- Foreword
- Chapter 1 – Jill Sachs Smith
- Chapter 2 – Khwezi Mkhathini
- Chapter 4 – Carry Paterson
- Chapter 5 – Jabu Mtheku
- Chapter 6 – Sue Bonney
- Chapter 7 – Phindile Khumalo
- Chapter 8 – Grace Khanyile
Kumarie was brought up with little attention to formal education, with her family focusing on skills to help run the family business. At the same time, her grandmother inculcated a sense of excellence in her, something for which she continues to be grateful. However, from an early age, she realised she wanted something different for herself, and this need was strengthened when, in 1997 and aged 20, she gave birth to her daughter, Jivee. Kumarie wanted more for herself and her daughter than the life into which she was born. Circumstances were to test her to her limit, but she emerged as tempered steel, with a heart of gold.
Kumarie has a treasured photo of her daughter taken on the day she brought Jivee home from the hospital. This image signified the start of a journey to achieve a different way of life from the rest of Kumarie’s family, and the results have been far-reaching for them both.
Kumarie runs her own very successful preschool in Pietermaritzburg and lectures at Caversham Education Institute in addition to mentoring Caversham students. How it happened: In 1997, as a new mum, Kumarie saw an advert for a Caversham course of first-year lectures for Early Childhood Development teacher training, and she cut it out, placing it in a ‘treasure’ draw. It was to remain there until 2010, when she came across it again and contacted Caversham. Lorraine Christian was in the CEI office at the time, and she faxed Kumarie the application forms that were to make a significant change in Kumarie’s life, although, at the time, she was terrified by the large, seemingly intimidating, class which took place at New England Primary School. Fast forward to 2023, and Kumarie now has a degree, her own school, and a good marriage.
Kumarie’s entry into ECD teaching happened almost by accident when her daughter started preschool. Jivee refused to allow her mother to leave the premises, and eventually, the principal asked Kumarie to help out, first as a general helper and then as a relief teacher. The principal also asked her to start an Aftercare class, something that fuelled Kumarie’s passion for ECD, so much so that she did the Intech ECD course.
She applied for another ECD job, but the conditions at the school were far from ideal, and she left after 2 years. It didn’t take long for the parents of her previous class to start calling her, asking her to take on their preschoolers, and soon she had 7 children. It wasn’t ideal as she and her daughter were living with her brother at the time, so Kumarie found an abandoned house, next to a shebeen, rented it from the municipality, and, along with her family, set about renovating it.
Once this heaven was up to standard, Kumarie opened the doors, and the kids boarded with her from Monday to Friday, but the environment was far from ideal, and she finally closed the boarding section and looked for new premises, away from the shenanigans of the shebeen. The ‘new’ school has now been running for 16 years, with pre-Covid numbers of 96 enrolled children. Post Covid, this is reduced, but numbers are steadily rising.
At first, Kumarie’s purpose was to change the trajectory of her own and her daughter’s lives. She has done this with astounding success, and now she feels her purpose is to help others by giving back to Caversham which she believes helped her achieve her successful ‘different life’. This sense of purpose led to her lecturing and mentoring at Caversham, with her mentorship focusing on rural black women who want to start their own schools. She also creates new relationships to help other CEI graduates find appropriate jobs that pay well, thus empowering the women financially as well strengthening their self-esteem.
Kumarie believes Jill, Jabu, Tina and Judy have been catalysts in her life, helping her achieve her ‘different-life dream’ which has taken her far from the family business. She has also been a beneficiary of Caversham ripples through the inspiration provided by Carrie, Vanessa, and her students. Now, Kumarie is giving back and creating Caversham ripples of her own in the true spirit of inspiration in the individual and the individual as inspiration.
In Jill’s words, “Kumarie has a heart of gold: Caversham is privileged to have her as a graduate, lecturer, and mentor, looking beyond herself to help those in lesser circumstances.”