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Community

Imizamo Yethu

Roughly 34’000 people live here in very simple conditions in the largest township of Hout Bay, a sea-side suburb of Cape Town. Imizamo Yethu means ‘our efforts’ in the Bantu language Xhosa, which most local inhabitants speak, most of whom live in self-made shacks of corrugated tin, wood and cardboard. Houses of bricks or concrete are rare. Poverty overshadows the township, but the community is strong. The settlement of Imizamo Yethu, also known as Mandela Park, was built in the early 1990s. Since the end of apartheid in 1994 there has been little improvement to the quality of life here.

To live in Imizamo Yethu means to live under difficult circumstances. Access to basic necessities like water and electricity, as well as a functioning sewage system is lacking. Toilettes are rare. Criminality and violence are common. Access to medicine is difficult, and schools are few. Seen from the air, the division between the poor and the rich in Hout Bay becomes even more striking, as the township of Imizamo Yethu is located directly below the villa-strewn residential quarter of Hout Bay.

Thatha Ithuba People

The young people should be trained and enabled in the coming years to become active and pro-active local leaders, and thereby achieving a sustainable culture of positive development within the townships, which is maintained and embodied by the young members of those communities and not from helpful people who live elsewhere and are from other social strata.

The Thatha Ithuba students who are currently being assisted should be able to take over the organization, control, launch and realization of the programme and its activities in the future.

«The young generation now is presenting a new page in this book of rights by having been able to go through the full educational program.»

Martin Hilzinger

«There is potential and there is talent, but we need the encouragement to persue that... I want to stay in the township, because we don’t have a lot of role models living there. Maybe this could be an inspiration for young people.»

Niphelele, 22

Experiences

Naydia, 1992

Bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences
Bachelor’s degree in International Studies

Bursary for Naydia Nangamso Booi

Naydia wants to bring more "Right" into the community and make them stronger. She fights for everything - to expect and create a better future for her little Son Alo.

Interview

Kimberly, 1992

Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences &
Biomedical Sciences

Bursary for Kimberly Mapani

Kimberly is part of the TI Family. We support her Bursary over the Bursary Program of Rotary Hout Bay

Interview

Tembi, 1997

Hospitality Management

Sthembile Biyela

Being in an accommodation that's closer to college has made her traveling to college much easier as she arrives in time for her classes and she spends less money for public transport to get to college.

Interview

Siyasanga, 1998

Occupational Therapy

Siyasanga Mafalala

Siyasanga is a fighter. She was the best student at the Silikamwa High School. In 2017 she lost her mother. And she had to take responsibility for her 11-year-old sister and her 5-year-old brother. Siyasange has organized herself, sent her brother to acquaintances in the Eastern Cape, her sister lives with her father during the week, while Siyasanga lives on campus. At the weekend, the two women live in their shak's worst place in Imizamo Yethu. Siyasanga manages to study with incredible power while always being there for her siblings.

Paola and Adrian Fischer support Siyasanga with a bursary, in addition she receives a scholarship through NSFAS.

Interview Siyasanga

Niphelele, 22, Imizamo Yethu

Art & Design Student am College of Capetown

Practical Training in Graphic Design, Switzerland

Niphelele did a 3 Month Practical Training in a Marketing and Communicaton agency in Switzerland - Trimarca AG. He talks about his experiences and how it was to start Thatha Ithuba.

Interview