Sphumelele started at Thanda in 2019 as an Early Learning intern. She showed incredible dedication and promise and was then hired as and ECD Facilitator. In 2021, she was promoted to the coordinator role for the Inclusion Programme.
Sphume tells of the change she experienced during her internship.
“When society sees someone with learning challenges, society tends to view them as victims. Before I joined Thanda, I was one of those people that thought of people with learning and physical challenges as victims and not ‘normal’. Growing up, I was afraid of people that had any form of disability or challenges.”
“After my internship, my mindset had changed. We got an opportunity to visit the children living with these challenges and it helped me see exactly what inclusion is all about and that the children with learning challenges are also just people. They also deserve the same attention.”
Sphume explains that there are important characteristics one needs in order to do the job she does “You need to be a person who is calm, patient and caring because if you do not have these character traits it will be difficult to deal with the children and you will not be able to do a good job. You need to have love and understanding too. With these traits I have developed, I have been able to assist and see growth in the participants.”
Seeing a child progress as a result of the Inclusion Programme gives Sphume immense satisfaction “One child has Cerebral Palsy. They had a very stiff body with limited movement and couldn’t sit up. They joined the programme and now the participant has been able to sit. This child enrolled in the programme last year and I have seen a huge change in the child. I can only imagine how far the child will develop if we continue with the programme.”
She also acknowledges that community involvement is essential for a positive outcome. The Inclusion Programme is beneficial, but when guardians get involved in the process and work diligently with their children between sessions, incredible results are possible.
“Most parents do not have the knowledge on how to handle these issues that is why we also encourage the guardians to participate in the programme, learn and develop their children and know that just because your child has certain challenges it is not the end.”
Sphume’s mindset shift is exactly what we aim to achieve with the Inclusion Programme. Not only do we want to help children live their most fulfilling lives, we also want to ensure that they are accepted and embraced, just as all children should be.
