Approximately forty students attend school from 5 to 9 in the evening, and all day Saturday, at the Kwanobuhle Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as The Mormons). The school has been functioning now for over four weeks. Nine teachers have volunteered to teach ten classes. All but four of the teachers are members of the Church. The schedule is very demanding, but there has not been a shortage of students who want to take part in improving their education.
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Elder and Sister Van Sickle, full time missionaries for the Church, teach a Career Workshop in Kwanobuhle, and they found that the students were still not able to get good jobs. What they needed was to upgrade their Matric scores.
“We had a hard time getting the school started,” said the Van Sickles, “but once the school was started we have had a steady stream of students who want to further their Matric so that can get into college and university.” The Bishops and other leaders of the Church have been at the centre of making the school a success. They have recruited teachers from all over Kwanobuhle.
Many of books have been ordered for the school as far back as November, and as of now they still do not have all of the books. “With the help of our Heavenly Father, we were led in so many directions to get books and to get the school up and running,” said the Van Sickles. As they started the school with no books, the teachers jumped right in as if they had been teaching for years and doing a great job, even with the handicap of not having the books they needed.
Not only have the students been blessed with increased knowledge, but the Lord has had a hand in many other blessings that have come about because of the school. Several less-active members of the Church have been fellowshipped; and other non-members are being taught the gospel. The school has been a hub of activity for the congregations of the Church. The teachers comment about the quality of the students and their great desire to learn.
“Neither of us are teachers,” commented the Van Sickles, “so we have been required to do a lot of things we knew nothing about. We could not have done it without the help of a kind Heavenly Father.” They originally started the school at the high schools, trying to get them to respond to the needs of these students. The high schools were having a lot of their own struggles, so the Bishop offered the church meetinghouse as a place for the school. The school board has been a great support, and are applauding the success of the students.
The former Matric students will rewrite their Matric tests in June, and the new Matric students will rewrite their tests in November. “Education! That’s what it all boils down to,” stated the Van Sickles, “Without it, the Saints in South Africa cannot be self-reliant. It is so very important, and has everything to do with the teachings, and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They can achieve anything with His help.”