Five minutes with…Nkululo
November 14, 2022
![Nkululo copy](https://lalela.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Nkululo-copy.jpg)
Above: A former Lalela learner, Nkululo is now a chemical engineering student at a top South African university.
Nkululo (18) is a Lalela alumnus who is currently studying for a degree in chemical engineering at Wits University in Johannesburg. He’s come a long way, having joined Lalela’s after-school programme at Silikamva High in the township of Imizamo Yethu in 2017. He excelled in his final exams, earning himself the Top Achiever Award as well as awards for Math, Physics and isiXhosa.
When I first joined the Lalela programme, I thought it was all about visual arts but as I was growing up, I started to analyse the significance of the curriculum to my peers, my community, and me.
I learnt that Lalela is a space of learning, creativity, imagination and mentorship. It is not just limited to visual art but has other programmes that build and empower young people, extending their creativity and social skills, building their confidence, and inspiring their goals and visions.
In my community, Imizamo Yethu, it’s hard to make a living if you don’t have vision as an individual. Teenagers are exposed to a lot of things that might cost them their dreams, including negative peer pressure, substance abuse and truancy, which are due to lack of development and economic income.
There might be limited opportunities, but if people could change the way they look at themselves and their community, and use the opportunities that come their way, there could be changes in the way they do things and respond to the stereotype of growing up and living in the township.
I like how Lalela prepares young children, teaches and brings awareness to the different age groups about the things that are happening around the world, the continent, the country and the communities.
I was never good in visual art, but I continued with Lalela because it was not about how good you are at mixing colours but passing information to the next party in a form of art.
As an aspiring engineer it is my dream to make my career a success and be able to meet and solve people’s needs through my profession.
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Your generosity makes it possible for Lalela’s educational arts programmes to create meaningful change that affects thousands of at-risk children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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