Sindiwe Magona

This story based on a true story, about a school in a township in South Africa. When vandals (skollies) constantly break into the local school, there is a lot of apathy among the adults in the village. As well, many of them are without work and homes are either shacks or they are falling apart. When the new computers are stolen from a locked room, by making a hole in the roof, the principal calls a meeting of all parents. He tells them that the future of the children depends on them getting a good education. Knowing the children will repeat the path of their parents, the parents are invited to use the school to complete projects. The projects they develop are successful and lead the village into a more self-reliant existance and pride in their lives.

This book shows how empowering a community helped the children receive a better education. This brings to life the saying, "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach him to fish, he eats for a lifetime." Developing pride in our lives and in what we do, working together, having confidence in our abilities, learning new things and being positive are all shown in this book. The back of the books contains a lot of information. There is a short description of the actual project this book is based on as well as some information on Aparthied and Nelson Mandela. There is a glossary of the Afrikaans words used in the story and some discussion questions. This would be a great story to use when studying World Politics, Social Justice and Prejudice. This book would be a great addition to Middle School and High School libraries and classes. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.… (más)

Inspiring story, largely based on truth, of how an enterprising principal turned around the fortunes of a South African primary school and its community by involving parents in a profitable brick making business. Not only did they benefit from the bricks; the program restored dignity to many who had lost their jobs, and it prepared them to take on new jobs outside of the school. As the afterword mentions, South Africa continues to face incredible problems with inequality and with education, but there are extraordinary people there who are providing a ray of hope. The book is well-written and will also introduce readers to some commonly used Afrikaans words.… (más)