From rural pupil to school champion: the UJ man helping to bring change
Godfrey Nefolovhodwe walked 14km to Hanyani Secondary School in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, and another 14km home every school day, determined to get an education despite the odds.
Today, he walks through the same building as a University of Johannesburg laboratory assistant.
Nefolovhodwe has returned to where his journey began, to open doors for a new generation of pupils.
He is dedicated to help improve the school that once struggled to provide even the basics: A water supply and access to the internet, and now a new science centre.
Nefolovhodwe was a pupil at Hanyani from grade 8 to matric. He remembers a school with a severe water crisis, despite being in one of the hottest parts of the country.
“The situation here at the school was very bad. There was no water at all. And then you remember, this is the hottest area in the country. So the teachers used to cancel classes due to lack of water,” he said. “The water crisis was very bad until the University of Johannesburg came through.”
Nefolovhodwe manages UJ’s projects in Matatani, Gwakwani, Mbodi and Hanyani Secondary School, making sure the initiatives run properly.
The relationship between the university and Hanyani began with a simple need: water.
“I’m the one who brought the University of Johannesburg here,” he said.
When he returned to the school with the university, he found that a class had been cancelled because there was no water. That became one of the first problems they set out to solve.
The department of education had previously tried to drill several boreholes but the problem remained. UJ eventually drilled to a depth of about 200m to reach water.
Today, Nefolovhodwe says, the school has a sufficient supply.
The work did not stop there. The school now has a library, computers and the internet, giving pupils a chance to do assignments after school and apply for further study.
“We put five computers there for them so that if they want to apply for further study, they can do it for free,” he said.
A school garden is being planned so pupils can have vegetables and fruit. Then there is the science centre.
For Nefolovhodwe, the new facility represents another step away from the limitations he experienced as a pupil.
“Those who are doing science and maths can learn something new, conduct experiments and do practicals. It’s much easier than before,” he said.
The changes at Hanyani have been reflected in the school’s academic results, which have improved significantly over the years through a partnership with UJ.
For Nefolovhodwe, the biggest reward is seeing pupils become more confident and begin to imagine a future beyond their village.
“I passed grade 12 not knowing even a single university. It was so tough. Now the kids are familiar with universities,” he said.
He wants the pupils at Hanyani to have opportunities he never had. That is why seeing UJ return to the school to motivate and support pupils means so much to him.
His own journey after matric was not straightforward. He focused on short courses and explored different career paths, including working as a police assistant, trying firefighting and studying health and safety.
His relationship with UJ began about 15 years ago when the university was doing community engagement work in the area.
“They did an interview with me and I was helping them during that time,” he said.
For about two years, he helped with the university’s projects as a volunteer. UJ saw his potential and offered him an opportunity to join the university.
“My wish is to see Hanyani at the top. I know it’s not easy, but if they can get a 100% pass rate, I’d be proud,” he said.
He also wants to see the school developed with facilities that pupils in other parts of the country may take for granted, including a playground and sports facilities.
“After class, they just go straight home. But sometimes you need to exercise, play some sport. We never know where we can identify some talent,” he said.
Ultimately, his dream is to see the pupils of Hanyani go further than he did and perhaps one day also return to help the community that raised them.