It was a heart-warming end to the school year at Thelelulwazi Creche for this year’s graduation party, putting their new kitchen to work to cook up a storm for the celebration event! Four young students graduated this month and are ready to begin primary school next year. This milestone in their lives was celebrated by their proud teachers, parents, grandparents and wider community last week. Wild Tomorrow Fund, as a key supporter of the creche, was delighted to be a part of the graduation event. Read more below!

*The principal of the Thelelulwazi Creche standing proudly with the graduating students*

*Head Ranger Siya with the Theleluwazi Creche Principal*

Wild Tomorrow Fund was delighted to support and attend Thelelulwazi Creche’s graduation event last week, ending the school year on a very sweet note by celebrating four graduating students, each stepping forward confidently to the next step in their lives. The Thelelulwazi creche, located in the Mduku community adjacent to Wild Tomorrow Fund’s Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve, provides education and childcare for 35 children each year of kindergarten age (from 1 to 4 years old). Wild Tomorrow Fund proudly built the new school house for Thelelulwazi in 2019 and this October completed the kitchen and dining room complex.

*The children walk in a procession to begin the graduation ceremonies, with the new kitchen building shown in the background.*

*The celebration tent, pitched for graduation day.*

The event was attended by Wild Tomorrow Fund’s co-founder, Wendy Hapgood (visiting from NYC) and head ranger, Siya Siyabonga. Other special guests included the Africa Foundation and a representative from the Department of Environmental Health. The event, held on the last Friday of school for the year, started with a ‘marching in’ of the graduating children, who walked proudly in their gowns from their classroom to the celebration tent where the rest of the students, teachers, parents and grandparents were waiting for the festivities to begin.

Next were speeches from the teachers, parents and community leaders - all celebrating the creche and the importance of early childhood education and the daily meals the school provides (thanks to the support of Wild Tomorrow Fund’s donors). For many children, meals provided at the creche may be the only decent meal they eat in a day. Completion of the kitchen and our provision of food for daily school lunches not only enhances the active learning capacity for each student by helping to alleviate short-term hunger, but also provides an incentive for them to attend school regularly. On their own initiative, the amazing teachers of Thelelulwazi created an impressive vegetable garden this year, adding lots of fresh greens to create healthier lunches that help to address micro-nutrient deficiencies.

Then there was entertainment by a modern Zulu dancer, a demonstration by the graduating children who performed several songs they had learnt in both English and Zulu, and finally a big lunch!

It was also a special day for Wild Tomorrow Fund, seeing the newly built kitchen put to use as part of the graduation celebration, cooking up a storm for the students, parents, and guests. The kitchen and dining hall construction this year was made possible thanks to a generous donation from Valerie Goldin-Remm, and we couldn’t be prouder. We send a big thank you to our partners at the Africa Foundation for helping to make this dream project a reality!

Our co-founder, Wendy Hapgood, reflected on the day. “What resounded in my heart was the idea that our love for children, and desire for them to have a better future, unites us all around the world. We are all the same, wanting the best for our children, no matter how far away we live and how different our cultures. It was wonderful to be welcomed to this special event, sitting together with Zulu Mothers, proud Grandparents, teachers, and community leaders. It was a big and important day for four little students. We were proud to be a part of this community achievement, as the main sponsor of the creche, and wish the students all the best for their bright futures.”

Congratulations Thelelulwazi Class of 2022!

The graduating students sing to demonstrate their English and Zulu counting!

GRADUATION DAY AT THE THELELULWAZI CRECHE