- Foreword
- Chapter 1 – Jill Sachs Smith
- Chapter 3 – Kumarie Mohan
- Chapter 4 – Carry Paterson
- Chapter 5 – Jabu Mtheku
- Chapter 6 – Sue Bonney
- Chapter 7 – Phindile Khumalo
- Chapter 8 – Grace Khanyile
These days, Khwezi Mkhathini is a self-assured young woman, comfortable with her place in the world, specifically as a mother and within the role she plays at Caversham Education Institute. But, go back to her early life, and this was not always the case. Khwezi grew up in a disadvantaged rural community where educating girls was not a priority as they were expected to marry at about 16. Her mother did not want this ‘voiceless’ future for her and saw to it that she did get an education, despite the stigma that this went against the traditional value of women in their community. Thanks to her mother and her own dedication, Khwezi holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Human Resources and Sociology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
A significant object Khwezi sees herself as, is a green leaf on the tree of Caversham; a green leaf that shows life and growth, but a leaf that requires, and draws strength from, the whole tree. The tree has to be watered and affirmed, which is what she believes her 11 years at CEI have done for her.
When she first arrived at Caversham’s tiny Fulham Corner office to help out with admin, Khwezi was anxious of the changes that comes with moving to the city, from answering the phone to having to converse with the caller, but this soon changed as she began to find and use her voice, enabled by Jill every step of the way. She believes Caversham helps women to find their voices, to speak and be heard, to expand and grow, and to become capable and independent.
As Khwezi grew in confidence, her role at CEI changed to the point where she has truly become a branch of the CEI tree, and Jill describes her as heading the main engine of the Institute, something Khwezi believes she can do because of Jill’s training and guidance which led to her developing self-belief. She is now the ETDP SETA Skills Development Practitioner, some of her responsibilities include heading Quality Assurance projects such as verifications, accreditations, officiating qualifications and managing the graduation process for Caversham Education Institute.
Believing in managing and nurturing relationships professionally and personally, Khwezi has developed and maintains sound relationships, based on trust and respect, with the National Accrediting body, EDTP SETA. As a result, this department views CEI as a trusted partner in training ECD teachers globally.
Now that CEI is based at the spacious Manna House in Durban, Khwezi believes that Jill’s original 2003 vision continues to manifest within the physical space, allowing for individual growth as well as collaboration through healthy interdependence. Khwezi’s vision of the future is to see CEI continue to exemplify Jill’s vision, with Manna House being a place of reformation and restoration, running on resources resulting from the faith Jill and Caversham hold so dear.
Khwezi feels her purpose is to help others find their voices and become strong, independent, and capable women who can take their skills into their communities. She does this through example, believing that if a girl from a rural background can do it, so can any woman. She describes her background as a place where ”you cannot have a voice as a woman; you cannot make an impact as a woman”. Instead, a woman must always be subservient. But, “Caversham taught me to have a voice: I moved from insecurity and self-doubt to having a voice and self-belief, something I see in a lot of women who come to Caversham. They rediscover their identity and ways to express themselves.”
For Khwezi, the ‘product’ of her labour is seeing the students graduate, holding their qualification certificates in their hands and using the voices they have found through their experience at Caversham. She finds it a deeply moving privilege to witness the moment each student receives the official acknowledgment of their qualification. “Graduation day brings back the reason you exist. It gives me great satisfaction to see the transformation on that day. We fill in order for others to be filled, and it becomes a continuous process as the impact spreads. I was filled by Caversham, and now I fill and influence others who go on to influence their communities. This is my purpose in life.”
Through its vision of inspiration in the individual and the individual as inspiration, CEI continues to inspire the teachers who impact Early Childhood Development in South Africa.