JOHANNESBURG: January 26th, 2023: Renault South Africa, in collaboration with the Motus Imperial Trust, has presented a fully equipped mini library to the Ntethelelo Foundation, giving a safe and congenial location for learners to study after school. Johannesburg-based Ntethelelo is a women-led organization whose mission is to end domestic abuse, reduce gender inequities, and promote the well-being of women and girls.
RENAULT SOUTH AFRICA LENDING A HELPING HAND
“Ntethelelo’s values are closely aligned with our own,” stated Sithabile Maphumulo, director of marketing for Renault SA, at the library’s handover on January 26. “It’s an organization founded on self-love, self-respect, and community building, and we’re proud to have supported its work since 2019.” It is one of the primary goals of our CSI programs to promote social change through education, and that is precisely what is being done here.”
NTETHELELO FOUNDATION
The Foundation was established in 2017 and combines applied theatrical techniques and diverse art strategies to create significant social change through discourse around violence against women and girls. These kinds of participation are founded in the Theatre of the Oppressed framework, which was developed in the 1970s by the renowned Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal. Boal was an early proponent of interactive theater practice and pioneered the concept of Theatre of the Oppressed based on direct engagement between audiences and artists.
Ntethelo Foundation emblem
New library given to assist the Ntethelelo Foundation’s efforts
“The techniques we employ are meant to break the cycle of gender inequality, oppression, and violence,” says Thokozani Ndaba, founder and executive director of Ntethelelo. They are potent tools designed to remove toxic masculinity, which is common in disadvantaged areas.
THE LIBRARY
Renault collaborated with Motus Imperial Trust to construct and furnish the library, since the Trust has given 64 library facilities since its foundation in 2003 and was able to provide essential skills, expertise, and experience to the project. The new library, like many of Ntethelelo’s other facilities, was created using shipping containers, which offer a grassroots answer to long-standing infrastructural issues. It has been designed for several age groups, including learners in the foundation phase (from Grade R to Grade 3) and learners in the intermediate phase (from Grade 4 to Grade 6).
It is packed with 1,500 books, all of which have been carefully chosen to support these curricular phases and are protected by plastic film. They are organized alphabetically and displayed on well-positioned shelves. Additionally, the facility is furnished with two laptops and high-speed internet connectivity, providing access to online resources.
Institutional library
It is filled with 1,500 books that were all chosen specifically to support these curricular areas. Image credit: Renault South Africa
Additionally, the surrounds are secure and well-kept. On Mandela Day in 2019 and 2022, Renault will collaborate with Ntethelelo to organize a cleanup of the Foundation’s grounds and the surrounding community. In addition to funding and equipment, the corporation contributed to the improvement of its facilities and the support of daily operations.
“It’s such a bright and welcoming room,” adds Thokozani Ndaba, “and we’re thrilled that our program participants have access to such a safe and well-equipped learning facility. It is conducive to study and gives a location for them to complete their schoolwork in a methodical manner and without interruption.”
“We’re extremely proud to be a part of such initiatives,” says Maphumulo. “Not only do they provide female children with safe spaces and access to educational resources, but they also help them develop resilience, make positive decisions, support one another, and improve their communities. They are at the very beginning of the cycle of virtue that education facilitates.”
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