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Abalone Farm Worker Awarded Top Prize

At the second annual AgriSETA Excellence Awards ceremony held in Gauteng last week, a Media Works ABET learner received the top prize and another learner from the same farm was nominated. Media Works is a Johannesburg-based organisation that specialises in adult basic education and training. At the gala event cash prizes were awarded to those who had excelled within the Agricultural Sector.

Siyasanga Ngqayimbana won the award in the category Best Performing Learner: ABET and Thandiwe Mavata was a finalist in the same category. Both learners work at HIK Abalone Farm in Hermanus and participated in the AgriSETA/Media Works ABET project.

The project started at the farm in 2006 and the staff were part of 15 000 learners nationwide to be taught basic literacy and numeracy skills.

The winner of the award, Siyasanga Ngqayimbana, is from the Eastern Cape and initially joined the project in 2009 to improve his English skills. He has since achieved certificates for English Communication Level 2 and Mathematical Literacy Level 1.

“This programme and prize have given me a huge chance to promote myself,” says Siyasanga, beaming with pride.  “I was thrilled to be nominated and I could hardly believe it when I won!”

His colleague, Thandiwe Mavata, who was also nominated, is a mother of two from the Eastern Cape and started working at HIK Abalone in 2008 as a general worker.

“I have had to work really hard as I am a single parent.  I wanted to improve myself and give my children a better life so I decided to join the ABET programme,” says Thandiwe.

“I enjoyed the Life Orientation course the most and I got a lot of help from my facilitator. I learnt about the food groups, about eating correctly and especially about how to protect myself against HIV/Aids.”
Both learners were very excited to attend the awards ceremony.  It was an occasion they will never forget.

Thanks to HIK Abalone and the ABET programme, all the staff now have an opportunity to learn and to achieve.