Special needs school in Gonubie reaches out to rural pupils

THE Ikamva School for children with special needs has opened boarding facilities at its new premises outside Gonubie.

The boarding facilities for such children are a first for the city, and enable families from as far afield as Lusikisiki to enrol their autistic children at the school, which opened in 2011 as a daycare centre for a handful of children.

Principal Luzanne Fouche, 27, said her dream of catering exclusively for children from rural areas was turning into reality, as most of her pupils now hailed from those areas.

After falling ill last year, she had to cut back on the number of pupils at the school until she recovered, she told the Daily Dispatch.

“We had about 100 kids but then I was ill for several months and we decided to scale down. But I am back now and healthy. I am ready to take on more and give more of myself to the school and the kids.

“My mom has also joined the staff after she took early retirement, and has knowledge and experience in special development,” Fouche said.

Ikamva, which means “the future” in Xhosa, will focus on developing the minds of autistic children, and children with other special needs, through programmes especially designed for their needs.

Fouche said they used the Apply Behaviour Analysis curriculum, which was recognised in the UK, as it met the children’s requirements.

“It has always been my dream to work with these kids, because I know there’s such a need for placement as many schools have long waiting lists.”

She said while she did not teach the children in the classroom, she had developed a passion to start the school after watching her mother work with special needs children for years.

Living up to its name, the school will open an adult centre next year.

“We are excited to be opening up an adult centre, because again, there is a very big need for this.

“Often our parents come to us and ask what will happen to their children after they complete school, and now we will be able to offer them a place to go.

“Many people do not have the means to hire someone to look after their autistic child after finishing school, and so I think this facility will help with that,” Fouche said.

Her mother, Nicolene Botha, who retired last year and had previously worked at an autism-specific school in Port Elizabeth, said the centre would help develop independence in the 18-plus age group.

“They will have a separate place from the school and the facility will be specific to their needs.

“We want to teach them skills like gardening and beading, and most importantly I wanted to make sure that they gain their independence as adults.

“These kids are so special to us and seeing how they develop each day is amazing. We are excited to start the adult centre next year,” Botha said.

Fouche said: “I think it will be a challenge starting up this facility because it will be something new, but we couldn’t not respond to the big demand we have received.

“We are ready, we have the space, it is just a matter of funding because right now we are self-funded and it does become challenging at times.”

The Daily Dispatch reported in April 2015 that Social Development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi had visited the school, saying the government had a mandate to seek out such centres and make a contribution to them. —