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SIYA KOLISI
Which school did you attend?
I attended Emsengeni Primary School briefly in 2003.
Who was your favourite teacher?
My favourite teacher (Mr Eric Songwiqi) stood by me during my schooling years. He was more than just a teacher; he was a mentor, a support system. He moved me from one township school to another and was always there for me whenever I needed him. He even played the role of a father figure in my life. He took me to every sports trial and always encouraged me.
What subject did he teach?
He didn’t really teach me a specific subject per se. He supported my rugby development. He was there as a guiding figure, mentoring me through my life and my schooling years.
Did you look forward to your sessions with him?
Absolutely, I looked forward to every training session with him. He always had words of encouragement for us, it was about something other than a subject in a classroom. He gave lots of practical life advice.
What was he like?
He was always kind, loving, and supportive, and he went out of his way to make sure I had what I needed. But he also knew when to be firm and when discipline was needed. He was everything that I needed.
What was your favourite subject at school?
My favourite subject at school was maths. I was actually one of the top students in the class for that subject until I moved to Grey High School
Did your love for the game influence your career choice?
My passion for rugby influenced my choice of career. That being said, I struggled later with maths in school. I do wish I had focused a little bit more in school and persevered with my academics because I believe that would add more value to what I do after rugby as well.
What phrase from your teacher stuck with you?
The phrase that stuck with me was, “Believe in your dreams, work as hard as you can, and protect them with everything you have.” This was told to me by Mr Songwiqi and has stayed with me throughout my life.
Have you remained in contact with your teacher?
Yes, I have kept in touch with him. We even spoke recently about him, and I am working together to help more kids from the community I grew up in the same way he helped me.
Have you met since your school days?
The first meeting with him, outside of a classroom setting, always gets me emotional. We’ve done a lot together and seeing him still brings up many emotions. He’s a special person in my life.
Describe the influence of teachers on society.
Teachers are incredibly important to society. They spend the most time with kids and have a significant influence on them. They can provide positive encouragement and energy that a child might not be getting at home. I know teachers often don’t get the credit they deserve, but they play a massive role in giving kids hope and support.
What advice would you give youngsters wanting to be a success?
My advice to anyone wanting to reach for and achieve their dreams would be not to let your environment dictate your dreams.
It’s hard sometimes to see past your current situation, but you can find hope in people from the same environment as you. Work as hard as you can with what you have around you before looking for what you don’t have. Surround yourself with positive people, and don’t let the struggles of others bring you down. Keep working, no matter how big or small your goals may be.
Kolisi shares memories of his favourite teacher
Through his foundation, the first Black Springbok captain to hold the Rugby World Cup, Siya Kolisi, plays a vital role behind the scenes in tackling inequality in South Africa. The Kolisi Foundation was established in April 2020, a month after the COVID-19 pandemic left the country and the globe in lockdown.
With a vision by Springbok World Cup winning captain Siya Kolisi and his wife, Kolisi Foundation CEO Rachel, to impact vulnerable and under-resourced communities in South Africa, the foundation has made a difference, particularly in several areas of need, namely, food security, gender-based violence and education and sports development.
“After the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 2019, we knew we wanted to do something great for South Africa and use that responsibility for something good,” said the Kolisis.
The Foundation unites organisations to mobilise resources and strengthen infrastructure and learning. To help communities thrive, they aim to bring about systemic change by creating safe spaces through sport and education, addressing gender-based violence, and contributing to food sustainability.
Their mission is underpinned around three integrated strategic focus areas based on Siya’s lived experience: Food Security, Gender-Based Violence, and Education and Sports Development.
In particular, the work has been strengthened around food security: Adopt a Community Kitchen, Gender-Based Violence:
Kolisi Connect, and Power2You packs, with an empowerment component being developed. Critically, the impact has been significant in Education and Sports Development via the flagship Siyaphakama Zwide Schools Project.
As part of this initiative, six Zwide schools, identified as key to materialising the vision laid out by Rachel and Siya, have been supported on an ongoing basis as part of the Kolisi Foundation Education and Sports flagship project. The six schools are Emsengeni Primary School (Siya’s primary school), Isaac Booi Primary School, Daniels Lower Primary, Sithembile Junior School, Garret Primary School and Ubuntu Pathways Primary School.
Notably, the foundation has also tackled the food security issue head-on through its nutrition programme at the six schools, with the engagement of food preparers in training workshops around basic knowledge of nutrition, health, and hygiene.
This includes completing baseline nutritional status assessments of learners at all six schools.
Community kitchens are becoming critical spaces where communities can connect and exchange. They are also places where norms are queried, transformation is spearheaded, dialogues around food are happening, and advocates’ voices for changing existing food systems are heard.
The Foundation is committed to a more holistic approach to fighting hunger.
Finally, regarding the pressing gender-based violence pandemic, the Foundation partnered with The Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children to conceptualise and create a facility to serve therapeutic needs through counselling, therapy reflection, reading, and journaling. Most importantly, it is also a supportive and healing space for mothers and children to spend quality time together.
“It has been a year of impact and making a difference in communities that need it most. However, our work is by no means complete, and we encourage society and corporates to work with us to help create the better society we want,” said the Kolisis.
For more information, please visit kolisi-foundation.org
