Debating the future, Njabulo chooses education
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© UNICEF Swaziland 2007 ESkorochod |
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Njabulo dropped out of school when his mother abandoned him at the age of 12 years. He is now 17 years and back at school at a lower grade. |
Debating the Future, Njabulo Chooses Education
Mbuluzi, September 2007 –Njabulo Dube was not surprised that his team was among the top finishers in the school debates on child trafficking.
“I studied very hard for the debate,” says Njabulo. “I went to the library to do research and found out what makes children get trafficked. I learned a lot, even about how I could get tricked into being trafficked.”
Supported by a partnership between UNICEF, the Ministry of Education and FUNDZA, a local NGO that supports reading, the debate was held in July and was a part of Swaziland’s celebrations of the Day of the African Child. The theme for the celebrations, as well as for the debate, was “Stop Child Trafficking.”
The debate asked students to investigate the different factors that make children vulnerable to child trafficking. Teams then debated the ways Government could alleviate these factors that make child trafficking possible.
“My topic was poverty and child trafficking,” says Njabulo. “I learned a lot from books I read. But I also know from my own life. I spoke from my heart and my head.”
When Njabulo tells the story of his 17 years, he speaks strong and clear, making consistent eye contact. He is a worthy debate opponent.
Njabulo is an orphan. His mother abandoned him when he was only 12 years old. His father was very sick at the time, and died two years later. Njabulo went to live with his granny in Nhlangano, about 150 kilometers away from Mbuluzi, his childhood home near the capital of Mbabane. Recently, he moved back to his father’s home in Mbuluzi. He is often alone, although his uncle sometimes comes to stay with him.
With his mother gone and his father too sick to work, Njabulo was forced to leave school at 12, when he was in Standard 5.
“I very much like school,” says Njabulo. “I was so unhappy to leave and have been hoping and working to be able to go back some day.”
Njabulo’s work paid off this year, when his employers offered to pay his school fees to attend Mbuluzi Primary School.
“I was working as a gardener and taking care of dogs for my neighbours, but I always told them I wanted to be in school. They answered my prayers this year and said if I did well they would continue to help me.”
Despite being 17-years-old, Njabulo had to return to the grade where he left off, Standard 5. Despite the age difference between him and the other students (most students in this grade are around 12 years old), Njabulo relishes school and always tries his best.
He proudly shows off his latest report, nearly straight As. “I have first position in my class and hope to continue this until school is done.”
Ms. Khumalo, Njabulo’s teacher, is proud of her star pupil’s performance, reporting that he works hard and is a role model for other students.
“I am not a guy who is bad at school,” says Njabulo. “I am serious about my studies and encourage other students to be serious about education. I have a second chance now and I will not waste it.”
Njabulo was chosen for the debate team because of his excellent performance in English and his love of books. He says the debate helped him be confident and speak his mind in front of others.
“I learned that I must stand up for myself because trafficking can happen even to me. I am glad that we placed in second position and I helped win the trophy for my school.”
Despite his exceptional performance in English, Njabulo’s favourite subject is science. He says it will give him a nice future.
“I want to do work as a scientist so that I can have money for a big farm. Then I can share food with others,” says Njabulo. “I can see that nobody is looking after me, so I learned to take care of myself. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give help to others.”
