Four learners of the Kimberley Technical High School (KTHS) – Onalenna Mafora, Jorja Lee, Timothy Theys and Mathapelo Louw – are the national winners in the Heritage Education School Outreach Programme (Hesop).
This is a first for the Northern Cape as no team from the province were ever before placed in one of the three top positions.
The competition took place on district, provincial and national level, and the camp was presented by the National Heritage Council in partnership with the Department of Basic Education at the Tsitsikamma National Park in the Eastern Cape.
The weeklong camp saw learners from eight participating schools from each province working tirelessly in preparing their presentations on the research work. Learners had to submit a research paper, portfolio of evidence and do a 20-minute presentation using Power Point on all the research they have done during the project.
In addition to the research topic that the teams had to conduct before the camp, they were also given an impromptu topic following the tour at the Tsitsikamma National Park.
The learners again had to do a 20-minute presentation dealing with matters like the impact of climate change on natural and cultural heritage. They also had to identify threats in the Tsitsikamma and present solutions for the related threats.
They also learned about the history, traditions and culture of the San people.
All participants, named the “Heritage Ambassadors”, received certificates with medals courtesy of the South African Heritage Resources Agency.
For the past 14 years, the National Heritage Council has spearheaded this programme to inculcate a culture of self-appreciation and national identity. This is the first year that the Northern Cape won the competition.
Micheal Ludick, principal of KTHS, said the school is extremely proud of its learners.
“We will continue creating opportunities for our learners to showcase their skills and compete on a national level. We believe that we are preparing learners for the real world; learners who are proud of their African Heritage,” he concluded.
