Victory Over Down Syndrome And Other Intellectual Disabilities: A Facilitators Story

My name is Nozuko Portia Mayedwa and I am a Domestic Services Assessor at the Port Elizabeth I Can! Academy. I have three children, including a 5 year old son with Down syndrome, Akhanya. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome when he was only 27 days old. I couldn’t accept his condition because I couldn’t see anything wrong with him, I saw him like any other new born baby. I was told he will not be able to talk, walk, go to toilet on his own, or even go to school.

When Akhanya was four months old I attended a support group for children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities. While I was there, I noticed that children with Down syndrome can do things, yes they have a learning challenge but they only need patience, acceptance and love. I was told that I must do exercises and teach him gross and fine motor skills. My son can walk, he is out of nappies and fully potty trained, he can speak and he can even draw a circle.

As an assessor, my bond with Akhanya enabled me to handle children with intellectual disability. If a learner is struggling with oral questions, the patience and care that I gain from my son helps me keep calm and make sure that the learner would give me a correct answer. If I don’t do that, I feel like I am giving up on my son. He is the one who is keeping me going and inspires hope that children who are intellectually disabled can learn and go further. True to the meaning of his name, Akhanya brings light, and that is why I always say I Can!

67 minutes in KEMPTON PARK

The 67 minute celebration of Mandela Day asks that by devoting 67 minutes on the 18^th of July each year (one minute for every year of Mandela’s public service) people can make a small gesture of global solidarity with humanity by performing some act of public service.

This year the Kempton Park learners were involved in cleaning the local streets of and providing sandwiches and drinks to the needy.

After the activities, we asked the learners how they felt about the whole experience and these were some of the responses we received:

• “It felt good doing something that you don’t do on a daily basis, knowing that you have made a difference”.
• “It was a wonderful day; we experienced appreciation from the community”.
• “ I enjoyed cleaning for the community”
• “ I remember Tata on this day and what he taught us as a country, UBUNTU”

Many of our learners were motivated about the importance of having a clean environment, and providing a helping hand to those in need.

Anathi Msolo
Academy Supervisor
Kempton Park

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Nelson Mandela Day – Bellville

This year the Bellville Academy decided to use their 67 minutes to knit a blanket and donate it to someone in need. We were realistic and realized that it could not be done in one day so we have dedicated the entire month of July to this project as we believe everyday should be Mandela Day.
The learners are also encouraged to do their own random acts of kindness in their communities and share it with their fellow learners.
Catchphrases like “Be the change you want to see in the world” and “Everything starts with me” have become regular Academy slogans.

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Mandela Day Event PDC

This year it was all fun and games in our Parc Du Cap academy on Mandela Day, when the Parc Du Cap staff in collaboration with MKS (one of the companies in the building), prepared lunch for the learners at I CAN! PDC. This joint initiative was to show the learners that we love and care for them.

As Tata Mandela said “it always seems impossible until it’s done”

We know that some of our learners feel that it is impossible to achieve their goals and dreams due to their disabilities, but on this day we wanted to encourage them and remind them that a winner is a dreamer who never gives up, no matter the circumstances and challenges one might face.

Maryam Kriel
Operations Manager, WC

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I Can – Durban North – Nelson Mandela’s 67 Minute drive – 18^th July.

“Nelson Mandela has spent 67 years making the world a better place. We’re asking you for 67 minutes”

The I Can! team at Durban North rotated their time at the Domino Foundation on July the 18th helping out with the babies, and younger children.

The day opened our eyes (and our hearts) to how so many people are giving love and care to those in society who are most in need of special attention. The staff and management of Domino’s are committed to kindness and respect which we all agree is the ethos Madiba would appreciate us being influenced by.

If you would like to find out more about the Domino Foundation, please visit their website at:
http://www.domino.org.za/

Before I finished school, my teacher heard about a learnership at I Can! for people with a disability. She referred me and nine other girls to the academy for possible enrolment. The first learnership I completed was Domestic Services (NQF Level 1). It was an awesome experience, I learned so much and had facilitators who believed in me. When my course was completed, I stayed at home for a couple of months, hoping for an opportunity to do something.

Out of the blue one day Desiree Mthanti (Recruitment Officer) called me and asked me if I was interested in studying Business Practice (NQF Level 1). I was so grateful and immediately accepted. I learned even more during this year, preparing me for the future. Again after the learnership, I found myself hoping and praying for an opportunity to study again. With the help of my mum, I started applying in different workplaces for a job, but with no luck. Little did I know that life had even more for me than I could imagine.

I received a phone call from Charles Robinson (General Manager for Adcorp Technical Training) asking me if I was interested in calling students to partake in various courses (boiler making, electrical and welding). On my fourth week there, Mr Robinson called me to the boardroom. I was so frightened – thinking the worst – only to find out instead that he was offering me a position as a receptionist. I was so excited; I could not believe this was happening to me. I signed my contract in January 2014.

Thanks to I Can! and Mr Robinson for giving me this opportunity and believing in me. The lesson I have learned in these three years is to make the most of everyday and every opportunity because they prepare you for where you are heading in life.

Full Name: Shoughbon Dominique Smith

Age: 23

Highest Grade: Senior Phase (At Forest Town Special School)

Disability: Physical Disability (Limping) which was caused by meningitis

Facilitators who taught me: Gontle Moswane for Domestic Services and Zamile Vumazonke for Business Practice

My role model: Gontle Moswane (Facilitator at I Can). She inspires me to be a better person.

She was patient in bringing out the best in me that I couldn’t see and she is always there for me when I need someone to talk to.

My motto in life: To Never give up in life.

There is a big difference between city life and farm life – as if you didn’t know. On the farm, alarm clocks (cockerels) start crowing at 04:00 in the morning – an assortments of animals and birds start the day with farm chatter cacophonies. The sunrise stretches its rays over the horizon to welcome the new day.

One morning this month started a bit differently –  with a shout for HELP! from the neighbouring farmer’s wife. Their blind cow had fallen into the Umgeni river and was drowning. The cow couldn’t see where to get out. The water is icy at this time of the year and the animal was very distressed.

With a combined team effort from staff, neighbours and eventually even calling her calf to assist, mommy cow found the strength to drag herself out of the mud. This took a fair amount of pushing, pulling, falling into mud and cajoling this exhausted, blind mammal. Nothing like watching a little miracle unfold on a cold Midlands Friday morning.

Who would have guessed that disability also extends to farm animals? How do you write that into a job description?

“Up-skilling” in Bellville- Literacy Classes

Literacy is important in every aspect of one’s life, therefore we at I Can! Bellville have embarked on an initiative to increase literacy and assist our learners who have been struggling. Extra classes have been scheduled and have been a welcome addition by the learners and the facilitators alike and supported by our Academy Supervisor.

Several learners were identified by facilitators and booked to attend daily sessions for 30 minutes to be held after their scheduled classes. The Programme concentrates on improving their reading, writing, spelling and comprehension skills. We want our learners to be able to work independently on their learnerships and to become efficient, reliable workers once completed. When they show sufficient progress in literacy, the Programme will be extended to basic numeracy skills as well.

Jo-Anne Lindoor has been selected as the facilitator to conduct the additional literacy classes. Jo-Anne is one of our current Domestic Services facilitators. She has vast experience in this field and has helped many underprivileged children learn to read and write in previous employment experience. She also has history of working miracles with learners in her classes here at I Can! The decision to have Jo-Anne run these classes stems from her ability unique ability to motivate and assist the learners.

The learners have shown great determination and perseverance and have grabbed on to this opportunity with both hands.

Here at I Can! we believe in developing the individual learner holistically and we are continually striving to build self-confidence and self-esteem. Learners should have pride in their work, always doing their best and being kind to fellow students.

Success Story – Nosipho Msomi

Nosipho Msomi is a hearing impaired learner from the Durban North Academy who completed the Business Practice Learnership on 23 March 2014.

Often, at the I Can! Acadimies, the question would be asked to Nosipho (and her classmates) – “What they would like to do after their learnership is completed?” Each an every time Nosipho’s answer would remain exactly the same: “I want to be a chef”.

We are happy to report that hardly two months after completing her learnership, Nosipho is doing exactly what she set out to do.  She is now a Chef in Mayville Hospital.  She could not be any happier and we must point out that she looks very smart in her uniform.

We wish Nosipho all the best for the future.

On the 13^th of May members of the recruitment team from around the country met up in Johannesburg to discuss and revise our recruitment processes. Uncle Kenny, the driver of the ADCORP sponsored vehicle, picked everyone up from the airport and headed to the Palm River Lodge. After taking the “scenic route” on a few occasions, we eventually found the lodge and our rooms (which were fantastic and comfortable). The recruitment team was finally able to meet personally with the National Recruitment Manager, Sushie Naidoo.

Meeting our charismatic leader for the first was an incredible experience for many of our recruiters. Each team member introduced themselves and shared essential information about themselves. This meeting showed us that even though each team member comes from different backgrounds with different values, there is a common goal: To Develop Persons with Disabilities. The group clicked immediately and came to the realisation that we face similar challenges in each of our regions. One common challenges was identified – the high rate of illiteracy among our candidate learners. There was a suggestion that each region should set about encouraging parents to take their children to the library and deliver the message that reading and writing is such a critical skill.

The following day team members each delivered a presentation in an effort to share information from the different regions. The recruiters were tasked with consolidating and advancing these presentations into standard single, uniformed template for each region. Sushie discussed different ways of conducting our sensitization workshops to companies, creating a comfortable space for them to learn about working and interacting with persons with disabilities.  The main focus of these sensitization workshops is to assist companies in becoming more open to providing employment to persons with disabilities.

Time flew and the two days went by very quickly. Before the recruiters knew it, the time had come to return to their regions. The recruiters understand that their purpose in the I Can! family is to be the keys that open doors for persons with disabilities.

A big THANKS to Sushila Naidoo for making this incredible few days possible.

This month Khulisani was able to take advantage of their extensive database of young people with disabilities who have completed I Can! learnerships. Without any warning an urgent order for 500 beaded bracelets landed on our door. We quickly identified 5 hearing impaired learners. These graduates attended the I Can! Business Practice NQF1 Learnership between March 2013 – April 2014. The learners were very enthusiastic to meet the request and extremely energetic about the work ahead them. As most hearing impaired people communicate with their hands, there was not much time for chatting and the ladies diligently completed the task. In the end they produced professionally packaged, beautiful bracelets for the happy client.

Great thanks to PMI for the order and for their support for People With Disabilities. We value your equal opportunity ethos.

I Can! PE has done it again. The strength of this branch lies in the macro-vision of not only with the leadership, but also with the staff. “Whenever we plan to expand our resources or partnerships, I think of ways that will not only be beneficial to the organisation, but also to the other parties involved” Lauren Butler, PE Operations Manager.

This month we take pride in welcoming the newest member to our team, Sinethemba Mgwali, a.k.a. Sine. Sine has just completed a Domestic Services learnership with the PE Academy. Recently when a vacancy came up for General Assistant we had no no doubt that Sine would be the perfect candidate.

“Sine has been a shining star since she started her learnership at I Can! She always came to the offices to see where she could help or what she could do to get involved. Sine showed initiative by reporting shortages in and around the academy even though this was not her responsibility. We identified her as a candidate for this position as she has always been very helpful, respectful and fit right in with the staff at I Can! She is friendly and always willing to assist and a true custodian for I Can! We are grateful to have someone like her join our team.” Darelle Yon, PE Academy supervisor.

Sine shares a bit about herself with us:

1.What did you enjoy about the learnership?

“I enjoy everything about the learnership because it helped me a lot about how to look after yourself and things like cleaning and how you must be with your employer. Have the respect with your employer. How to keep your place clean to take responsibility for the things”.

2. What does this opportunity mean to you?

“It means a lot, I feel very happy. To have a job here at I Can! Really means a lot”.

3. What do you hope to achieve by working for I Can?

“There a lot of things that I want to learn. In the future I wish to work and have my own things like my own car”.

Asking Sine to join the team not only demonstrations our commitment to development, it is also a testimony to the belief and pride we place in our training programmes and the caliber of the candidates we are lucky enough to work with.

In April 2014 we launched our Corporate Cleaning Division – I Can! Clean.

Our primary focus for 2014 is job creation for our learners exiting the academy and through a wonderful partnership with Call Centre International, Durban we have created employment for 36 of our learners with intellectual disability!

We are extremely proud of our graduated learners who have taught us an incredible lesson: Never underestimate the will, determination and ability of people with intellectual disabilities!  We all started this project with absolutely no knowledge of corporate cleaning chemicals, equipment and processes however 2 months down the line we are offering a cleaning service that is far superior to contractors prior to us.

We believe what separates us from other providers is that we (the cleaners and management) are determined to make it work.  We probably chose one of the most difficult contracts to launch our cleaning service – a 24 hour, 7 day per week, 365 day contract  – but have succeeded and now ready to expand our other companies.

We would like to thank Rob Muschamp and everyone at CCI for believing in us and giving us this opportunity.

If you would like to find out more about I Can! Clean please contact me on 0846050821.

On 1^st April 2014, I Can! took ownership of a beautiful 34 hectare farm in the KZN Natal Midlands. Positioned in the heart of the Midlands Meander and surrounded by the uMngeni River, this property was purchased with the sole purpose of providing a new opportunity for our learners with disabilities.

Access to sufficient food is the right of all South Africans. However, today many South Africans are vulnerable to food insecurity. In the case of persons with disabilities and by extension their families, the risks associated with food insecurity are exacerbated through limited access to skills development opportunities and high levels of unemployment.

I Can! has made a strategic decision to impact the lives of persons with disabilities living in rural areas by establishing an agricultural academy, scheduled to open in July 2014 and  cater for 20 learners during the first year.

The Academy will focus on the following critical areas, namely:

–          Skills Development:

Short learning programs, learnerships & internships

–          Employment & enterprise development opportunities:

I Can! will assist selected learners in finding employment & in establishing co-operative agricultural enterprises

–          Food security:

Produce from the academy will be used to establish a feeding scheme, run by persons with a disability, within the local communities

A PHASED APPROACH to this project is planned over three  years:

Phase 1 (Year 1) 

– Selection of learners

– NQF 1 plant production learnership

Phase 2 (Year 2)  

– Learners will be placed on a 12 month internship on the I Can! farm

– Learners participate in  new venture creation skills development programs

Phase 3 (Year 3) 

– Ten learners  will be selected to participate as shareholders in a co-operative established on the I Can! Farm,  an alternative farm, for  12 months.

– The co-operative will provide learning opportunities for new groups of learners and interns entering the program in subsequent years.

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact:

Rowan Robinson
Manager: Special Projects
074 552 0123

Hebron Nguni Farm
15 Petrus Stroom Road, Howick