Welcome to Ekufundzeni
“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax all you need is a book!”
– Dr. Seuss
Ekufundzeni, previously known as the Methodist Education Initiative, is an independent NGO operating since 1993 in the disadvantaged areas surrounding Benoni – Daveyton, Etwatwa and Wattville.
Ekufundzeni operates in the education arena and comes from a desire to make a difference in education in disadvantaged public schools. A visit to the local schools in 1992 highlighted the lack of libraries and books and thus little or no culture of reading amongst the schools. This then became our focus area.
OUR MISSION
To facilitate the development of a culture of reading and thereby to improve the quality and efficacy of education in previously disadvantaged schools.
OUR VISION
That teachers and pupils in previously disadvantaged schools have access to books and other reading material and that a culture of reading and use of libraries is developed within the schools to the extent where each school eventually has its own functioning library.
OUR ACTIVITIES
Our operations consist of two main activities:
- Operating a mobile library to provide access to books for 32 junior primary schools in Daveyton, Etwatwa and Wattville. For more details click here.
- Reading Gogos – 50 volunteer ladies who visit six of the schools once a week for a hour to provide hands-on support for the teachers in reading and fostering a love for books and English at the foundation phase. For more details click here.
Our needs!
The main needs of Ekufundzeni are as follows:
- Additional books: We currently have a stock of mainly donated books which have served us well, but as the culture of reading and use of books by teachers has developed, we now need to expand our stock with curriculum and African relevant books. These will have to be purchased and for this funds will be needed.
- Reading Gogos: The reading Gogos currently visit only 6 of the schools due to the limited numbers of Gogos. More volunteers would allow us to visit more schools. We have Gogos of all ages, although many are retired ladies.
The organisation started work in 1993 and was formalised in 1996 and has formal NPO (029-863-NPO) and PBO (930009457) status.