Nqamakwe Primary School
'I feel I have changed as a teacher - I'm proud of being myself.
'Because of the DEEP project I am very confident working with the learners very close to me. It's nice to work co-operatively, discussing and meeting with people from other schools'.
'The DEEP project has benefited both the school and the community. Before, people were taking learners away to racial or private schools. Now that I have brought the computer to school, they are very happy because they are aware that their children need to be computer literate and so they feel that they are not left behind. Also, since the DEEP project, the enrolment of the school has increased'.
Nqamakwe Primary School is a rural school in the Butterworth DEEP cluster, serving an area faced with high poverty, unemployment and limited agricultural opportunities. There are 300 learners (170 girls and 130 boys) in the school and 11 teachers, only one of whom is male. There is no electricity or telephone access in the school and resources are minimal. 40% of learners are unable to afford the school fees of R5 per annum (50 English pence).
The project teachers have used the hand held computers in the classroom with the learners especially to develop literacy activity. They have also approached the project theme creatively and integrated ICT with a range of other activities. The video clip shows learners wearing animal masks they have made, performing a play they've written about endangered animals on the hilltop above the school.
