September 2025 I traveled to Egypt to teach there for their academic school year. Next door to the school I taught, I found a tutor center with one class full of kids that struggle with reading. So, for the past nine months I taught them on Monday and Tuesday evenings perception skills. I also taught the Sophakama Tutor training to a few of the teachers of the center. (See the photo below.) I find it interesting to discover how dyslexia manifests itself within Arabic reading.

 

 

Locally, I had the chance in the beginning of this year to train three ladies that wanted to start working in Thornhill, Kouga Municipality. The training took place online and it went well. They have since started to assist a local Aftercare at the Old Station Shed. I visited them there last week and it is such a happy, positive space. This makes me very happy!

 

Sophakama! We shall rise!

Evelyn 

 

 

Spring is in the air!

 

As the days become longer and a new season is in the air, I look back over the past few months. Since May I taught the Sophakama Tutor training four times. Three of these were for different Institutions in Jeffreys Bay (Jbay Academy, Jeffreys Bay Comprehensive High School, LXP and Joshua Project), but one was for a lady in Zambia who is connected with FCE. I did the training through Zoom and WhatsApp and it worked really well. Now that I know that it is possible, I am feeling confident to do it again. Truth is, I have already, but only the Maths part via WhatsApp two weeks ago and that also turned out well.

Our Application to accredit our training as a NQF4 Full program is in the process and it is a big learning curve for all of us that is involved in that process.

May this Spring bring a lot of beauty to your life.

Evelyn

Investing in Kouga once again!

 In the first quarter of 2025 I held 4 Sophakama Tutor Trainings through which I trained 17 people how to teach reading and lay a foundation in Maths for children.

The first training in January was at Graslaagte Primary school, where I trained 9 of their teacher assistants.

The next 3 trainings I trained 3 of Sea Vista School’s Tutors, a remedial teacher at a Primary School in Jeffrey’s Bay and 4 ladies from Global Challenge.

I am happy for the impact these trainings have in the community. I was also surprised when an ABC Adventure student from 2 years ago informed me that he got involved with an Aftercare center in Oester Bay and asked me to refresh his memory concerning the training material. I was happy to do that.

It seems that for this first quarter Kouga was my circle of influence.

From rooted to free!

 Because of a commitment to teach an older lady to read, the rest of the year I was pretty much rooted in Jeffreys' Bay.

I studied 2 online courses that were really very beneficial to me personally, but then I started to implement it also into the weekly Tut class I had with the LXP Aftercare teachers. Now, with that experience, I think it would be beneficial to work out some kind of weekly curriculum that can be  available for Aftercare Centers.

I did train the Sophakama Tutor Program over two consecutive Wednesdays at the end of September / beginning of October to a few moms of Global Challenge. Among them were some Occupational Therapists and Teachers, who once again validated the practical usefulness and quality of the training to me.

And so 2024 draws to a close. I am excited to have an open agenda for the first 6 months of 2025. I can literally go anywhere or do anything within the boundaries of my jurisdiction.

Here and there and everywhere!

One of the Non Profit Organisations Joshua Project, that I did some training with in 2021, asked me to do the Tutor training with a few of their staff in May. They want to expand the work in Humansdorp to also include Tutoring. The need is great!

Also in May I went to Cape Town for a conference and then a lady that did the training in 2019 asked me to do the tutor training with a few of her colleagues at The Paragon Generation, that want to start a tutoring project in Kraaifontein. It was very encouraging for me to do that.

In June I then got the opportunity to teach the tutor training again, but this time with a few ladies in Hartenbos. Their church is reaching out in a poor community, helping kids that struggle with reading and maths. They were so glad for the training and reports that I received from them recently confirmed to me that they are implementing what I taught them. That always brings joy to my heart.

In July I started in Thornhill to train five ladies, but they have since decided not to continue. I am disappointed, because they admitted that there is a great need for trained tutors. Maybe in the future another door of opportunity will open in that community.

The ABC Adventure with the ACTT 2024 students, completed the training at the end of July and we had a lovely graduation ceremony for them on the 31st of July at First Light Coffee Shop.

There are some possible training opportunities that needs to be finalized for September. Other than that I am ready to take the training to any community that would like to invest in the future of our children.

Evelyn

 

A Good Report.

 Excited to start with the Road Trip Circles (see previous blog), I set off in January to Kirkwood, Addo and Paterson to see and hear what the need for ABC Adventure would be in the Sundaysriver area. I spoke to stakeholders in all three towns and gathered that there is indeed a need there. Since I had to start with the ABC Adventure in February with the ACTT 1^st year students, I could not immediately follow up on that need, but plan a visit in June/July.

The ABC with the ACTT students are going well. Last week they did their Tutor practical in Humansdorp at Graslaagte Primary School. It went well.

 

This past week I taught the Tutor Training again, this time to four ladies from Transkei as well as two of LXP's volunteers. All six these ladies are already involved at Aftercare Centers and it was so nice to give people tools that you know they are going to use.

I receive very encouraging reports from Ysterfontein, George from the ladies I trained in December 2023. They started tutoring kids from their community with very positive results.

And so the work continue!

Evelyn

Finishing strong and looking towards the future.

Since my last blog entry I have done the Sophakama Tutor Training twice. The first was back in Jeffrey’s Bay In October. There I trained 3 individuals. One was a Dutch missionary that volunteered with Joshua Project in Humansdorp. They are reaching out to the community that lives next to the rubbish dump. 

 The second training was in December in Ysterfontein, George. There I trained 10 ladies, working within a very poor community. I enjoyed training these ladies who have a true heart of compassion for the children in their community. Some ladies were already teaching at a Preschool on the premises where we had our training. They are well trained and with their ECD background they quickly understood my perception development exercises and the six steps of learning to read. Some of the other ladies are keen to help children in their community who struggle with reading and mathematics. I will be happy to give them their certificates once they complete their practical lessons.

 And so as 2023 draws to a close. I have a very strategic vision for 2024 onwards that I call: “The Roadtrip Circles Vision.” I have identified certain towns close to one another as possible circles where I would like to travel to in order to do training there. I am investigating the following circles for the first phase of this project.

* Kirkwood, Addo and Paterson area 

* Thornhill, Loerie, Hankey and Patensie area 

* Humansdorp, Clarkson and Kareedouw area 

* Joubertina and Misgund area 

* Willowmore, Bestersdal and Sonop area

* Steytlerville and Kleinpoort area 

* Somerset East, Cookhouse and Bedford area. 

 If you know of any stakeholders that I can contact in one of these areas, please let me know.  

Peace! 

Evelyn