Two worlds meet at Ekukhanyisweni
"As we entered the gates of Ekukhanisweni
Primary School, one could almost feel the change in conditions from
those outside the gates. Ekukhanisweni is Zulu for “Place of Light,”
which is an all-too-fitting name for the place."
So observed Brian Foley, one of a group of about 40
university students from Elon University in North Carolina (USA) who
visited the school as part of their cultural tour of South Africa.
Visually appealing and tailor-made to the needs of
its pupils, Ekukhanisweni opened its doors to 1020 primary school
children for the first time in January 2007. The school, which is
situated just off Roosevelt Street, has been built in less than a year
to replace a run-down and dangerous asbestos school.
The Elon students were amongst the first visitors
to the new school. But this was not a typical tourist visit with a 10
minute stop to snap some pictures. The students arrived with a huge
suitcase of service projects they'd prepared in advance of their trip.
They split into small groups, each engaging with a group of learners
and undertaking a variety of activities. The school reverberated with
sounds of excited children until they settled down to complete the
tasks at hand. Their interaction had an impact on
all those involved. Elon student, Jaclyn Tordo commented on leaving,
"As I broke away from the children, I noted tears in their eyes, and
then I noticed tears in mine as well." This small
but significant meeting of two worlds at the new Ekukhanisweni is a
good example of the ARP's integrated approach to enriching the lives
of the people of Alex on many levels. The two groups were brought
together by
Alex Tourism, an LED (local economic development) initiative of
the ARP aimed at promoting tourism in Alex.
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