Background Information
I have been working on grant proposals for library shelves at Matshwi Primary and for a playground at Letseku Primary School. Hence I’ve had to obtain statistics and other information on the communities for the proposals. One thing I had to include was the background information of the community. I thought I’d post what I had written to give a better idea of the average life of a villager:
Matshwi Primary School serves the villages of Matshwi, Morwasetla, and Thlabelend. All of these are Black rural villages located in the Modjadji area of Limpopo. The area is overseen by the Royal Council of the Rain Queen. The three villages have a combined population of 22,269. The predominant language spoken by the residents is Sepedi.
Regrettably, many of the villagers are unemployed. In Matshwi 60% of households depend on social grants for their livelihood. In Morwasetla and Thlabeleng it is 71% and 59% respectively. In Matshwi only 1 person in every 10 households has a job, in Morwasetla only 2 in 25, and in Thabeleng only 3 in 20. There are very few employment opportunities in the village. The few jobs available include running bottle stores (selling beer and soda), working at small shops (groceries, cheap clothing, and hardware), driving taxis, or working as a vendor (selling fruit, chips and sweets from their homes or at school). Most of those who are employed work outside of the village in the nearest town, Tzaneen or leave home altogether and work in Pretoria or Johannesburg. Unfortunately, this means that many of the adults who work in the large cities of South Africa leave their children to be raised by relatives, often times their grandparents.
The primary means of transportation of villagers include bus, taxi, and walking. Many villagers travel to town about once a month to augment the supplies they need with things they are unable to purchase in the village. This trip is expensive to the inhabitants due to their meager incomes. As a result, many of the children have never been to town or outside of their rural villages.
Most of the populace resides in homes made of bricks, which the women make themselves, and are then covered by a tin roof. Families with some extra income may build their house of purchased bricks and have a tiled roof. The poorest of families live in shacks often made from odd materials found through scavenging and covered with plastic in hopes of preventing leakage during the rainy season. Occasionally traditional rondavels, built of mud and covered with a thatched roof, serve as a living abode. The majority use pit toilets and burn their trash as a means of waste management. As a result, there is often trash cluttering village pathways since there is no effective waste disposal system. Villagers primary means of communication is through the use of cell phones since there are no land lines. Most of the residents obtain water by hauling it to their house by means of wheelbarrow from taps placed throughout the village. Very few villagers can afford to or have running water in their homes. Most homes do have electricity available.
Disease is a stark reality of village life. Many children have lost one or both of their parents due to TB or HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is still a disease that receives great stigmatization in the village. Often when people die from this infirmity they are said to have suffered from a “long illness.” As a result of avoidance of the issue, HIV/AIDS related deaths are on a rise in the village with no real end in sight.
Matshwi Primary School was established 1977. It has a population of 880 students ranging from grades R-7 and employs 22 teachers a principal and a deputy principal. In addition, it is located next to a preschool that caters to 40 students with which it is loosely associated. The children of Matshwi Primary formerly paid annual school fees of 60 rand (a little more than 8 dollar) to attend the school, but beginning in August 2006 the school was declared a no fee school. Unfortunately, the Department of Education has yet to distribute any money to the school and the children and educators are suffering from lack as a result.
The children of Matshwi are enthusiastic and love to have opportunities to learn and participate in extracurricular activities. There is not much organized activity in the village meaning that children are often left to their own devices for entertainment. Many times this leads to older students acting out and causing problems. Matshwi is in desperate need of opportunities for their children to enhance their futures.
Matshwi Primary School serves the villages of Matshwi, Morwasetla, and Thlabelend. All of these are Black rural villages located in the Modjadji area of Limpopo. The area is overseen by the Royal Council of the Rain Queen. The three villages have a combined population of 22,269. The predominant language spoken by the residents is Sepedi.
Regrettably, many of the villagers are unemployed. In Matshwi 60% of households depend on social grants for their livelihood. In Morwasetla and Thlabeleng it is 71% and 59% respectively. In Matshwi only 1 person in every 10 households has a job, in Morwasetla only 2 in 25, and in Thabeleng only 3 in 20. There are very few employment opportunities in the village. The few jobs available include running bottle stores (selling beer and soda), working at small shops (groceries, cheap clothing, and hardware), driving taxis, or working as a vendor (selling fruit, chips and sweets from their homes or at school). Most of those who are employed work outside of the village in the nearest town, Tzaneen or leave home altogether and work in Pretoria or Johannesburg. Unfortunately, this means that many of the adults who work in the large cities of South Africa leave their children to be raised by relatives, often times their grandparents.
The primary means of transportation of villagers include bus, taxi, and walking. Many villagers travel to town about once a month to augment the supplies they need with things they are unable to purchase in the village. This trip is expensive to the inhabitants due to their meager incomes. As a result, many of the children have never been to town or outside of their rural villages.
Most of the populace resides in homes made of bricks, which the women make themselves, and are then covered by a tin roof. Families with some extra income may build their house of purchased bricks and have a tiled roof. The poorest of families live in shacks often made from odd materials found through scavenging and covered with plastic in hopes of preventing leakage during the rainy season. Occasionally traditional rondavels, built of mud and covered with a thatched roof, serve as a living abode. The majority use pit toilets and burn their trash as a means of waste management. As a result, there is often trash cluttering village pathways since there is no effective waste disposal system. Villagers primary means of communication is through the use of cell phones since there are no land lines. Most of the residents obtain water by hauling it to their house by means of wheelbarrow from taps placed throughout the village. Very few villagers can afford to or have running water in their homes. Most homes do have electricity available.
Disease is a stark reality of village life. Many children have lost one or both of their parents due to TB or HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is still a disease that receives great stigmatization in the village. Often when people die from this infirmity they are said to have suffered from a “long illness.” As a result of avoidance of the issue, HIV/AIDS related deaths are on a rise in the village with no real end in sight.
Matshwi Primary School was established 1977. It has a population of 880 students ranging from grades R-7 and employs 22 teachers a principal and a deputy principal. In addition, it is located next to a preschool that caters to 40 students with which it is loosely associated. The children of Matshwi Primary formerly paid annual school fees of 60 rand (a little more than 8 dollar) to attend the school, but beginning in August 2006 the school was declared a no fee school. Unfortunately, the Department of Education has yet to distribute any money to the school and the children and educators are suffering from lack as a result.
The children of Matshwi are enthusiastic and love to have opportunities to learn and participate in extracurricular activities. There is not much organized activity in the village meaning that children are often left to their own devices for entertainment. Many times this leads to older students acting out and causing problems. Matshwi is in desperate need of opportunities for their children to enhance their futures.
posted by Cait at 10:53 AM
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