Empowered youth drive-NPO lend a hand to help vulnerable learners in schools!

While learners performance in mathematics and science has been red-flagged as a major concern, a youth empowered non-profit organisation (NPO) was established in Thabong to elevate education system and to assist underprivileged learners.

Thuto Extra Classes project is an initiative aimed at helping learners from various schools in the vicinity of Thabong, who find it hard to excel in subjects of mathematics and science.

The project targets Grade 8 and 9 learners, with a pivotal role to shape them to have critical scientific skills.

A lack of well-structured, long-term teacher professional development programmes, as well as a lack of a coherent incentive scheme to retain skilled and committed teachers, has been found to have to contributed to the poor quality of mathematics and science education in South Africa.

Speaking to one of the co-founders, Lebohang Mosikili, he significantly highlights that the project is guided by its solid mission statement to be a leader in enhancing and improving quality of education.

“We want to be a leader in educational programme, that offer value and high standard to the learners that are struggling with their subjects at educational institutions,” Mosikili shared with Kasi Voice News.

He says the initiation, was founded by his associate, Lebohang Makhase, who he went to school with back in the old times.

The two went in their different paths when they headed to institutions of higher learning, as things went south for Makhase, he decided to return back to Thabong, where he pursued a course in Bachelor of Education at Central University of Technology.

While still furthering his studies, the enthusiastic Makhase, with a passion to pass his knowledge to others, he launched Thuto Extra Classes, the concept he collided with other students to steer up a youth empowered drive to help the underprivileged learners in schools.

We also revise lessons that they derailed with during school hours. We encourage our learners to do the reading, practice maths, do their assignment and investigate a task given in the class for them.

Paths crossed in 2020 yet again for the duo, both Makhase and Mosikidi, and this time around their goal was to cement their partnership to bestow a well-oiled machinery, Thuto Extra Classes, to the community at large.

Previously, the organisation was a private company but the duo decided to divert it into an NPO, to benefit the community, most particularly underprivileged learners in Thabong schools.

Mosikidi says the decision to abort the project as a private company, was due to lack of the affordability from learners to pay for extra classes.

“We have two years in existence, and ours was that no child must be left behind. We took a decision to change the organisation (project) into an NPO, so that we can accommodate learners who cannot afford to pay for their fees,” sai Mosikidi.

As the organisation continued to expand, Mosikidi says the Thuto Extra Classes was joined by two board members, Keletso Baleni, who currently studies Bachelor of Education at Central University of Technology, specialising in mathematics and science.

The other appointee is Andile Nkomo, a qualified teacher with the same specialty in mathematics and science.

Thuto Extra classes encourages parents to be fully involved in their children school work.

“Thuto works as an extra tools in education during learner‘s school afterhours.

“We also revise lessons that they derailed with during school hours. We encourage our learners to do the reading, practice maths, do their assignment and investigate a task given in the classrooms,” says Mosikidi.

Since its inception in 2019, the initiative has facilitated mentoring to over 140 learners, with the pass rate climbing 100%.

Thuto mentors learners from five secondary schools in Thabong, this includes Letsete, Adelaide, Teto, Nanabolela and Leseding.

Mosikidi says they are preparing to add Unitas Secondary School in their list, while their key goal is to mentor first year students at Central University of Technology.

While the project have a visionary dream to expand further, Mosikidi has appealed to investors or possible funders to lend a helping hand with funds to support the initiative to reach its goals and future plans.

For anyone who appeals to reach out to the project with help is urged to contact the project on: 067 785 1291, alternatively to email: ThutoExtra1@gmail.com

Here are snippets from the project’s work from various schools: