At Udobo we try to keep in touch with students who leave us and move on, but it is a very difficult task indeed, since the parents of these children often move from their places of employment or change their contact numbers (and with no obligation to us to inform us of these changes anymore, we obviously are not made privy to new contact details).  However, we do manage to get hold of a minority of the parents and herewith follows brief details of the progress made by students from the past years at their chosen Primary Schools.

2004

Siyabonga Ndlovu
Siya started his schooling at Seaview Primary school and was progressing very well until his mother was granted a Development home in an outer suburb of Chatsworth.  He then moved to a new school and became very unhappy.  His younger brother was poisoned and died the following year and his mother reported that Siya had become very depressed.  We have had no further news of this very troubled family and the mother has no contact number.

Amy Gcawu
Amy left us to immediately start her schooling at SPS Zion School in Matatiele in the Transkei, Eastern Cape.  She is now in Grade 5 and doing very well indeed.  She has not overcome her lisp yet and her teacher reports that this is affecting her vocabulary and her spelling.  However, that is the only snag she has encountered.  Her reports reflect above average ability.

2005

Sakhi Ntombela
Sakhi is now in Grade 4 at Excelsior Primary School in Chatsworth, Durban.  He works very hard and his teacher and guardian do everything they can to assist him, but he is struggling academically.  The family is also experiencing emotional trauma with the parents being separated and paternal financial support now very limited.  This all adds up to make life very difficult for him and his cousin Vela Ximba.  Vela was advised not to start schooling when he did and inevitably had to repeat his first year of formal schooling, so he is now in Grade 3.  He is also experiencing difficulty academically and is also being affected by the trauma within the circumstances at home.

Jheonre Allen
Jheonre started his schooling at Montclair Junior Primary School in the year that his Mommy had to go and work in Johannesburg.  He was left in the care of the extended family.  He had to repeat his first year of formal schooling.  His mom then got a transfer back to Durban and the family moved to the Bluff where he started school at Marlborough Primary School.  He is now in Grade 3 and doing really well.  His reports reflect a child of above average ability.  Jheonre joined the Fynnlands Soccer club and came home with several trophies at the end of the year.  He has started playing cricket this year and has shown great talent in the swimming pool. His mom has him attending extra English lessons.  She has reported that the family may move to Johannesburg soon since she has been offered a good opportunity there.

Lindo Hlongwane
Lindo started his schooling at Montclair Junior Primary School after an extended term of pre-schooling with us.  However, being a victim of untreated ADHD, he struggled in his first year and had to repeat Grade 1.  He is now on treatment and is doing very well indeed in Grade 3.  His grandmother cannot afford to support his interest in soccer, but he will be able to play for his school once he gets to Grade 4.  We see him quite often at Sunday School and he makes sure that he comes for his weekly hug.

Carennah Franklin
Carennah attends Carrington Heights Primary School in Glenmore, Durban.  She is in Grade 4 and is excelling both academically and on the sports field.  She is particularly fond of athletics and gymnastics, both of which she has achieved several awards, but participates in every sport she possibly can get involved with.  

Brittaney Logan
Brittaney attends Woodlands Junior Primary School and is at present in Grade 4.  She is excelling academically and has been awarded several academic merit certificates.  Her participation in the sports arena is limited since she lives further away from the school now with her paternal grandparents.

2006

Sphindo Mbambo
Sphindo is at Montclair Junior Primary School in Grade 3 and is doing very well academically.  She regularly brings home certificates of merit.  She is involved in swimming and sings in the school’s junior choir.  She is one of the top art students in her class.

Swelihle Zondi
Swelihle attends Durban South Primary School and is doing exceptionally well in Grade 3.  She is one of the top academic students and her mother reports that she is very industrious about doing her homework before doing anything else in the afternoons.  She is involved in swimming and also does Indian dancing at school in the afternoons.

Mandy K’Hanyile
Mandy is at Durban South Primary School in Grade 3.  Her father says he intends moving her to a school in Wentworth in 2010.  She is an above average student and is involved in athletics and netball.  Her father, once again, expressed sincere gratitude for everything we did for Mandy in preparing her for formal schooling.

Vuyo Masuku
Vuyo was always very sickly when he was with us at Udobo.  This has not changed.  He missed so much school when he was in Grade 2 that his teacher did not feel that he had achieved competently enough to go on to Grade 3.  So, he is at present repeating Grade 2 at Woodlands Junior Primary School.  He does not participate in any sport.

Laston-Jnr Keswa
Laston is a lively and mischievous student in Grade 3 at Woodlands Junior Primary School.  He is coping very well academically, but is experiencing delays with reading.  Unfortunately, his dad has no money to pay for extra lessons to help remediate the problem.  He loves sport and plays cricket and soccer for his school teams.

Minenhle Mvuyane
Minenhle spent the first two years of his schooling at Khulangolwazi Remedial School.  His little sister started in Grade 1 this year and he has joined her, in Grade 3, at Austerville Primary School.  His mother reports that he is coping well with mainstream schooling thus far and is now playing cricket and has started computer studies.

Yolanda Dladla
Yolanda is a Grade 3 student at Durban South Primary School.  She is doing very well academically, although she is not very keen on doing homework.  She has not had an emotionally happy year thus far, since she and her mother are living in a shelter at the moment because there have been terrible family problems which caused her mother to leave home.  They cannot find an affordable room to rent.  Because of this, her extra mural school activities are limited.