US church donates generously to TEACH South Africa

TEACH South Africa teachers and schools have received over US$2 000-worth (around R16 342) of teaching materials and supplies from donors at the Christway Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.

English Language Fellow at TEACH South Africa Reggie Mitchell met with colleague Eleanor Coleman, a retired school counsellor from Arkansas and member of Christway, during the 2011 World Education Congress in Cape Town. They are both members of the National Education Association in the US.

Mitchell took Coleman and others to visit some of the local TEACH South Africa schools in Khayelitsha on the Cape Flats in Cape Town. After visiting, meeting and speaking with the teachers and students, Coleman was compelled to support all the TEACH South Africa schools as they have very little teaching resources and funds to buy their own supplies.

Some of the items donated to TEACH South Africa schools were Maths and Science kits, microscope kits, English thesauruses and dictionaries, calculators, stationery, classroom decorations, chalk, board cleaners, pencil sharpeners, storybooks and history books, board games and more.

Current TEACH Ambassador Khethiwe Radebe, who teaches English to Grades 8 and 9 at the Fontanus Comprehensive School in Soweto says, “We are always happy to see Reggie. When he comes, he brings not only a smile, but a wealth of knowledge and experience that the students just love. We at Fontanus are excited to receive the wonderful new teaching materials.”

Also benefitting from the donation are the new 2012 TEACH Ambassadors, who received starter kits at the New Teachers’ Academy held in December 2011.