A learner from Sovetjheza Secondary School in Siyabuswa, Nkangala District in Mpumalanga province will be representing South Africa’s National Volleyball team in Malawi.

Sarah Karabo Mnguni is set to represent the country in December 2022. Mnguni started playing volleyball at a young age.

“She started playing at a tender age and participated in the Volleyball League Games at the age of 13,” the Department of Education in Mpumalanga said.

Mnguni was subsequently selected to play for the Mpumalanga under 15 Team.

“Through her hard work, she was selected to play in tournaments which were staged in Mozambique, Lesotho and this year’s selection became a cherry on top for her.”

The Department said that Mnguni is an inspiration to young girls.

“She is truly an inspiration to other young girls who are from humble beginnings seeking an opportunity to make a name for themselves in sports.”

The Department took to its Facebook page to congratulate her and to wish her well in the tournament in Malawi.

“You Go Girl, the sky is the limit,” said the Department.

INSIDE EDUCATION

THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has launched an investigation into allegations of corruption and maladministration at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).

This after President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation giving the corruption-busting unit authority to probe the NSFAS.

The investigation is expected to cover the period between April 2016 and August this year but may also include any period relevant to the investigation.

SIU spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, said the investigation will look into two functions of the organisation.

“The first part will look into the management of NSFAS finances. The second part will investigate the allocation of loans, bursaries and any other funding payable to students in terms of the provisions of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme Act, 1999, Act No. 56 of 1999,” he said.

Kganyago said: “Furthermore, the SIU will also investigate related unauthorized, irregular or fruitless and wasteful expenditure incurred by the NSFAS or the State, including the causes of maladministration.”

He added that the conduct of officials will also come under scrutiny.

“The SIU will also investigate any unlawful or improper conduct by employees or officials of the NSFAS or the service providers in question, their employees or any other person or entity,” he said.

The SIU will also seek to recover any monies lost by the state as a result of any wrongful actions at NSFAS.

“The SIU is empowered to institute civil action in the High Court, or a Special Tribunal in its name, to correct any wrongdoing uncovered during both investigations caused by acts of corruption, fraud or maladministration.”

“In line with the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act 74 of 1996, the SIU will refer any evidence pointing to criminal conduct it uncovers to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for further action,” Kganyago said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

SISANDA NKOALA|

SOUTH African indigenous languages are among those at risk of a serious decline due to the increasing use of digital technologies. By some estimates only 5% of the world’s languages are likely to survive online.

As hubs of knowledge generation, South African universities have an essential role in ensuring this does not happen. When democracy came to South Africa in 1994, multilingualism was seen as imperative to ensure that all of the country’s 11 official languages were esteemed and promoted. Universities could play their part by using indigenous languages in high status functions: teaching, learning and research.

Despite the numerous legislative policy documents and frameworks, in practice the use of indigenous African languages in South African universities falls far short of where it should be. The adoption of remote (online) education during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 may have widened the chasm further. That’s because English dominates in online engagements in this context.

The online teaching employed by universities during the pandemic was conducted almost exclusively in English. If this continues, it could derail the work done so far in “intellectualising” indigenous languages – that is, developing them for use in high status contexts like education.

In a recent paper I drew on the reflections of seven lecturers from seven South African universities on the challenges of trying to teach online in more than one language. I looked at the implications for developing historically marginalised languages, as called for by the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions.

What the lecturers told me suggests that if multiple indigenous languages aren’t used in higher education, their speakers could face even greater exclusion in universities. It will also set back the advances made in raising the status of these languages.

Reflections from lecturers

The lecturers were teaching in fields like politics, history and education. Some were at traditional universities and others at universities of technology.

Their experience was that it was challenging to teach multilingually during emergency remote teaching. The challenges were in three categories:

shifts from in-person to on-screen interactionsshifts in the types of resources used to teach multilinguallyshifts from approaches that intellectualise indigenous languages to approaches that are focused on delivery.

Their view was that their experiences during COVID did not bode well for the intellectualisation of indigenous South African languages.

One participant was worried that multilingualism would become no more than a mechanical translation from one language into another. While the translation of resources is an important part of multilingual education, it is just the start. What must then follow is teaching students how to use indigenous language to come up with new ways of thinking about their disciplines, drawing on the indigenous knowledge systems that the languages are rooted in.

The participant went on to say:Our students need vibrant, living multilingualism that demonstrates that intellectual work is not singularly about English. And that your professors are not English speakers. They are also Xhosa, and they have Afrikaans, and they have slang, and they have Zulu, and they have high language, and they have street language … there is a cross-set of all our multilingual capability to convey the intellectual project.

Under the conditions of emergency remote learning, lecturers were under pressure simply to deliver the content of courses. This was true even for lecturers who wanted to use multilingual pedagogies. They were mindful of the need for multilingualism in higher education in South Africa. But the conditions under which they were teaching were such a hindrance that they defaulted to translation of resources like notes and slides.

…this has not been a huge success in that our sense is that students are just not reading.

The academics Rosalie Finlayson and Mbulungeni Madiba have argued that effective intellectualisation is what will see indigenous languages developed, within the shortest possible time, to a point where they can express concepts that already exist in languages such as English and Afrikaans.

For this to happen, the focus must be on capturing African languages in written form to develop lexicon and grammar. This was a challenge during COVID because some web-based learner management systems don’t support texts written in African languages. They don’t have the special characters that a student should use in an exam to show what they know. So it’s difficult to assess the candidate.

Indigenous language teaching resources, such as journal articles and textbooks, are scarce too. So lecturers had few resources to draw on when attempting to move their courses online. And the technology did not allow lecturers to write easily online as they would on a board: As a language teacher, you are bound to write because when students don’t understand what you are trying to teach, you have to put what you are uttering orally into writing for their full grasp.

Adapting systems for local use

In 2014, South African scholars called for the localisation of learner management systems to promote teaching.

Localising a learner management system entails adopting and modifying digital information and computer user interfaces into local languages, cultures, values and beliefs.

It is costly and requires institutions to collaborate. But researchers have been highlighting how important it is for raising the status of indigenous languages. The fact that it hasn’t happened yet suggests it may not be a priority for universities, which are best placed to do it, or for government, which is empowered to hold them accountable if they won’t.

(Sisanda Nkoala, Senior Lecturer, Cape Peninsula University of Technology)

THE CONVERSATION

Sparked by the recent tragic death by suicide of 15-year-old Tiro Moalusi, 24 civil society groups have signed an open letter to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga demanding safe schools for queer youth.

Led by Uthingo Network, they call for the minister and her department to take urgent steps to address ongoing queerphobic bullying and discrimination against queer learners in South African schools.

The groups further urge Motshekga to hold educators accountable and to create queer-affirming school environments.

Dear Minister Motshekga,

The ongoing queerphobic bullying and discrimination against queer learners by teachers and fellow learners are concerning. We believe it is high time they received urgent attention from the Department of Basic Education. This treatment towards queer learners is unacceptable, and the lack of action by your department exacerbates this behaviour and the subsequent disrespect of queer rights as provisioned by the South African Constitution.

In the background of this queerphobic reality, this week, 15-year-old Tiro Moalusi, a grade 9 pupil from the PJ Simelane Secondary School in Soweto, took his life after being humiliated in class, allegedly by a teacher. It is reported that a student teacher mocked him over his sexual orientation and sexual expression in front of his classmates, who then joined the teacher in laughing at Tiro.

If student teachers can conduct themselves in this manner, one can only wonder what the behaviour of some permanent teachers is. As human rights civil society organisations advocating for the inclusion, safety and affirmation of all learners regardless of their gender and sexual identity, we strongly condemn the attitude and prejudice displayed by the teacher, which stands in contrast to the constitutional rights of the learner.

Sadly, Tiro is not the first learner to commit suicide because of school-based queerphobic bullying. In June, Mpho Falithenjwa, a 14-year-old learner from Orange Farm, took his life after being bullied for identifying as gay at school and in his community. Mpho’s sister explained that he was bullied and that a specific incident happened at school where a classmate addressed him using an anti-gay slur. In another similar case, 14-year-old Lukhanyo Jongqo, a grade 7 learner from Kubusie Combined School in Cumakala, Stutterheim, also took his life after being bullied by his classmates for identifying as gay. Reports inform us that he was also bullied by his classmates, who called him gay and refused to play or sit with him.

Mpho and Tiro took their lives by poison, while Lindokuhle hanged himself. These extreme measures show us that the extent of the queerphobic abuse they experienced at the hands of their teachers and classmates, as well as their communities was unbearable to a point where they saw suicide as their only solution. This is enough evidence to make us conclude that most South African school environments continue to be unsafe spaces for queer learners.

It is unfortunate because these cases affirm a 2006 study by the Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action centre which found that 20% of LGBTQI+ learners had been raped or assaulted. The same percentage had attempted suicide, and a third had thought about committing suicide. The University of South Africa’s Centre for Applied Psychology conducted similar research in 2012 and found that “the victimisation of LGBTI learners is widespread”. Two-thirds of the bullying came from fellow learners, 22% from teachers and 9% from principals.

These findings were further affirmed by a 2016 research study conducted by OUT LGBT Well-being which reported that LGBTQI+ learners often face discrimination and bullying in South African schools, with 56% of LGBTQI+ South Africans surveyed reporting that they had experienced discrimination based on their sexuality or gender identity while attending school.

Minister, it is important to highlight that implicit violence also occurs through discriminatory education policies, regulations, curricula, teaching materials and practices. Transgender learners face additional obstacles with gendered uniforms, official documents/records that don’t reflect their gender identity, and single-sex facilities such as toilets and changing rooms in educational institutions.

We believe that a school’s affirming climate is a potential protective factor for queer learners. Regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression, all learners have the right to a safe, supportive learning environment. A school environment not inclusive of queer learners limits their right to access education. The failure to address this violation of the learners’ human rights is a gross disservice to the learners.

The Department of Basic Education has amended its Life Orientation curriculum to include Comprehensive Sexuality Education, which includes sexual and gender diversity. It is vital that the Department of Basic Education strongly condemns the actions of its teachers as it goes against the essence of creating safe and enabling teaching and learning environments for ALL its learners. However, more importantly, the attitudes and behaviour of these teachers violate the fundamental human rights of the marginalised learners within the constitutional rights of the citizens of South Africa.

Minister, accountability starts with you within the Department of Basic Education. Apart from the message by your deputy minister addressed to educators, learners, parents, stakeholders, and officials for the commemoration of youth month and international pride month 2022 dated 15 June 2022, the Department of Basic Education’s guide titled “Challenging Homophobic Bullying in Schools” which is available on the internet, and the amended Life Orientation curriculum, what other strategies are you going to put in place to hold school personnel accountable and also to ensure that South African schools are a safe and affirming space for all learners in their diversity?

We ask for decisive leadership that will put more stringent measures to ensure that all learners are safe and protected from any form of bullying and harassment in South African schools.

This open letter is signed by the following organisations:

Al-Ghurbaah Foundation
Alphabet Gang
Amnesty International South Africa
Dialogues for Change
Equal Education Law Centre
Gender Dynamix
Global Interfaith Network [GIN] Heinrich Böll Stiftung
Inclusive & Affirming Ministries [IAM] Iranti
Isibani Civil Society Forum
Lower South Coast LGBTI Community Projects Rural
MAMBA.LGBT
Msunduzi Association of Residents Ratepayers and Civics [MARRC] OUT LGBT Well-Being
Pachedu
Safeplace International
Same Love Toti
Shemah Koleinu
TransHope
Trans Wellness Project
Triangle Project
Uthingo Network
Vuka Uzithathe Africa

MambaOnline

MARNI SOMMER|

ONE thing few people have been talking about since Roe v. Wade was overturned is how abortion restrictions will affect young girls across the United States.

Around the time of their first period, many young people learn the basic mechanics of managing their periods, such as how to put on a pad or tampon and that it happens once a month. Traditionally they might also receive some admonishment to keep their period hidden. Young people may get information about menstruation from a family member, friends or a teacher, or by searching on the internet.

But often it is only later that they learn and truly understand the more complex details about the menstrual cycle. This includes guidance around regular and irregular patterns and when to seek medical care for any shifts in timing, duration or the overall experience, including the severity of menstrual pain or heavy bleeding. These conversations also have clear implications for ovulation and pregnancy prevention.

Now, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, young people who begin to menstruate will also need to learn early on how to recognize a missed period as soon as possible. In the past, a young person’s delay in mentioning that a period was late or skipped a few months might not have presented any particular urgency. However, going forward, in contexts where a ban on abortions beyond a very short period of weeks exists, even one missed period could have serious implications for a young person’s life.

Conversely, it’s critical that young people know that irregular periods can be normal and that it’s not always cause for alarm.

I have been researching young people’s experiences with menarche – the onset of menstruation – around the world for almost 20 years. In 2018, my team began to explore the experiences of American girls with their periods, including their recommendations for what all young girls need to know as they enter puberty and begin to menstruate.

Based on those suggestions and insights, we published “A Girl’s Guide to Puberty and Periods,” a body-positive illustrated graphic novel-style book that includes first period stories, advice and questions written by girls.

Globally, I have learned that girls growing up in Africa, Asia and here in the U.S. often receive inadequate information and support about their periods.

Information about menstruation is inadequate

Menstrual health literacy, or a person’s understanding of the menstrual cycle and its intersection with one’s health and well-being, is essential from the time leading up to the first menstrual period through menopause.

Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Pediatrics have recommended that just as doctors and nurses check someone’s blood pressure or temperature at each visit, they should also ask about periods.

These professional societies suggest that health care providers prepare girls and their families for the onset of menstruation and ensure that they understand the variation in menstrual patterns.

My team’s U.S. study focused on adolescent girls in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Our findings, along with research on state-level menstruation education standards across the country, suggest that the U.S. is a long way from delivering menstrual health literacy to the population. Our research indicated that many girls received no guidance before their first period or had been given information that felt dated and hard to relate to. Think educational videos made in the 1990s.

A recent publication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the median age of onset of menstruation decreased from 12.1 years old in 1995 to 11.9 by 2017. This means that nowadays, many girls are in elementary school when they get their first period.

For this reason, it’s clear that young people in fourth or fifth grade need to be receiving health education that addresses menstruation. Girls who do not receive education and support – particularly those who get their first period at a young age – are more likely to experience depression and low self-esteem. Low-income and minority girls are particularly vulnerable.

Yet many American girls still do not learn the basic facts about their menstrual cycles at home or school or from health care providers. As our study found, parents are often uncomfortable discussing periods, perhaps because it feels too linked to sexuality.

Our research also captured American girls’ first-period stories across 25 states and found that many young people are afraid, ashamed and do not know whom to ask for advice when their menstruation starts.

Missed opportunities

The internet and social media, which are important sources of news and guidance for many young people, may deliver misinformation or reinforce menstrual stigma. And a 2020 study of members of the American Academy of Pediatricians found that 24% of pediatricians surveyed do not regularly provide guidance before the first period. Furthermore, 33% do not discuss periods with their menstruating patients. Male pediatricians were also less likely to assess a patient’s menstrual cycles and provide information, perhaps because of discomfort with the topic.

Schools also may not be delivering the necessary guidance. In New York state, where I work, there is no requirement for the provision of menstrual health education, and sexual education is not required to be taught or to be medically accurate. Only 30 states and Washington, D.C., mandate sexual education in schools, but not all of them require medical accuracy.

It’s hard to know if many states are even including menstrual health in the curriculum, as data is limited and public information is not always available. I believe that, given the critical importance of some menstrual health literacy by late elementary school, schools could consider delivering puberty education – including menstrual health – separate from sexual education. This is particularly true in states that are hesitant to mandate sexual education.

Menstrual health literacy translates to health literacy

One survey of women of childbearing age suggested that fewer than 50% knew the average number of days of a regular menstrual cycle. Not knowing what is “normal or not normal” in relation to an average menstrual cycle – ranging from how often you get your period to the extent of bleeding or pain experienced – increases the health risk for an adolescent girl or woman.

Health – including menstrual health – is a basic human right. For those who menstruate, this means a right to menstrual health literacy, along with being able to seek care for the myriad menstrual and reproductive health disorders. These range from dysmenorrhea, or severe pain, to endometriosis, a condition in which endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus and can cause menstrual irregularities and significant discomfort. Both require diagnosis and treatment.

Menstruation is an issue of public health, and one long overdue for increased attention and resources, starting with – but not limited to – menstrual health literacy. The fall of Roe adds urgency to this public health priority.

(Marni Sommer, Associate Professor of Sociomedical Sciences, Columbia University)

THE CONVERSATION

ZIMBABWEAN government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South Africa (SA)’s Basic Education ministry to co-operate in basic primary and secondary education.

In a statement, the Zimbabwean Primary and Secondary Education ministry said the principles enshrined in the regional protocol on education and training necessitated the signing of the MoU.

“The MoU signed by the two ministers, honourable Angie Motshekga and honourable Dr Evelyn Ndlovu reveals how conscious the two countries are of the benefits to be derived from close co-operation and the maintenance of friendly relations between the two countries as they are desirous of developing and promoting close co-operation in the field of basic primary and secondary education,” the statement read.

“The principles enshrined in the Southern African Development Community protocol on education and training, have guided the signing of this historic memorandum of understanding.”

Under the MoU, the two countries would exchange information on financing education development, infrastructure development, curriculum development and assessment.

The ministry said it was committed to inclusive and increased access to education.

“Education remains at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development for both countries as it is identified as a standalone goal (Sustainable Development Goal 4) and remains present as a target undergrowth, employment, sustainable consumption and production,” the statement added.

STAFF REPORTER|

Students returning to college are confronting a new reality in states such as Texas, Ohio and Indiana: Abortion, an option for an unplanned pregnancy when they were last on campus, has since been banned, often with few exceptions.

Students said they’ve made changes both public and intimate since the U.S. Supreme Court decision this summer that overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. Students said they’re using more birth control, and some have made a plan to leave the state for an abortion if they become pregnant. They’re also taking public stances, with increased activism by both opponents and supporters of abortion rights.

Conversations about the changing landscape of abortion access seem to have dwindled since early summer, said Brian Roseboro, a senior at Ohio State University who’s from Montclair, New Jersey. But the 21-year-old, who’s single, said the new law is making him more careful and conscious about using contraception this year.

“I’m definitely thinking about it way more,” Roseboro said.

Ohio State University said the ruling doesn’t change the services provided by its Student Health Services or its medical center, noting Ohio already prohibited state institutions from performing elective abortions. It also doesn’t affect how OSU’s Title IX office handles reports of sexual assault.

But some students say those situations have crossed their minds as they contemplate the fall of Roe and Ohio’s ban on abortions at the first detectable “fetal heartbeat.” That can be as early as six weeks’ gestation, before many people know they’re pregnant.

Nikki Mikov, an Ohio State junior from Dayton, said news of the legal changes initially made her nervous that her options would be limited if she became pregnant. But by the time she was back on campus last week, she said her thoughts were more focused on more immediate things — moving in, friends, classes.

Ohio University junior Jamie Miller said he participated in multiple protests this summer, including one where he gave a speech addressing how support for abortion rights overlaps with advocacy for bodily autonomy for transgender people like him.

More intimately, Miller, 20, said the new limits on abortion influenced the decision he made with his partner to avoid sexual activity that could risk pregnancy. After years of taking testosterone, going through with a pregnancy wouldn’t be healthy for him or for the child, he said, adding that it also would upend his education and put him into debt.

“It would be pretty catastrophic in every sense of my life,” Miller said.

After Emily Korenman, of Dallas, decided to study business at Indiana University, she was frustrated to learn her new state passed new abortion restrictions that take effect Sept. 15 and allow limited exceptions. The 18-year-old said it didn’t change her mind about attending a school she really likes, but she isn’t sure what she would do if she became pregnant during college.

“I personally don’t know if abortion would be the choice I would make,” Korenman said. “But I would respect anyone’s opinion, you know, whoever’s body it is, they have the right to make that choice.

Anti-abortion activists in states such as Indiana and Ohio say they’re planning to advocate for more campus support for pregnant students, now that abortion is no longer an option in most cases.

Campus members of Students for Life of America say they plan to interact with like-minded organizations that support sexual assault survivors and collect baby items for parents in need.

They also hope to further their cause of stopping abortion. They want to build relationships, even with people who have different viewpoints on abortion, and “find where we can agree, so that we can help them and then go further into changing other people’s minds” about abortion, said Lauren McKean, a sophomore at Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Supporters of abortion rights also plan campus outreach.

Cleveland State University sophomore Giana Formica said she got hundreds of condoms through a nonprofit organization for her campus advocacy group to distribute, and she bought some emergency contraception to have in case someone she knows needs it.

“As like a queer individual in this stage of my life, I am most likely not going to be in a place where I become pregnant,” she said. “I’m doing this for other people because it’s not something that I need right this second.”

Formica said she’s also expecting to face more aggressive disagreement from abortion opponents during outreach activities on campus with her chapter of URGE — Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity. So she’s thinking about how to navigate those conversations with fellow students and where she draws the boundaries for cutting them off.

Zoya Gheisar is pondering how to talk about it, too. She leads a Planned Parenthood-affiliated student club at Ohio’s Denison University. On the cusp of the new school year, she was still trying to figure out what information peer sex educators will provide when they talk with first-year students, and how to help club members discuss abortion issues more empathetically.

“When we have conversations as a club, I really try to steer away from the rhetoric that can be so polarizing,” said Gheisar, a 22-year-old from Seattle.

Her hope, she said, is to move toward discussion that acknowledges “this is a truly intimate thing, with real people at its heart and core.”

AP/INSIDE EDUCATION

FIVE learners have died after a truck crashed into a school in Potchefstroom, North West.

The North West Department of Education has confirmed that the tragic deaths of five Vyfhoek
Primary School learners who were run over by a mini-truck inside their school premises.

The incident happened on Thursday.

The mini truck is reported to have been traveling from Potchefstroom towards the Johannesburg
direction on the N12 road and capsized after a front wheel tyre burst and the driver lost control of
the vehicle, then went straight through the school fence, plunging on four learners, and killing
them on the spot, while one died in the ambulance at the scene while the paramedics were still
attending to her injuries.

According to the Department’s spokesperson, Elias Malindi, four learners are in hospital, “more
report on their condition will be issued.”

According to the school report, the learners were waiting for their school transport after school
within the school premises.

MEC for Education in the North West province, Mmaphefo Matsemela, is devastated by the
incident and calls for cooperation during this difficult time.

“This is the most devastating news to share. Losing five learners in this manner is not easy to
accept- as a parent and as a caretaker to these learners,” she said.  

“We are truly lost for words and we plead with the public to treat the matter with sensitivity as
parents are still trying to get into terms with this sudden loss.”

“I wish to send a word of comfort to the bereaved families and for those whose learners are
hospitalised,” said Matsemela.

Matsemela further indicated that a task team has been established to deal with the memorial
service and the funeral arrangements.

“As a department, we have established a task team which will deal with the memorial service
and the funeral arrangements. This task team will work very closely with all the bereaved
families. We are also working with other departments to ensure that psychosocial support is
provided to all those who need it,” she said.

Matsemela added that the memorial service will be held at Madiba Banquet Hall in
Potchefstroom on Thursday, 25 August 2022 at 12:00.

INSIDE EDUCATION

GAUTENG girl learners continue to miss days of school every month because they do not have
access to dignity packs. This is according to the Refiloe Ntseke, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development.

The DA says that the Gauteng Department of Social Development (DSD) has failed to meet its
targets for the dignity pack programme, despite the programme being in existence for over 11
years.

“This department’s inability to meet its set targets for this programme has resulted in over R31
million being returned to Treasury, while young girls and those living with albinism are left to
suffer,” Ntseke said.

The information was revealed by the Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Morakane
Mosupyoe, in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
(GPL).

According to Mosupyoe, her department’s under expenditure on the dignity packs programme is
because of the late finalization of specifications.

“This is unacceptable and indicates a lack of project management and prioritisation of
programmes within the department. The dignity packs consist of essentials such as sanitary
towels, bath soap, aqueous cream, toothpaste, roll-on, toilet paper and hats for girls living with
Albinism,” Ntseke said.

The DA said the programme is not reaching all the young girls that are in dire need of dignity
packs.

“In the 2016/17 financial year 294 270 dignity packs were distributed and reached 44 572 girls,
for the 2015/16 financial year, 239 568 dignity packs were distributed and reached 19 965 girls,
in the 2021/22 financial year, 1 158 473 dignity packs were distributed and reached 96 536
girls.”

The DA said that the DSD should engage with the Provincial Treasury to assist the cooperatives
that are working with the department to be converted into small businesses.

“These businesses will be incubated and allowed to tender to provide dignity packs in the
province for two years. This will ensure that all our girls have access to dignity packs.
Furthermore, the department should have a database of all the learners that are in dire need of
these dignity packs to ensure that no girl child is deprived of quality learning time because they
do not have access to dignity packs.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

REGARDED as one of the best coding programmes in South Africa (SA), the MTN Business App Academy
attracted more than 12 000 applications in April 2022. All successful candidates, upon completing their
exams will receive their South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) NQF Level 3, NQF Level 5 and
MICTSETA accredited qualifications.

The MTN Business App Academy is a free online course open to all and zero-rated for MTN subscribers.

It coincides each year with the MTN Business App of the Year Awards, which has uncovered apps like
Zulzi App and Khula App and works to celebrate African coding talent and out-of-the-box thinking that
drives disruption and change.

“With the App Academy our aim is to upskill African youth for a career in app development – making
them future-fit, putting them on a path to success and, through them, changing the trajectory of the
continent”, says Kholo Magagane, Head of Marketing at MTN Business.

MTN Business App Academy students are mentored and tutored by experts in the field. Training
components give intermediate coders the opportunity to advance skills already acquired, while
beginners are guided on building their skills from a very limited foundation.

“We are very proud of our 2022 intake, who range from beginner and mid-level app developers to first-
time tech innovators, garage developers and tech graduates from across the continent. They did
remarkably and are well on their way to a future in tech. But the work isn’t done yet – they will be taken
through another two to three skills development and practical training courses before the end of the
year.”

The 2022 App Academy will culminate in a virtual hackathon on 2 – 4 September 2022, where learners
will be required to develop their own app to solve social challenge problem statement submitted by
fellow Africans, Corporates and MTN partners. The participants will have 72-hours to develop their
solution. The winning app will be entered into the 2022 MTN Business App of Year Awards for a chance
to win R1 million in start-up funding.

“At MTN Business we’re committed to embracing technology and innovation as we do our part in
elevating Africa to a developer ecosystem that produces opportunities for our youth and solutions for
our people – who all deserve the benefits of a more connected life. This is the only way to ensure future
growth and progress for our continent”, said Magagane.

Now in its 11th year, the MTN Business App of the Year Awards is widely recognised as one of the biggest tech movements on the African continent and takes place this year on 13 October. For more information or to register, visit www.appoftheyear.co.za.

SUPPLIED| MTN