By Sindisiwe Tshona Glyneise Arries, the dedicated Child Protection Officer at Saint Mary’s Development and Care Centre (DCC), is a woman on a mission to protect, empower, and inspire the children in her community. With a deep passion for child welfare, Glyneise spends her days ensuring that young lives are safeguarded, parents are equipped with essential skills, and vulnerable children are given a voice. One of her key initiatives is the Protective Behaviours Programme, which teaches children crucial safety skills – like knowing their parents’ full names, phone numbers, and even their transport details. “Many kids call their driver’ Tata…
Author: Rod Amner
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By Zipho Ndwayana, Sphosetu Mpakanyiswa, Thandolwethu Khumalo and Rod Amner The Eastern Cape Department of Basic Education resumed distributing tablets with educational materials to matric learners in February 2025, but serious questions remain unanswered about oversight, equity, and value for money – five years after the R538 million contract for a similar 2020 project was flagged as “irregular”. In Makhanda, only three of six Quintile 1-3 schools, Mrwetyana, Mary Waters and Khutliso Daniels, have received tablets for their matric students this year. However, a local principal told Grocott’s Mail that these devices have mainly become unusable after MTN allegedly cut…
By Sphosetu Mpakanyiswa and Thandolwethu Khumalo Residents seeking library cards at Makhanda’s main Makana Library have been turned away for over three months due to a broken laminating machine. This creates a significant access problem as the city’s library system is not integrated. The Hill Street Library has been unable to complete library card applications since May, with staff telling residents to return at an unspecified later date. While some residents have tried to obtain cards from other branches like Duna and Extension 9 libraries, this offers limited relief as each library operates independently – meaning a Duna Library card…
By Zipho Ndwayana “Nelson Mandela was such a fantastic role model for everybody. I was fortunate enough to be alive while he was alive and in power,” says Michelle Bradley. “As a role model, Nelson Mandela encompasses everything about compassion and integrity, which are essential in all spheres of life.” This includes our relationship to all living things. “This is not always considered in society. Animals also have feelings, and they enjoy human interactions,” Bradley says. They deserve our care and kindness. Bradley has been a volunteer at the Makhanda branch of the SPCA for five years, serving on the…
By Iphendulwe Sigwebela Nomalungisa Maloni’s warm, welcoming smile instantly makes one feel at home. She is gentle and shy, but there is something powerful about her. Maloni is the manager of the Sibanye Centre, a day care for children with special needs. She has built something extraordinary here. In a society where children with disabilities are often forgotten, Maloni has built something extraordinary – a place where being different doesn’t mean being invisible. Maloni subscribes to the powerful idea that every child should be seen. “Every child has the right to education. We must not deprive children of that right,…
By Lufuno Masindi Mohammed Docrat has spent decades working tirelessly and collaboratively to achieve compassionate and innovative local public health care. He worked as the sub-district pharmacy manager and later as acting sub-district manager in Makana. One of Docrat’s proudest moments came when he became the first subdistrict in the province to pave the way for the antiretroviral (ARV) program. “We worked tirelessly as a team,” Docrat recounts. The sub-district hosted provincial events, such as World TB Day and International Women’s Day, and launched the Youth Zone at a clinic in Port Alfred. He described this success as a collective…
By Sindisiwe Tshona Sitting in her office surrounded by children’s books, posters, and educational resources, Jolene Tarr is stunned by having to talk about success, and she pauses mid-sentence to consider how she measures success. “I really can’t say we’ve been successful because we’ve seen so many children”, she reflects. Her voice carries the weight of someone who understands that true change unfolds across generations, not grant cycles. As director of the Lebone Centre, Tarr orchestrates a quiet revolution in early childhood literacy – one story at a time. Her journey from occupational therapist in Bloemfontein to community champion in…
By Siphesihle Mkhwanazi From a pivotal moment in grade 11, when her English teacher inspired her to serve children in South Africa’s townships, Angi Jones discovered a lifelong calling. Jones graduated with her MEd with distinction in 2022 and now lectures at Rhodes University’s Education faculty, specialising in Primary and Early Childhood Education. She channels her passion into empowering young learners through transformative literacy and education initiatives. Makhanda is rewriting its story, one book, one child, and one classroom at a time. Through partnerships with local NGOs like the Lebone Centre and the unstinting support of Rhodes University, a wave…
By Lisakhanya Tali Joyce Sewry finds fulfilment in witnessing growth within her science students as they achieve degrees they once thought were unattainable, and with learners from underserved schools who discover new opportunities. Sewry is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at Rhodes University, with over 30 years of dedicated service to science education and community engagement. Renowned for her pioneering outreach efforts, she was among the first recipients of the university’s Distinguished Community Engagement Award, recognising her transformative impact on STEM education. Passionate about empowering students and communities, Sewry has led initiatives to bring chemistry to underserved…
By Thato Didibeng Not all superheroes wear capes. And not all superheroes have great days. Limise Gagayi lost her home to a fire that broke out on Monday afternoon on 5 May 2025. Her home was a place of warmth and comfort. It also hosted her Meal After School initiative, which focused on combating hunger and providing educational support that the young people of the eThembeni community desperately need. Limise Gagayi works 9 to 5 at Dr Davies Optometrist in Bathurst Street and then finds the time and dedication to empower and uplift the youth and the community after hours.…