Meet Nokhanyo Nkani –
OVC Programme Co-ordinator
You can sometimes
find Nokhanyo Nkani bustling around her little office at the back of Vulundlela
Centre; that is when she's not out on the road visiting the OVC Centres which
she manages. Nokhanyo returned to Hamburg, her home village after a successful
stint as Assistant Manager at Metro in Johannesburg. She wanted to use her
professional skills to serve her own community.
In February 2012 she
was recruited as shop keeper for the Art Project where her good leadership and
management skills shone through. She soon got a feel for the diverse work
there; processing orders, controlling stock, promoting in stores and attending
exhibitions.
Her friendly &
efficient manner led to an offer by the Education Manager to become OVC
Coordinator, a busy job with three centres under her wing, making sure that
they all run smoothly, and looking out especially for the orphans and most
vulnerable children. Nokhanyo relates well with all the stakeholders and
coordinates donations of food, toys, books and resources.
'It's very
challenging work that I'm doing', she comments. 'But you just have to be
yourself and take each day as it comes! We are trying to help people every day,
for instance, sometimes there's a problem with their kids or food parcels or
whatever and we try to sort it out. Every day brings something new and it's
great to feel that I'm back here, working for my own people.'
Meet Novuyani Peyi –
Art Project Co- Manager and Trustee
Novuyani Peyi is
rightly proud of her qualification in Human Resources that she received in October 2012 from Damelin College.
Novuyani works as Art Project Manager at Keiskamma Trust so it was quite a
challenge at first to get to grips with the studying as well as sorting out
transport and acccommodation. 'At first I thought I'll never manage this, but
then it started to be fine and I was actually looking forward to it. Jan &
Jackie, from Keiskamma Friends UK,
helped to pay for my studies, and people at the Trust were willing to help me
in any way they could. So I was very
pleased when I didn't let them down and I could finally tell them that I had
passed!
'I just want to say a
big thank you to everyone who helped me do this especially Keiskamma Friends UK,
everyone who wished me luck and everyone who supported and believed in me!'
Meet Nomfusi Nkani – Keiskamma Artist & Art Project Assistant Manager
Sometimes
people just meet and talk and new connections occur that you never expected!
That's how it was for Nomfusi Nkani, one of our Keiskamma artists. When Carol
Hofmeyr got talking to folk from the
Artist Proof Studios while at an exhibition in Cape Town and then found out
that they were going to do a mural at the Steve Biko Foundation, Nomfusi was
immediately interested in getting involved.
'I'd
already done my own sketches about Steve Biko because I wanted to do a tapestry
of his life and how it still has impact on young people today. So Artist Proof
Studio invited me to submit my work and then I was really excited to get an
invitation to join them in King Williamstown to be part of the team to create a
huge wall painting'.
Nomfusi
lights up as she talks about her experience, but she points out that it was no
easy fortnight! 'The weather was apalling; we were working in the rain, and
climbing scaffolding, and we were busy from 8 in the morning until 7 at night!
But I got on really well with the artist and it was if I'd known him a long
time'.
Nomfusi
is even more keen now to secure funding to continue her reseach about Steve
Biko and create her own work.' I really want to get Steve Biko's story on to
tapestry and get our own people involved and feeling even more benefit from my
collaboration'.
