At the age of 50 Nontsizi Qhekeza from Kraaifontein says it’s never too late to learn how to read.
Nontsizi works at the City of Cape Town’s sports and recreation department at the Kraaifontein depot and is enrolled in the City’s Adult Education and Training (AET) programme.
She showcased her progress in literacy skills, and walked away with a first place in Level 1 at an adult reading contest for all staff members enrolled in the programme.
Hosted by the City, the annual competition was held at the DHL Stadium in Green Point on Friday 21 July.
“I am a mother to my kids and can now tell them I am on the same level as them so they can be encouraged when they look at me and see that I am also at school and studying,” Nontsize told TygerBurger last week.
The competition is designed to encourage a culture of reading and increase literacy skills within the workplace.
It includes increased language comprehension, public speaking abilities, improved vocabulary and spelling. Sixteen contestants, the majority over 50, participated in the adult reading competition. The City’s Mayco member for corporate services Theresa Uys, says the programme as a whole demonstrates the sense of hope adult education provides to individuals of all ages.
“The programme provides great support to these learners and offers staff an opportunity to better themselves. From what I have seen through this competition alone is that learning opportunities such as these definitely boost self-esteem and confidence and provide them with a hope for their future simply because they took the first step to empower themselves.
“The contestants read beautifully at the competition and I want to encourage them to continue in this spirit and open their minds to the knowledge that is theirs for the taking. Their contributions to their various directorates is immeasurable. These giants provide a service without status and often go unnoticed,” she says.
Backbone of the City
The readers were judged by staff from Smartcape Libraries, who used selected reading pieces based on the curriculum.
Head of adult education Charmelle Meth says these humble, dignified and respectful adult learners serve as the backbone of the City.
She explains that the core focus of AET is to offer employees across various departments an opportunity to obtain their first qualification on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
“Interested staff members are assessed and placed in the applicable levels, between AET Levels 1 to Level 4. Obtaining the General Education and Training Certificate enables them to access further developmental and promotional opportunities in the City as well as be able to enrol for Grades 10/11, matric and vocational training.
“The programme opens up numerous avenues for the employees as many of them may have been muted by a lack of confidence. It brings validation to our staff and further gives recognition to the wealth of knowledge and experience, wisdom and maturity these employees bring and contribute towards service delivery.”
Other winners for Level 2, 3 and 4 respectively were Vanessa Apolis age 41, from Lavender Hill who works within the City’s electricity generation and distribution department; Simpiwe Luvatsha age 53, from Khayelitsha who works within the City’s water and sanitation directorate; and André Martin age 50, from Mitchells Plain who works within the City’s sports and recreation department.
