Local secondary school sets out to bring a new culture and adventure in learning.

Mahwahwa Secondary School outside Tzaneen has embarked on a journey to introduce an agricultural curriculum to the learners of the school.

Obert Machimana, the principal of Mahwahwa Secondary School says that with the current economy being agriculturally based, he is determined to equip learners with the necessary skills to survive in life going forward. “It is very important to have practical lessons, that is why as a school we are embarking on an agricultural curriculum for the learners,” stated Machimana.

Machimana has been the school’s principal since 2000 and said that he felt that there was no better time to take on something new.

“I am trying to encourage the learners to be more than just employees after school. Some don’t even make it through school and they don’t have the skills to help them get through life. So with this new venture, it will see to it that learners are not just drop-outs, but that they can use these skills to better and improve their lives,” continued Machimana.

Read: TZANEEN: Local farmers take home awards

This came after Machimana took the learners on their first agricultural practical session, which was held at the Beerseun Farms in Ofcalaco. The session is said to have been a very successful one as 65 learners from the school attended together with their teachers and representatives of the School Governing Body (SGB).

‘Groep91 Uitvoer’, a citrus farm in Letsitele formed a partnership with the school to support the initiative.

“We started a mentorship and development programme, namely ‘Partner for Possibilities’ in 2015 with numerous schools in the rural areas and Obert Machimana and his school, Mahwahwa Secondary School formed part of it from the beginning,” said Henk van Rooyen.

The agricultural practical session, as recalled by Machimana, took place on Wednesday, April 10 and will see to many more practical sessions taking place with the help, mentorship and partnership from Groep91 Uitvoer and Beerseuns Boerdery.

The idea behind the new venture is said to be about establishing a fully functional agricultural secondary school in the next two years.

Henk took a moment to thank the Beerseun Farms, specifically Willem de Beer, for their help and support during the practical session. He further stated that he looks forward to having more insightful and heartfelt sessions as the first one.