Staff
of Fezeka Secondary School in Guguletu, Cape Town
From 1971-73, Ruth and
Cecil Hershler, formerly of Cape Town, were actively involved in fundraising
for the original school building (later ravaged by fire).
This has led to a lifelong connection
with the school. In April, 2001, the Hershlers (now living in Vancouver)
reconnected with the new principal of the school, Mr. Bucks Baloyi.
Excerpt
from a letter from Mr. Baloyi (Principal) 2002
I personally don't have the right words to express our gratitude to you for relieving us of a pressing problem that had been haunting the school for time immemorial - the shortage of classrooms. We are VERY grateful to you for being so kind to a people that you don't even know.
May God bless you all in your endeavours and shortcomings.
Yours in education,
BUCKS BALOYI
Abby
Hershler and Bucks Baloyi (2001)
Letter
from Miss Phumela Matoti, Language teacher at Fezeka
When I came to
teach at Fezeka High School in 1991, I was a language teacher,
who was then approached to start up a commerce department. I
took up the challenge with a grade 8 class which eventually
graduated into Grade 12 by 2001 with excellent results.
Subsequent to
that, the department has contributed meaningfully to the upliftment
of the school and this has resulted in positive spin-offs for
both the immediate communities and the school. We have since
produced at least 5 students who are about to graduate from
college to be accountants. Being a school from a disadvantaged
community, this is hailed as a success story that we hope will
catapult the school into better things.
To add more impetus,
we will ensure that from these spin-offs, we will plough back
to our school-going learners and our communities, so that we
create an equitable access to our programmes and provide a sustainable
growth path to our communities.
Letter
from Mr. B.A. Monakale, Sesotho teacher at Fezeka
In 1970 we were 14 learners from Lehlonolo Primary School.
We were admitted as the first Sotho learners at Fezeka Senior
Secondary. During our stay at this school, I experienced a problem
of getting a Sesotho teacher. Most of our Sesotho teachers came
from the province of Free State, their stay in the Western Cape
was very short and they would return back to the Free State.
As I went on with my studies, I saw this as an opportunity
for me to study for the teaching profession and be able to help
all the Sesotho learners in the Western Cape who want to learn/study
Sesotho.
This dream did finally come through and I became a Sesotho
teacher at the school. Since then the problem of Sesotho teachers
was solved.
