matric School’s (GMS) new permanent home at 1 Gowie Street! The announcement was made at the school’s recent Annual General Meeting, an event that brought together alumni, partners, and key figures to reflect on Gadra’s 30-year journey. Since its founding in 1994, on the cusp of South Africa’s democratic transition, Gadra has been instrumental in improving matric results and widening access to higher education for thousands of learners. Margie Keeton, who was nominated as Treasurer for Life during the Meeting, offered a powerful recollection of the school’s…
After doing a tour of this city and experiencing how history can be harnessed for the purposes of economy ‘Maleruo Leponesa explains why we should care about what we have around us. If people know and appreciate the history of their place of their residence, this very appreciation can be turned into a factor that enhances the local economy through tourism. The more people hear beautiful stories and experience the rich culture and history of a place, the more they are interested in telling others, and then seeing that those others are also interested in visiting and seeing for themselves…
By ‘Maleruo Leponesa The Lebone Centre’s 20 years of loving service to thousands of young local children were recently celebrated at a rousing ceremony at the Kingswood College Chapel. Lebone’s literacy projects coordinator, Cathy Gush, said the 20th anniversary marked a huge milestone in the road that Lebone has travelled. “Its footsteps may need the whole book to cover them,” she said. The celebration was shared with founders, donors, past and present Lebone staff, hundreds of Kingswood learners and a cohort of little people from Lebone’s Little Red Dragon preschool. The preschool is named after Kingswood’s dragon symbol. In 2005, the…
Avbob Insurance Company donated a trolley library filled with books from Oxford University Press to Grahamstown Primary School on Tuesday. This generous contribution was made possible through the Lebone Centre’s ongoing literacy project with the school. “Avbob has a national initiative where they donate trolley libraries to schools, and you can apply to receive one. We applied on behalf of Grahamstown Primary as the Lebone Centre, and our application was successful. They then delivered their beautiful trolley library, filled with books sponsored by Oxford University Press, and that is what is being handed over today,” said Cathy Gush, project manager…
By ‘Maleruo Leponesa It all started during the Covid-19 era – Donkin Street residents decided to regularly clean up their street together. Cheryth Robertson owns a Donkin property: “My parents instilled in us to have pride for our neighbourhood. We would wander up to the Art school, and there was not a piece of litter on the ground. The environment was pristine and a wonderful experience.”. She returned to Makhanda 25 years after attending school here to give her own children the same experience. She says it is sad that Makhandans now find themselves living in “such a mess”. “It…
By ‘Maleruo Leponesa In this Child Protection Week, I would like to share a story. I recently met a 13-year-old boy during a weekday morning on the streets of Ghost Town. I asked him why he wasn’t in school. He told me he lives with his 82-year-old grandmother and mother, who drinks alcohol every day. The boy said he got into a fight at a local Primary school in April 2024. The principal asked parents to come to school to resolve the matter. But his mom has not done so to this day. “I want to go to school, even…
By ‘Maleruo Leponesa Construction work on a long-awaited toilet renovation project at Archie Mbolekwa Primary School resumed on Thursday after the contractor received government payment following a health-threatening suspension due to unpaid fees. Project manager David Kabinde confirmed he returned to the site on 22 May after receiving payment that morning, ending a work stoppage that began in April and left 570 learners and 16 teachers sharing just five portable toilets. “We expect the work to be completed as soon as possible, as we are left with the finishing touches,” said Kabinde. The project involves renovating 24 school toilets and…
By ‘Maleruo Leponesa Simphiwe Xako has written Hosh Nongoloza, a powerful novel drawing on his years inside the prison system. Xako is a Makhanda resident who grew up in Benoni, Gauteng — the place he says shaped him into the man he is today. “Growing up in the loxion as a teenage boy, your growth is mostly influenced by the streets,” he reflects. “That’s what shapes your future, and sometimes it can go wrong unintentionally. ” Xako considers himself lucky. He managed to avoid the fate of prison that befell many of his peers because of peer pressure and street…
By ‘Maleruo Leponesa and Sinalo Tshaka Africa month in 2025 is celebrated with a launch of a book that speaks all African languages; a book that speaks to all Africans. The launch of the book: Inyathi Ibuzwa Kwabaphambili: Theorising South African Women’s Intellectual Legacies, was held at Rhodes University’s General Lecture Theatre on the 8th May. This special ceremony was further graced by the presence of the university’s Vice Chancellor, professor Sizwe Mabhizela, amongst other dignitaries. The opening remarks were delivered by the VC who expressed his gratitude for being part of the ceremony. He further highlighted his journey with…