Checking in With New Scholars
Thando*
Background: Thando's household is headed by her grandmother. She stays in the Emlambo area of Kwa-Zulu Natal past the end of the road. Her mother passed on when she was very young. Some of her family members have completed high school but none have studied further. Her house is located on a hill about 10 minutes walk from the road. She recognises lack of employment as a big problem in her community and wants to help people build houses and find jobs.
In 2025 Thando started Grade 8 at Inanda Seminary School. We caught up with her there:
How have you been doing? I have been doing well. My academics have been going fine.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor.
Which sports have you been doing? Soccer and indigenous games. I have also been learning to swim which has been fun.
What would you say is the biggest difference between your old school and your current school? Learners at this school don’t misbehave as much as learners in my old school used to. They also don’t do bad things like smoking.
How has being in boarding school benefitted you? I have been well taken care of and having fun. It benefits me because I am surrounded by my peers and we can help each other.
Amanda*
Background: Amanda lives in the TV Trust area of Mpumalanga. Her father passed on when she was three months old. Her mother works at a cucumber farm and only comes home on weekends so her older sister who is in Grade 12 takes care of her and their younger brother. Amanda played netball in primary school. She thinks that the biggest issues in her community are poor sanitation and poverty. She wants to help her community have access to water and build them houses.
In 2025 Amanda started Grade 8 at Penryn. We caught up with her there:
How have you been doing? I’m good but I am a little stressed about the tests.
Which sports have you been doing? I’m doing hockey and netball. It's my first time playing hockey and it's very hard. I can't control the stick even though they have told me many times how to control it. But I can see some improvements.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I would like to be a vet.
What would you say is the biggest difference between your old school and your current school? The tests here are very hard. In my previous school, I would study and find the things that I studied exactly as they were. But here I study and when it's time to write some things have changed and the questions are ones I haven't seen before. I feel like the education here is stronger.
How has being in boarding school benefitted you? The boarding house has been nice because you get people who can help you with your school work and I also feel like I get enough time to study.
What's your favourite thing about the school? That they introduce us to new things we have never seen before like organising trips to places we haven't been to before. They even organise community service where we can go and help in communities. I also like that when you don’t understand things they help you understand and even organise extra lessons for people who don't understand to help them.
Tshidi*
Background: Tshidi lives with her mother and brother in the Mase village area in the North West province. Her father has been absent her entire life. The family relies on the grandparents' and children’s social grants to survive. Tshidi was active at her old school, playing netball and soccer. She recognises poverty and water shortage as big problems in her community. She would like to help her community by starting a soup kitchen when she is older so people who do not have food can come and eat for free.
In 2025 Matshidiso started Grade 8 at the International School of South Africa (ISSA). We caught up with her there:
How have you been doing? I am good and things are good at school but I had some problems with mathematics. My test results were not good.
Which sports have you been doing? I have been doing athletics and I also play netball. Athletics has been very good because I went to Field’s College in Rustenburg and I ran and got second position.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor.
What would you say is the biggest difference between your old school and your current school? Where I come from, they used to teach in simple English but now the English they use to teach is harder to understand. I wonder what would have happened if I didn't end up at this school and I am proud of the work I did that got me here. I don't feel any pressure because my mom spoke to me and told me that I am here to learn and not be peer pressured.
How has being in boarding school benefitted you? The benefit is that I am learning to be on my own without my mother. I am learning to do things on my own and how to socialise with people more. My boarding mates have also been helping me with my maths because we sometimes study together.
What's your favourite thing about the school? My favourite thing about the school is that the people around here are friendly and kind. The school is also very beautiful and the teachers are friendly.
