Art Lecturer

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Dr Sandy was born in Zimbabwe, but she grew up in the Eastern Cape South Africa. She came to Cape Town to study and never left. She always wanted to be a teacher from a very young age, and she believes that young people are the future. She has a great belief in the young people that she works with. Amongst the things Dr Sandy shared with the “Back 2 School”youth, she mentioned how she had found love, and thought she will forever spend her life with the man that she was with but because we don’t choose our destinies her life partner became her devotion of teaching. Dr Sandy never wanted to have kids of her own, but she had the privilege of raising her sister’s daughter as her own. Dr Sandy emphasized that how she grew up poor, not having a lot. But she was willing to study and change her situation, which meant to me that your background does not define you. It is up to you to change your current situation and better your future. This marvelous Teacher went as far as sharing her personal encounters with the students she teaches; the one valid point that she mentioned, is how the past has wounded the present. No matter how she tries to reach out on a genuine and loving way towards her students, the fact that she is white will forever be problematic. The privileges of being white has constantly hindered others from acquiring a better living. When I first approached her with the “Back 2 School” program, and asked her to be the “Back 2 School” guest speaker, she refused. She said “Aphiwe its not easy as a white person to encourage young people, because of the privileges apartheid has given white people. Will the young people believe an old white woman?”
It’s only logical to think that way, because being told that its easier to fight than letting go by a person who you think do not share the same battles as you, that might come across as offensive or abstract from the reality you are living. Nonetheless it can be said that we as humans can learn a lot from each other, all we have to do is listen to gain a better understanding of how we should go about in life. Its people like Dr Sandy that we must look up to, when we feel like giving up, or when we think we cannot do this or that in order to succeed in life. Dr Sandy reminded us that we are the future of our country, and encouraged us to make it a good future. Remember nothing is new under the sun, the things that you are currently experiencing someone else older than you has been through that, that is why it is important for “Back 2 School” to invite such influential people to come and motivate us youth.“Back 2 School” does not offer solutions or success recipes, all we do we hold your hand and assist where we can, in order for you to come up with your own recipe of success.
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Published by aphiwesigadi217006892

Founder of Back 2 School, Student teacher. Teaching Life Science, Natural Sciences and isiXhosa. Aphiwe Magida is a novelist, poet, script writer, short-story writer, performer, composer, choral choir conductor.

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3 thoughts on “Art Lecturer”

  1. i love your back “back to school”, and i love Dr Sandy’s work of motivating the youth… Big up to you guys.

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  2. It is a profound privilege to work with the young people of our country. You inspire me every single day. You are the future of our country, and with people like you leading us, it’s going to be an amazing country!

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  3. I was a art student few years back in Sandy’s class. She is a big inspiration to me and being a woman of color I can say that of you look across the color of a person’s skin you’ll actually see that we will be able to move forward. Sandy your words always encouraged me and your ways are something that many students past and present can follow. Having taught me art as a way of self expression brought a new way of looking at the world as well as understanding the children I teach. Thank you Dr Sandy Johnson. ❤️

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