REFINERY NEWS May 2012

Durban EMSS Programmes
produce excellent results
For most learners being 35km from a
classroom would be more than sufficient
reason to skip lessons.
Not for Nqobile Hlongwane. She was a pupil at
Mqhawe High School in Inanda (about 35km
North of Durban; on the extreme opposite side
of the city to Umlazi). Nevertheless she went to
great lengths to make sure she was able to attend
the Engen supplementary education programme
at Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT),
not just occasionally, but every day.
Nqobile, with help from a caring and generous
teacher made sure that distance was not an
obstacle to attending the supplementary tutorials.
Their efforts were handsomely rewarded when
Nqobile passed all her matric subjects with
distinctions. She was fortunate that a grade 11
teacher at her school, Mrs Shabane recognised her
potential and each day, used her own car to drive
Nqobile from Inanda to Umlazi and back to attend
the extra tuition. The reward for this extraordinary
dedication and sacrifice: Nqobile romped home
81% for English, 81% for Physical Science and 86%
for Mathematics in her matric exams.
Not only that. Nqobile was the only matriculant
to achieve distinctions in all her subjects at Mqhawe
including Zulu, Life Science and Accounting.
That has left here well placed to fulfill her dream
Above: Fairvale Saturday school programme learners and educators
of becoming a chartered accountant. She is now in
her first year of studies for a B.Com in Accounting
at the University of the Western Cape. “I found
Physical Science very challenging but the Engen
programme, through its tutorials, provided the
support that I needed.”
Hard work and dedication has paid off for over
100 learners who attended the Engen Maths
and Science School (EMSS) Programme. An
awards ceremony was held that the Refinery to
recognise and reward these learners for passing
their supplementary programme subjects with
distinction. The successful students received
vouchers for each relevant distinction. The
vouchers will help pay further education costs.
The Fairvale group notched 22 As and 43 Bs
while the Mangosuthu group achieved 62 As
and 84 Bs. Learners in the programme from both
the Mangosuthu and Fairvale Saturday school
programmes have again done Engen proud by
achieving top matric marks in Maths Physical
Science and English subjects.
The extra-curricular tutorials for learners
attending schools in the Bluff, Wentworth and
Merebank areas are hosted at the Fairvale
Secondary school while lessons for learners in the
Umlazi district are hosted at the MUT.
Engen relieves stationery burden
As ever there was widespread excitement
when schools reopened for the 2012
year. But some youngsters faced the
new term with trepidation. They didn’t have, and
could not afford, the exercise books, pens, rulers
and other stationery necessary for their lessons.
Their families cannot afford school fees let alone
high-priced stationery for the children. As part of
the CSI outreach programme, Engen has extended
a helping hand to two schools in the neighbouring
community - Settlers Primary School and Nizaam
Road Primary by providing stationery for learners
from indigent families. At Settlers ten learners
are benefitting from the stationery and another
ten at Ocean View Primary School. Settler’s
Primary principal, I.Y Naidoo says he is extremely
grateful to Engen for providing this much needed
contribution. “It will go a long way to assist these
learners to participate in everyday educational
activities.” The Refinery has also donated stationery
to the community through the local councilor,
Aubrey Snyman who distributes it to a broader
spectrum of the needy in the community.
Top Right: The Refinery has also donated stationery to the community
through the local councilor, Aubrey Snyman.
Right: Refinery CSI Coordinator, Paul Makhanya with some of the learners who
received stationery at Settlers primary school.
engen Refinery news May 2012 // 7