LIMPOPO – A passionate young tutor in mathematics and science, Nthabiseng Joy-Ann Lekgau (27), is making a positive impact in changing the academics of young learners.

Lekgau is the founder of Edugain Excellence Aftercare and an engineering graduate by profession.

She started the aftercare centre in February 2021 with only two kids. By promoting its services through social media and creating a curriculum that aligns with learners’ needs and styles, it has played a huge role in helping children improve in their studies by teaching them how to read, write, spell, and grasp a topic before moving on to the next.

“As an unemployed engineering graduate, I felt the need to start this initiative knowing it would be of immense value to our community during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was devastating for most learners due to rotational attendance, sporadic school closures and days off for specific grades. It resulted in school children losing 54% of their learning time,” Lekgau said.

“My passion for maths and science and a desire to share knowledge and to help others learn, also drove me to start this initiative,” said Lekgau.

She told the Herald that more than 30 learners have received academic awards, Eskom Science Expo awards, the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa (AMESA) awards and many more.

“I address a learner’s slow progress with a multifaceted approach focussing on understanding the root cause of the learning difficulty that the learner is facing. I implement tailored strategies by reviewing their academic history, conducting standardised tests and observing their learning behaviour in different settings,” she said.

Lekgau said that the aftercare also fosters and encourages learning to help them achieve their academic goals.

It also allows them to receive focused support on their specific areas of weakness.

The aftercare caters Gr R to Gr 9 learners.