Press release: ISPA & CoZa Cares Announce Super Teacher of the Year

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Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba of Ngwanamago Primary in Limpopo is the 2013 ISPA Super Teacher of the Year. The dedicated educator was presented with this accolade at a gala dinner last night which was the culmination of iWeek, South Africa’s premier Internet industry event.

Ms Machaba received her award from the previous year’s winner, Sadike Welhemina Kekana of Toronto Primary School in Limpopo.

Speaking at the dinner hosted by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) and CoZa Cares Foundation at Thaba Ya Batswana in Southern Johannesburg, CoZa Cares Director, Fiona Wallace, said that Ms Machaba had perfectly demonstrated to the selection committee that she had used her newly-acquired ICT skills for the benefit of herself, her learners and her community.

She added: “Many of our past ISPA Super Teacher Award recipients started their training without ever having touched a mouse. They then go onto great things which include winning further awards.”

The 2013 installment of the country’s leading IT empowerment programme targeting educators has also produced another category of winner. “It’s fitting that in the year CoZa Cares has grown to become a standalone entity, we are able to introduce a Special Award that the committee has seen fit to bestow on Chipa Thomas Maimela of Lekota High School.”

Mabore Dorothy Lekalakala of Limpopo’s Toronto Primary was singled out for special mention after being named Runner Up.

The remaining six ISPA Super Teacher of the Year finalists included Thinavhuyo Silvia Mabannda, Motlalepula Sinah Mailula, Sekwati Patrick Matabane, Mosiwa Simon Matlebjane, Mmatsididi Anna Magoro and Keonethebe Victor Nthebe. All came in for special mention as being from a particularly high calibre group of educators this year.

After taking the podium Ms Machaba expressed her surprise, and ultimate delight, at being named ISPA’s 2013 Super Teacher of the Year. “I became an educator to help uplift the people I saw around me. Now that I am an IT literate educator, I am able to help more members of my community, more efficiently.”

The finalists who participated in ISPA’s Teacher Training programme have flown to Johannesburg for three days of tours and workshops which take place during iWeek.

Each year ISPA, in partnership with CoZa Cares, funds ICT training for hundreds of teachers from under-resourced South African schools. Since the inception of the programme, training has been provided training to over 3 500 teachers thanks to the continued support provided by ISPA’s members.

CoZa Cares Foundation, previously the CSI arm of UniForum/ZACR, will integrate the ISPA training into its all-encompassing ICT Capacity Building programme in under-resourced South African schools.

“All of the winners and finalists present here this evening have made a tremendous and positive impact on their colleagues, learners and communities by using the IT skills they have learnt for the benefit of others. They have best understood that a skill learnt is of little use if kept to oneself – it must be transferred,” concluded Ms Wallace

NOTES TO EDITORS:

In 2013, the following companies were kind enough to contribute to the funding of ICT teacher training:

• UniForumSA/ZACR
• iCode.org
• Internet Solutions
• Subject Matter Expert (SME)
• eNetworks 3 Teachers
• Frogfoot Networks
• JIREH Technologies (PTY) Ltd
• Switch Telecom
• Liquid Telecom
• ICASA
• Adept Internet
• Internet Solutions
• Jireh Technologies
• ZA Central Registry
• Avuxeni

COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF WINNERS & FINALISTS:

• Mokhudu Cynthia Machaba, Ngwanamago Primary, Limpopo WINNER
• Mabore Dorothy Lekalakala, Toronto Primary, Limpopo RUNNER-UP
• Chipa Thomas Maimela, Lekota High School, Limpopo SPECIAL AWARD
• Thinavhuyo Silvia Mabannda, Molapo-Matebele Primary, Limpopo
• Motlalepula Sinah Mailula, Ngwanamago Primary, Limpopo
• Sekwati Patrick Matabane, Sione Primary, Limpopo
• Mosiwa Simon Matlebjane, Mountainview Senior Primary, Limpopo
• Mmatsididi Anna Magoro, Toronto Primary, Limpopo
• Keonethebe Victor Nthebe, Jerry Mahura Secondary, North West

Further Information

For further information, please contact the ISPA secretariat on the Contact ISPA page.