Cultural pageant for pupils helps celebrate diversity
School News will highlight the achievements of schools throughout the Eastern Cape. All schools are invited to send reports and photographs of achievements, awards and events to with “School News” in the subject line. Pictures that do not have full capti
MORE than 450 pupils from 11 districts in the Eastern Cape participated in this year’s Annual Indoni Cultural Pageant, which took place at the Springs Holiday resort in Uitenhage.
Social cohesion, school enrichment and safety programmes director Ntsikelelo Vazi said the week-long pageant aimed to promote the sharing of cultural diversity and celebrate different cultu
During the week, pupils participated in various cultural activities teaching them societal values.
Vazi said elders from communities were invited to teach pupils on various cultural topics.
The girls were also taught beadwork and cultural dances and educated on social ills such as HIV/Aids, teenage pregnancy and drug and alcohol abuse.
The pupils were assessed activity. at the end of each
“The pageant took place during the winter holidays.
“It was important to keep the pupils away from townships or places where they would be exposed to bad behaviour and activity as they are still very vulnerable,” said Vazi.
On the final day, the pupils participated in a competition, where each one had to introduce at a holiday resort themselves, share their culture and what they had learned at the camp. The overall winners in the different categories were then selected.
This year’s winners in the Queen categories were Endinalo Mnana (AmaXhosa), Sinovuyo Bokveld (AbaThembu) and Ncebakazi Masumpa (AmaMpondo).
The Kings category winners were: Lonwabo Zaqi VUKUHAMBE Special School pupil Asisipho Peter is proof that living with a disability does not have to limit one from achieving your goals.
The Grade 10 pupil, who is head of the Provincial Children’s Ambassadors, was earlier this year granted the opportunity to deliver opening remarks at the post-State of the Province Address (Sopa) event at the Bhisho Legislature.
It was at the event that the wheelchair-bound pupil asked education MEC Mandla Makupula for a laptop that would assist her in fulfilling her duties as an ambassador.
Her duties include doing research into the needs of children across the Eastern Cape and submitting reports and pictures via e-mail to the (AmaXhosa), Ayabonga Disemelo (AbaThembu) and Lungi Mkhololwa (Amampondo).
Vazi said the overall winners would participate in the national cultural pageant set to take place in KwaZulu-Natal during the September holidays.
The winners would also get the chance to coach and motivate participants in next year’s pageant.
He said they were looking to expand the pageant and to invite other tribes and cultures as a way of celebrating the richness of the Eastern Cape.
Vazi said they were also in the process of following up on the pupils, to see what progress they were making after the pageant. office of the premier and the Nelson Mandela children’s parliament. Without a laptop, Peters said, this was very difficult to do.
On Monday, the Vukuhambe pupil received a brand new laptop.
Peters said she was passionate about helping other pupils and empowering people in her community and having the laptop would enable her to do this more effectively.
“During lunch at the event, I approached the MEC and explained who I was and the work I did.
“I could’ve written to him but because the opportunity presented itself, I grabbed it. He explained that there was a formal way to go about getting the laptop but pledged that he would assist me.
“I asked for his numbers so I could remind him the following day. I did just that and I received the laptop. I am so excited, this will really help me with the work I do.”
The pupil was accompanied by her father, Thembinkosi Marafane, when she received the laptop.
“I am so grateful to the department for this gesture and very excited for my daughter,” he said.
“Asisipho is a very diligent child who has always been curious and always interested in solving problems and finding answers to things.
“This laptop will really help her, especially with her schoolwork.”
Chief of staff at the office of MEC Nkosiphendule Duntsula, said Makupula had taken a decision to prioritise the needs of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, especially those who had disabilities, as they were also the most vulnerable.
The gesture was just one of the interventions by the MEC, he said.