Writing talent at Bhongolethu Primary

On October 23^rd Write4Life ran a writing workshop with Grade 7s and Grade 6’s at Bhongolethu Primary in Masiphumelele, Cape Town. Write4Life is always keen to tailor its offering by piloting new material to see what works and what doesn’t. The workshop was a great opportunity to see how learners responded to different activities and model texts and gave Write4Life inspiration and new ideas.

In the morning workshop Write4Life included an essay writing activity as well as poetry. Essay writing can be daunting for learners especially in primary school but it is an invaluable lifelong skill to be able to structure thoughts and write coherently and convincingly. Write4Life’s group essay activity aimed to take the dread out of essay writing and make it a fun activity. The topic ‘Travelling by Taxi’ engaged everyone as learners came up with all the aspects of a taxi ride from drivers to conversations, to smells and sounds written for someone who had never travelled by taxi. It was a winner. Here are some lovely lines.

“Though it seems peaceful at first when you enter get ready for some PTSD!…

There are different types of people in a taxi. There’s the taxi driver who has vibe. And there is that woman who has great news to share. There are those people who are quiet – don’t mess with them! There is that woman who talks too much, that woman with fashion. Those people who don’t care what is around them they are just busy with their phones…

Travelling by taxi is never boring! Go to a taxi and see for yourself.”

The poetry and group essay will be collated into a booklet that will make Bhongolethu proud. There’s nothing like seeing your writing in print for the first time and realising that everyone can be a writer.