Twin brothers from Bet-el School, a special-needs school in Kuils River, received a Mayor’s Civic Pride Award on Thursday 20 November. These awards were initiated by Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to foster a spirit of pride in the city.
Before the handover principal Terence Nefdt addressed the final-year (Year 4) learners and officials.
Bahle and Buhle Dyanti were nominated for their rapid progress in swimming, having gone from lacking basic “water confidence” to entering the water without fear and, in less than three months, being able to swim laps confidently.
Nefdt explained Bet-el is a school of skills, but also has a section for severely intellectually-disabled learners (starting from age 7). Schools of skills offer a four-year programme for learners from age 14 who could not progress in mainstream education and were referred. The learners can acquire skills such as panel beating, welding or upholstering.
The school and its learners, from disadvantaged communities, face many challenges. These include crime and safety risks, particularly for learners with limited resources, who often have to walk long distances to and from school, having no real support structures and negative influences such as gangsterism being ever-present.
Challenges
Although the school has a pool on its premises, it is not currently in use.
Nefdt recalled a principals’ meeting a few years ago, when a principal from Wesbank informed him a learner who was meant to start at Bet-el that year had drowned during the holidays. “I asked, ‘Where? At the beach?’ He said, ‘No, in the river running through Kuils River and Wesbank.’”
He said the school was working towards getting the pool operational again, both for the benefit of learners and possibly to extend learn-to-swim programmes to the broader community. “We lobbied for Lotto funding, and the first thing we did was close the pool to protect it. The swimming pool still needs work, but it’s a 25 m x 12 m pool that we have here.”
Nefdt highlighted that even without access to the school’s pool one of the teachers, Graham Manchest – a qualified lifeguard – assisted a former learner to qualify as a lifeguard. Two years later that learner is still employed as a lifeguard by the City of Cape Town.
He took that learner to public swimming pools to train and qualify, and that has become another income stream for the family.
“We want to train learners in greater numbers. It’s not only about employment, but also about preventing tragedies like the one involving the learner who drowned before he could even start here.”
Extending the programme beyond the school is possible, he said, as they have capable staff who can assist.
Civic Pride
Nefdt said the Year 4 learners finishing school will hopefully make their mark in industry or the workplace, but the Dyanti twins excelled in something outside the curriculum. “I want to thank the City for this acknowledgement.
” I researched what civic pride means, and it includes respect for public spaces, public initiatives and public assets, active participation, a sense of belonging and behaviour that uplifts the area.”
He noted that for many young people from disadvantaged communities, caring and respect often translate into loyalty to gangs or other negative influences. He emphasised the need to redirect this loyalty towards things that add genuine value to their lives.
Nefdt explained that gangsterism offered a sense of belonging to those who feel excluded. He stressed the need to make learners feel part of a larger, positive community while adults model responsible behaviour.
He commended the learners for their respectful conduct during the ceremony, noting that disruptive behaviour drags people down rather than uplifting them.
Tragedy and passion
Manchest’s involvement in lifesaving stemmed from personal tragedy. In 1988 his daughter died after choking at a crèche, where no-one knew how to save her. “That was when I realised there was a need in our community,” he said.
He has been a lifeguard for more than 30 years and has been involved at the lifesaving club at the Blue Downs pools since its founding in 2010.
Manchest sees swimming as an equaliser for Bet-el’s learners and hopes to see lifesaving offered as a recognised short course, alongside the other skills they learn.
The Dyanti twins from Delft came from a kickboxing background and initially struggled with swimming. “They went from absolute fear to swimming, even doing tumble turns. I’m proud to say Bahle has started his lifesaving course,” Manchest said.
To qualify as a stillwater lifeguard, they must swim 100 m in two minutes. He is confident Bahle will achieve this soon.
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