It’s carnival time in Empangeni this Saturday!

SAVE the date, and join the fun at the Thuthukani Carnival at the Empangeni Rugby Club this Saturday, 19 May.

This crucial fundraiser for the school will take place between 9am and 2pm and will offer a full programme of entertainment for the whole family.

Full programme

9am – Performance by Heuwelland Marimba Band

9.30am – Performance by Thuthukani Drum Majorettes

10am – Performance by EHS Marching Band

1030am – Show and Shine Cars arrive!

11am – Dog show

11.30am – Performance by Grantham Park Dancers

12noon – Boeresport!

1pm – Trelique fashion show

Why is this event so important?

While Thuthukani Special School receives an annual grant from the Department of Education, the school needs to raise R1-million per year to continue to educate and support the intellectually disabled community of Zululand.

Many of the learners come from very poor families and arrive at school hungry, in fact, less than 14% of the parents are able to afford the school fees which currently stand at just R120 per month.

The school runs a feeding program wherein they provide each learner with two meals per day, and also provides learning and teaching support material to each pupil. Without on-going support, donations and assistance from the

‘Friends of Thuthukani’ the school would have run out of funding on several occasions in the past.

A special place, for special children

Thuthukani Special School in Empangeni is a school for children with intellectual disabilities.Pupils are between the ages of 6 and 18 years. Based on a sugarcane farm just outside of Empangeni, the school accepts learners from Empangeni, Richards Bay, eNseleni, Kwa-Monambi, eSikhaweni, Ngwelezana, and other rural areas.

The learners are all intellectually disabled and come from multicultural, multi-language backgrounds, and often have more than one disability.

The main aim of the school program is to build learners’ self-esteem and to ensure that they leave the school as independent as possible, equipped with skills they can use to contribute to their communities.

Thuthukani focuses on holistic education.

A specially adapted teaching program, based on the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) and CAPS is followed to equip learners with life skills and basic academic skills.

Over and above the class program. learners get the opportunity to participate in sport, dancing, cultural activities, choir, physical education, occupational therapy and more.

This ensures their social, emotional, motor and cognitive development at all levels.

Thuthukani also offers a Skills Development Program for the stronger school leavers wherein they learn good work habits as well as the skill of cleaning, gardening or sewing.

The Department of Social Development has a workshop for disabled workers on the premises.

This offers supported work opportunities for other learners as well as disabled members of the community once they leave school.

Thuthukani Special School has been identified as a Resource Centre by the National and Provincial Department of Education to pilot the National Educational Policy on Inclusion.

Surrounding schools can and do contact Thuthukani for assistance and guidance in improving the education of learners with intellectual disability.

Many of the learners come from very poor families and arrive at school hungry.

The school runs a feeding program wherein they provide each learner with two meals per day, and also provides learning and teaching support material to each pupil.

To ensure that learners are included and not segregated from their peers, Thuthukani has an active sport and cultural program wherein the learners have the opportunity to compete against both disabled and non-disabled learners.

For more information on how you can assist Thuthukani, please visit www.thuthukani.org.za

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