Amukelani Mbombi, an Agricultural Science volunteer teacher at Nyumbani High School in Ndhambi village outside Giyani, is assisting learners from Grade 4 to Grade
12. “While studying at the Tshwane University of Technology, I was part of the student leadership assisting students with modules they found difficult.”

He says after graduating, he returned home jobless. “I then went to Capricorn TVET to study mechanical engineering (fitting and machining) with the hope of securing work without success. “I decided to start online classes helping university students and teaching Grade 12 Agricultural Sciences online,” said Mbombi. With this in mind, he started Vintage Academy and Research.

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Last year he helped Nyumbani, the high school that he also attended, and for the first time, the school obtained a distinction in Agricultural Sciences. “I am continuing classes for grades 10,11,12 and am also teaching Technology for Grade 9.

He says he has come to the realisation that the majority of learners lack the ability to read and write properly. “Because not everyone has access to smartphones and network for online classes in rural areas, I decided to start contact classes.” He says he has built a team that is determined and committed to helping the community.