Elizabeth’s Story: “Asiphe is like all other children”

Asiphe*, an 11-year-old girl from KwaNzimakwe, has faced significant challenges due to her diagnoses of microcephaly, global developmental delay (GDD), epilepsy, and ataxia. Throughout her journey, she has been lovingly supported by her 62-year-old grandmother, Elizabeth, who has been her steadfast guardian and caregiver since she was a baby. From the very beginning, Elizabeth noticed…

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Fiki’s Story: A Voice for Children with Disabilities

Fikelephi Ngeleka, known as Fiki, is a 29-year-old therapy assistant and Siyasiza at Siyakwazi, making significant strides in the communities of KwaNzimakwe and KwaXolo. With an Early Childhood Development Level 4 qualification, Fiki’s journey has not only been about her professional growth but also about personal resilience and acceptance. Fiki’s introduction to Siyakwazi came during…

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Parent Support in action: Nomfundo & Owami’s ASD journey

Owami* (5) has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and he joined the Inclusion Programme in 2021. Siyakwazi has supported Owami’s enrollment to a local private Special Education Needs (SEN) school since 2023. Thanks to sponsorships from this school, Owami is able to attend a school with specialised classes and teaching plans that take into account his unique…

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Afikile’s story: Take a walk in her shoes

Afikile* (2) was born premature and with complications that led to her diagnosis of cerebral palsy at an early age. Her developmental progress followed an unexpected timeline so her parents, confused and without any meaningful knowledge of her condition, reached out to local clinics for support.  It was at one of these clinic visits in…

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