ZANELE MSOMI
U MA ungena eCottonlands eNdwedwe uthi usekude amehlo akhangwe yindawo esalokishi, ebiyiwe enezindlu eziklelile ezinezicabha ezinemibala egqamile.
Umgwaqo oyitiyela ongena kule ndawo ukuthatha ukubeke esangweni elinonogada obuza ipasi nesipesheli ngaphambi kokukungenisa.
Egcekeni uhlangana nodado ababonakala beneme, ababingelela ngesiNgisi bemamatheka.
Lena yimpilo yansuku zonke esikhungweni sezintandane iLungisisa Indlela Village (LIV) eCottonlands.
Ukusungulwa kwalesi sikhungo nguMnuz Tich Smith nomkakhe, uJoan, ngo-2010 kushintshe impilo yalo mphakathi, iningi lawo odonsa kanzima nezingane ebeziwumntshingo ubethwa ngubani.
“Sawubona Baba Smith,” zisho kanje izingane uma kudlula uSmith, oshiye ubukhazikhazi bomuzi wakhe eLa Lucia wazozinza kuleli khaya. Uvumela phezulu aziqukule, aziphulule nezihlathi.
“Uma singasebenzisana siwumphakathi, ibandla nosomabhizinisi singenza omkhulu umehluko esizweni. Lezi zingane sezinekhaya nempilo efana neyezinye,” esho ehlengezela izinyembezi.
Isolezwe livakashele leli khaya, beliyithela imvula kodwa odado kungathi abayizwa, belibele wukujahana egcekeni bahleke kuvele elomhlathi.
U-Smith uthe ngo-2010 wathenga ipulazi elingu-200 hectare enephupho lokuqoqa izingane ezilahliwe, zithole ikhaya nemfundo engcono. Uthi waqala ngosomabhizinisi abawu-100, okubalwa nabaholi bamandla abafake uR1 000 ngamunye. Kumanje leli khaya liphila ngeminikelo evela kubantu nasezinkampanini ezehlukene.
Kwethulwa i-LIV ngo-2010 kwaba nomcimbi eNkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, kwakukhona noDkt Zweli Mkhize, owayenguNdunankulu wesifundazwe.
Uhulumeni wabuye wazibophezela ukuphonsa itshe esivivaneni kuleli khaya.
Zingaphezu kuka-150 izingane eziyizintandane ezixube izinhlanga esezithole ikhaya, “abazali” nemfundo yamahhala. Isikole esigcina kuGrade 8 nonyaka sinothisha abasanda kuqeda izifundo zobuthishela abavela emanyuvesi ahlukene.
“Sinezingane ezifika zisanda kuzalwa kuya kwezineminyaka ewu-12. Ziqala enkulisa zize zingene esikoleni. Kulo nyaka sengeze ikilasi likaGrade 8,” kuchaza uSmith.
Bangaphezu kuka-500 abantu abathole umsebenzi kuvulwa leli khaya, elakhiwe ngamalungu omphakathi. Kusanda kuvulwa nendawo yokuthunga eqashe abantu abangu-250.
U-Smith uvule le ndawo evele esewuqalile umsebenzi wokunakelela izingane eziyizintandane eMawoti, eNanda, kusukela ngo-2007. Uthi uyaqhubeka nokondla izingane eMawoti.
Indlu ngayinye e-LIV ihlala izingane ezingaphansi kweziyisithupha ezinomama abaqeqeshiwe, asebefana nabazali bazo.
UNksz Nombuso Mkhize (36) waseMawoti wafika ngoNovemba 2011 ezofuna umsebenzi wokubheka izingane kulesi sikhungo. Wafika nezakhe ezimbili esezifunda e-LIV.
“Ngatshelwa wumngani wami owayevele esesebenza lapha ukuthi kuyaqashwa. Ngize ngoba izingane ngiyazithanda. Ngaqeqeshwa izinyanga eziyisithupha, kumanje ngihlala nezingane eziyisithupha sekuhlangene nezami,” usho kanje.
Yize evakashela ekhaya ngezimpelasonto, uthi lezi zingane uyazikhumbula, azishayele ucingo.
Okumjabulisayo wukubizwa ngomama, yilezi zingane ezinye okuthiwa zihlukumezekile.
Iphupho likaBaba Smith, njengoba edume kanjalo kule ndawo, wukuvula ezinye izikhungo nakwezinye isifundazwe.
“Kuwumsebenzi wesizwe sonke ukukhulisa ingane,” usho kanje emamatheka.