NEW Brighton-born and bred educator, Mzodumo Armstrong Mchenge Mfunda, wishes to train and develop educators and learners to become good citizens through fine art.
Currently, Mfunda is the head of department at Samuel Nongogo Primary School in New Brighton. He also initiated the school’s march and drive programme within the Nelson Mandela Bay region.
When he was a child, he used to draw images, not knowing that one day he would follow a career in fine art.
He registered with Bethelsdorp Technical College in 1991, doing N1 and N2 art studies.
Then in 1993, he studied fine art at the University of Fort Hare, where he obtained an honours degree, specialising in painting, in 1996. Thereafter, he managed to pass a Higher Diploma in Education, also at Fort Hare.
As a conscientious person, Mchenge volunteered at Ntyatyambo Primary School, in Zwide, where he taught life skills, focusing on visual arts, in 2000. However, he and Nyameko Magongo opened an art shop with Ayanda Mji, Nomabhaso Bedesho and Ndileka Qangule, as the first black crafters to be part of the Boardwalk Casino Centre in 2001.
In 2002, he was appointed at Charles Duna Primary School as a life skills educator. He said that his passion as a life skills educator helped the learners to excel in their results in visual arts.
In 2012 and 2013, Mfunda was selected to be one of the educators from Nelson Mandela Bay who would go to East London with subject advisors to implement CAPS creative arts in visual arts. He also trained many other life skills educators in the Nelson Mandela Bay district, especially in visual arts.
Since 2013, he and Meshack Masuku have been conducting workshops for provincial subject advisors.
He said, “As we speak, I am teaching learners visual art skills. My wish is to train and develop learners and educators to become good citizens through fine art. My artwork shows me in African culture, as I am a traditionalist.”
