Emagqabini Education Academy is a community-based NPO operating in Khayelitsha which was established by Cindy Mkaza-Siboto. She realized that her sister, Yonela, was struggling academically and started the academy to assist township learners with after-school academic support, mentorship and career planning.
Mkaza-Siboto holds a BA in theatre and performance, as well as honours in African Studies from UCT. In 2014, her career path took a turn when she and her husband founded the Emagqabini Education Academy NPC. At the time, there was an organization in Khayelitsha that offered free tutoring, but they were closed by the time Yonela could arrive after school.
“Paid-for tutoring was also on offer but would have come to R7,200 for just 1 subject over 10 months and this was simply unaffordable,” said Mkaza-Siboto .
Emagqabini Education Academy initially started as a homework support group, with volunteer tutors. They used Mkaza-Siboto’s car, her husband’s experience in teaching English to put the programme together. These resources were not enough for so Mkaza-Siboto submitted a letter to the newspaper asking for volunteers, and started the homework support group from the garage of a friend in Khayelitsha.
“People started opening their homes for use once the programme started. You’d find maths lessons unfolding in the one house and English and science further up the road, before the progamme found its home in the local library “says Mkaza-Siboto
The academy works with community collaborative programmes to collect learners’ data. This means they can track the percentage of the learners that increase their academic performance from start to exit, as well as how many students can access tertiary education and internships, and the data also helps with job placement . The model is sustainable in that they keep finding new tutors who can build relationships with the learners. Some of their past learners sign on as volunteer tutors for the next batch, as they’ve seen the power of this model.
Lulama’s mother told them that he had already failed grade 8 three times. The couple realized that his poor grasp of English was his downfall, and once assessed they found it to be a common problem at grade 4 level. Lulama was sent to an English tutor after school and attended Emagqabini programme on Saturdays. His self-confidence increased and soon he was also helping others in the tutoring space.
The 2016 Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) study gathered that overall literacy skills are low and eight out of every 10 Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning in any language, not just English.
Mkaza-Siboto realized that the learners often get more than just academics from the academy, as they also receive the support they need to succeed. In 2015 Emagqabini Education Academy partnered with the Royal Cape Yacht Club, which sparked dreams for many of the learners to travel the world, giving them focus and a bigger dream. She highlighted that while it was her sister’s academic struggles that sparked the journey, there are so many other students on a similar path.
By : Amanda Mkhize
