Remedial teacher and assistant

*Hettie Pienaar and Bettie Swartz with our children at the Vuyani Learning Centre*

The teaching staff at Vuyani’s Learning Centre play a crucial role in the holistic development of the children in our care. As part of our Children’s Home, the Learning Centre provides a nurturing environment where education is seen as a key to unlocking each child’s potential.

Bettie Swartz and Hettie Pienaar started Vuyani’s Learning Centre in April 2018. Bettie has been involved with Vuyani’s Aftercare in the afternoons, assisting children with their homework and assignments since 2015. She and Hettie have worked together for many years in other schools in the community and form a strong team to teach our children the basics of numeracy and literacy.

Regina Bosman, a secondary phase teacher, has been assisting the older children with homework and assignments for the past four years. Her role has become invaluable in supporting our children’s academic progress.

*Regina Bosman, introducing our children to the local library, hard at work to prepare our older children for exams and assisting a boy with reading.*

Driver, maintenance and gardens

Wilson Krismis joined the staff in 2014 and played a vital role as a father figure, being the only male staff member. He was a huge support, especially to the boys in our care. As the designated driver of our bus, he took all the children to their different schools daily and also tended to the gardens. Due to health reasons, Krismis took an early retirement.

Our new driver/factotum, Andries Heugh, has big shoes to fill. However, we can already see the positive impact he is having on our children’s lives through his daily interactions while fulfilling all his duties.

Vuyani’s Caregivers

Vuyani’s caregivers at our children’s home are the heart of our organization. We have 8 sleep-in staff with the specific role of being a mother to our children while on shift. Without these dedicated women, we wouldn’t be able to provide the care and support needed by the vulnerable and traumatized children placed in our care.

Five of Vuyani’s caregivers have completed their training as Child and Youth Care Workers through CEFA, thanks to the funding received from the DG Murray Trust. This training has equipped them with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide high-quality care to our children.

Our caregivers receive regular in-service training to support behaviour and trauma management. They are also supported by regular psychosocial assistance from a registered trauma counsellor. This ensures that our caregivers are well-equipped to handle the complex needs of the children in our care and provide them with the nurturing environment they need to thrive.