A reading programme did not only prepare a Cape Town-born teenager for university but also imbued him with a desire to help others succeed in life.
Lufefe Kwetshube, 18, was eight years old when he started attending the Shine Literacy reading programme, which was a wonderful escape from their noisy classrooms. This year, Lufefe is doing his first-year in Events Management and volunteers at Shine.
His mother died when he was young and his grandmother, a domestic worker, had to raise him. He attended Observatory Primary School.
“What motivates me the most is the children that I work with, who remind me how I was when I was still their age. I also needed someone to help me improve my literacy skills,” he says.
“At the Shine Centre you are given one hour with the child who is your partner to do Paired reading, Shared reading and Handwriting as well as play Games.” Lufefe says spending his time like this gives him joy and keeps him away from bad deeds.
“I’m planning to work with Shine as long as I possibly can, because it makes me happy to help someone without expecting anything in return. I’m not hoping to achieve anything for personal gain, however, I hope to reach out to more school kids who need the Shine Centre and help them to unleash their literacy skills.”
He adds that he enjoys his studies at CPUT as the course promises to land him in a career that will suit him as it is sociable and fun.
