WELTEVREDE – Twenty-seven-year-old Bongani Mtsweni, a self-taught visual artist from KwaNdebele, Weltevrede eKosini, secured R15,000 for his school under the ‘Artists in School’ programme, an initiative by the national Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture, implemented in Mpumalanga by Endumbeni Cultural & Creative Arts Centre. Mtsweni, a creative arts facilitator at Simuyembiwa Primary School, began his role in 2023, assisting learners with their creative arts projects.
“It’s a great pleasure as a young, growing artist to be part of this development. Thank you to Endumbeni for this project, which has had a significant impact on my art journey,” said Mtsweni.
This year, Simuyembiwa Primary School was selected to participate in an art competition organised by Cashbuild. The school nominated Mtsweni due to his exceptional skills in teaching drawing and painting.
Eight schools from the Dr JS Moroka Municipality participated, and three learners from Simuyembiwa managed to secure top prizes.
“Our school won three certificates, T-shirts, a stationery box, a Cashbuild board placed in our schoolyard, and a cheque for R15,000 to support school development,” said Mtsweni.
Endumbeni Cultural & Creative Arts Centre is one of many arts organisations formed to help young people express themselves through various art forms, shared identities, and cultural heritage in the post-apartheid South Africa.
Established in 2010, Endumbeni’s leadership and beneficiaries primarily comprises young people. The organisation addresses challenges such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, unemployment, and the lack of formal recreation centres in black communities.
Through dance, music, drama, and poetry, the youth express their fears, hopes, and aspirations, seeking honest ways to navigate life.
Endumbeni’s mission is to provide an enabling environment for equitable, integrated, and innovative social development through community arts and culture programmes. These initiatives aim to inform, empower, and support communities by collaborating with various stakeholders.
