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Growing up under difficult conditions did not stop Mandisa Mtolo from working hard towards building a future brighter for her and her relatives. A responsibility she took to heart as she is also from a rural area and a firm believer in the Chinese Proverb; “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Mandisa is dedicated to giving rural children an opportunity to become contributors in the mainstream economy and well-being of society. It was very difficult to start from scratch in trying to make her goal with the idea of trying her best to help a disadvantaged school and innocent learners who do not afford to maintain their studies. Fortunately her idea was successful, Miss Mtolo has done a lot to assist her learners and a school. One more thing she has created a Facebook group (Mathubesizwe Secondary School Ycap is back) of her school which she was late but started in 2016 to save all the work they did with her kids. Take a look at her activities she has done with her learners and achievements. By mentoring learners in Youth Development projects, she received many awards from Mathubesizwe Secondary School, District of Ilembe, Kwa-Zulu Natal Province, AKS Global Education Award and a Global Award: KwaZulu-Natal Province MEC for Education and HOD announced her as a KZN PROVINCE Best Teacher in 2021, AKS Global Education announced her as Winner of Global Teacher Award 2021, Global Education Summit Award (GESA), announced her as winner of prestigious award in the category: Outstanding Teacher of the year 2021. ASHBAB Global Impact Award, awarded her a Merit Award as Best Educator of The Year in 2021, MVLA Trust Global Achievers /Teachers Award Conference 2020 and in 2021 announced that Mandisa Mtolo is a winner of Global Teacher Hall of Fame Award, in 2021 during the International  Women’s Day was announced as a MVLA International Ideal Woman Achiever Award 2021. Department of Education in Province awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation and acknowledgment in 2020 for winning an International Moot Court Competition. Department of Education in District awarded her a Trophy for Youth Development- Science and Technology and an Award for Top Performed Educator in Youth Development and Gender Equality, Acknowledgment of the excellence in 2017, 2019 for excelling in project management and 2021 for obtaining 86% and four distinctions in Business Studies grade 12. Citizenship and Youth Empowerment awarded a Certificate of Appreciation in 2013-2020 and Great Effort Award (Provincial Level) in 2014 and 2018, again in 2020 She and her team won an 3rd Place Overall Young Active Citizen Award in the National level. Mathubesizwe Secondary School awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation in 2015, 2019 and 2. Department of Transport awarded a Certificate of Appreciation, Trophies and Gold Medals (District and Region) in 2014.  In 2010 Durban University of Technology, Faculty of Arts and Design awarded her a School of Education Tutors Award for Computer Applications Technology (CAT) and in 2011 the Department of Sport Administration during the Sports Award, awarded her the DUT Trophies for excelling in Ballroom and Latin Dance as well as in Athletics. In 2003 and 2004 Durban Institute of technology in Department of Sports Administration during the Sports Awards, awarded her a First Team Representation (Football). In life when you work hard, your work always pays off. As a hard-working educator she has received lot of rewards for her hard work, which motivates her and us her fellow colleagues to do better and excel in whatever we do. Almost 70% of South Africa’s media wrote about and interviewed her learners who won against United States of America in Poland. Mayor of Mandeni town visited a school to thank her excellent work and donated 10 laptops to support Mandisa’s vision. This work motivates our students to achieve more and be successful like us, they say is their role model.
She uses Youth Development Programmes which is called YOUTH CITIZEN ACTION PROGRAMME to address problems motivate learning change, behaviour and reduce school dropouts as well as drug dealers. She is a passionate teacher who uses extremely limited resources and try by all means to ensure that the project is sustainable. These programmes have put a school in a global map continually. They have assisted in disciplining learners in the classrooms, motivated them, giving bursaries, bringing technology in school, creating a conducive learning environment, inviting different businesses to guide our learners especially those who have never been in Cities, learners are now global competitive, learners stand in Parliament, International Crime Court, are competing in International Digital youth camps, institutions like Municipality and others are donating resources like laptops, lastly the school has enrolled learners who understands the meaning of education and its importance.
Mandisa believes in giving since she was young through “my grandmother’s (Guardian) lessons”, she sacrifices her break time, free period, even afternoon hours to make sure that the projects happen the right way. When it is time to present the children's work in the district, she uses her private car and pay for materials used to do a project and for reaching to the primary sources when the project demands research. 
As a teacher it is her duty to make sure that she brings hope, encouragement to transform the lives of the learners in the classroom and the community that they live in. She is very energetic and smart that she can go an extra mile trying to help everyone around her including us (her colleagues), let us not forget that she is a teacher who also has her responsibility of teaching and also dedicated in her work of being an educator in the classroom in such that in 2020 Mandisa and her colleague obtained 86% and 4 distinctions with 15 level 6 in 114 learners doing Business Studies in grade 12 and in 2021 I obtained 81,8 and 6 distinctions with 17 level 6 in 154 learners.
Involving herself in disciplining and encouraging every learner that is in front of her,  has changed the entire school to produce quality results, compared when she was first year working at Mathubesizwe School. She even go an extra mile by posting on facebook to assist learners who did not pass matric, those that are interested she adds them in the whatsApp group lessons (online tutoring). Every learner who walks through her door is different due to the socio-economic issues like poverty and scarcity of resources, background linguistic. She realised that even the brightest pupils end up failing not because they do not know an answer, but they are struggling with understanding the medium of instruction, which is the experience she experienced in the language we use in the classrooms, that makes it difficult a learner to understand a subject or exam question. That is why she came up with a strategy to make them participate in debates, oral presentations and public speaking to overcome this challenge. Sometimes she dedicates herself to take extra classes from Monday to Thursday and Saturdays.
Lack of technology is another challenge faced by the learners, so she felt the need to provide something which will help them and save time by using her own salary to buy a projector, router which helped a lot as it can able to be repeated a slide if any learner did not understand even send it to WhatsApp for further review. In South Africa every subject has a formal task like assignment research, case study or project which finds so difficult for a rural child to gather information. As a teacher who grew up in a rural area, Mandisa understands the stressful process of gathering information, she came up with a solution of providing an internet at school that helps the learners through the library process, which was not even available in the area where you must pay to reach on the facilities, so she brought her computer and router to give them access to information up until a richest company assist the with more computers and internet. 
Some learners are staying far from school, Mandisa believes there is never a time to stop when there is a person who is always standing next to you to push you, there are some students who can do more under her supervision at her home, so she takes those learners to live with her. They have access to unlimited internet for them to choose any online learning that they can and be easily for them to understand the subject and  she monitors them. 
Mandisa’s work is recognised globally, by working very hard that she was involved in Moot Court Competition where two learners were selected to participate in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Level and won the competition to compete in the National level to represent KwaZulu-Natal, again her team won the competition to represent South Africa in International Crime Court in 2020 that was held in Poland. Team South Africa became champions in Poland against the Team USA in the final and those two learners received bursaries. This is a reference: https://www.justice.gov.za/events/NSMCC.html. By winning an International Competition, that is why the school was visited by a Local Municipality Mayor at Mandeni came to congratulate Mathubesizwe learners by also donating 10 laptops to Mathubesizwe Secondary School, learners were invited by the Minister of Executive for the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal Province and the District Director of Ilembe District.  Again, in the same year one of my learner participated in the competition is called by Nelson Mandela Museum Camp in National level, where she won the competition to participate in Germany representing South Africa in 2020. In 2021 (one learner) and 2022 (two learners) participated in International Digital Youth Camp since covid19 restricted many things.

Mandisa was voted by the educators under Gingindlovu Circuit to be their Business Studies PLC Coordinator, which gave her an opportunity to create a WhatsApp group as their platform,  she used to share a lot of information to Business Studies colleagues from different schools in Gingindlovu Circuit such as: previous question papers, summarised notes and study guides, scheduling meetings, writing strategic plan that we are using to make sure that our subject is passed by all learners including the progressed learners. In extra-curricula activities she was also selected by the Gingindlovu Circuit, Stanger CMC and Ilembe to be their chairperson in all listed levels. This gives her an opportunity to coordinate or facilitate other peers to solve many problems that are occurring in the daily basis in our schools. Some schools are now effectively participating in many Youth  Development activities through Mandisa’s leadership skills.

This is what Mandisa Mtolo  says “I believe my love for teaching is what encouraged me to improve people’s lives. I entered a youth empowerment competition called the Youth Citizens Action Programme with my learners as their mentor to compete with other schools, where there were solving many challenges that are stopping school to function good like involving local businesses, media and parents. I also conducted many programmes that changed the school, learners and community to be better like competition that is called The Provincial Participatory Education Techniques, Women in the Workplace Project, Nelson Mandela Day, Cultural Activities such as Poetry and visual art, SADC essay writing, South African Moot Court Competition, Luthuli Museum and University of Kwa Zulu Natal Moot Court Competition, International Crime Court Moot Court Competition my learners became champions, National Development Plan 2030 Competition, a competition that was sponsored by the Department of Justice (South Africa Police Services), The iNkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History Competition, Nelson Mandela Museum Camp a won the competition to participate in Germany representing South Africa in 2020. I was asked by the Department of Education to accompany 24 learners from various Ilembe District schools to a programme organised for seven days by the MEC: For the Department of Education, Durban University of Technology, Vodacom and Casme, two learners were in top 11 amongst 600 learners. I trained a learner to compete in the international level (Germany).
In 2013 I started working at Mathubesizwe Senior Secondary School at Ilembe district in Kwa Zulu Natal province in South Africa. In the same year in 2013 I entered a youth empowerment competition called the Youth Citizens Action Programme (YCAP) with my school learners as their Mentor to compete in a district level, where we were dealing with a drug challenge in our school. A project was successful in such a way that the rate of learners who were the victims of drugs were helped by Love Life team that was in invited by me and YCAP TEAM 2013 at school. The team won their district level and presented at Provincial Level.
In 2014 I mentored five learners in the competition that is called The Provincial Participatory Education Techniques (PET) that was organized by the Department of Transport. They were expected to investigate the main road entering to our school entrance gate. That made my team to compete with other schools at the district level where we won R3000 for my school to change the quality of life. When I proceeded to Region level, again we won R10000 for our school, a Certificate of Participation with beautiful Trophies and Medals for herself, learners and a school.
In 2015 I mentored five learners in grade 12 in a provincial competition that is called by Women in the Workplace Project where one learner Shupikai Murungweni had got position 3 among grade 12 learners that were counted to 450-500 in KZN Province. She won a bursary, Tablet smartphone and a hamper for preparation of University's needs. I continued to groom, monitoring her studies and I even taken her Tablet to upload all the resources that were relevant to her subjects.  Murungweni ended passing her grade 12 with good results of 4 distinctions. Again, in the same year I entered the competition of Youth Citizens Action Programme with the grade 10 learners who ended up in Provincial Level and won a Great Effort Award where they were dealing with a challenge of a peer pressure in school that leaded many learners to not concentrate in their studies and the project was successfully completed.
In 2016 I entered many different programmes of Youth Development like The School Youth Language Festival where the Poetry and Drama were proceeded to the Provincial Level, Youth Citizens Action Programme again where her team won against 12 district school and proceeded to the Provincial Level, they were dealing with the challenge of higher failure rate in school that project was also sustained and successful. I conducted Cultural activities that are always representing Ilembe District in Provincial Level such as Umshado (Wedding songs and dancing), Poetry and visual art. Again, in the same year I had become a civil society in my community where I joined Ubuntu Mabande kwaMzongwana Non-Profit Company (UMMNPC) that is aiming to assist the Mzongwana community by providing three programmes that help or alleviate hunger in the community as whole. The first programme is named by Ubuntu Mabande Christmas Lunch, it is providing groceries for 30 families to feed their children every year in December 24. Second programme named by Ubuntu Mabande Dress a Child, it buys school uniforms including tracksuits (since Matatiele is a cold town) in four schools (each school brings 15 learners from Primary and Secondary school) every year to those learners who cannot afford. Third programme is named by Ubuntu Mabande Tournament that helps to encourage the youth (boys) by playing soccer on the 25th of December every year where the finalists get rewards in the end of the game. All the programmes were aiming to alleviate, promote and encourage the quality lifestyle of our future leaders (children and youth). I was selected as a Secretary of the Ubuntu Mabande kwaMzongwana Non-profit Company.
In 2017 I groomed five girls for Woman in the Workplace Competition where Nokwanda Sithole won a 3rd place and received a 3rd place Award, Award of Participation, laptop and a hamper of the equipment and stationery for University's needs. I continued to groom and monitor Nokwanda, took her laptop to upload all the recourses that were relevant to her subjects. A goal was achieved in such a way that she even passed her grade 12 with 6 distinctions through all my dedication of motivating and encouraging the youth of the community of my school. I decided to join Moot Court competition where I chose to encourage all grade 11 learners to take a part in internal competition (within the school) because it was also educating about their right and how to respect the law of Republic of South Africa as it is also a part of a chapter in their subject (Life Orientation). I also groomed grade 11 learners to participate in SADC essay writing. My grade 10 team 2017 took a part in Youth Citizens Action Programme competition again where learners were promoting the cleanliness in school and the project was successful and sustainable.
In 2018 I continued with the Moot Court Competition where two learners of my school became the champions of Luthuli Museum and University of Kwa Zulu Natal and received 1st place Award for them and a school. Same learners were also invited to participate in debate that was called by National Development Plan 2030 Competition. They got position 3 in Provincial Level received 3rd place Award for them and a school. I joined a Youth Citizens Action Programme and mentored learners where they were dealing with the importance of Education in my school telling other learners that education is not just a key to success but also a flight to a brighter future. They well presented the importance of Technical subjects to Grade 12 learners and also taught them about the careers within those subjects. They invited a local company (DCB Project) to help them that is providing Civil Engineering services. It was an interesting experience for them because they gained a lot of information and a company gave a best learner in grade 12 a bursary.  These ten learners won district competition and became the winners of Great Effort Award for themselves and a school as well in Provincial Level. 
I trained grade 10 and 11 learners to prepare themselves in writing a letter for SADC Competition in Africa. She also was conducting the cultural activities in the season of Heritage Day in South Africa where she was so surprised to proceed with all categories in the district level, Isicathamiya, Poetry, Umshado and Gospel with music together with her colleagues who were also together in the cultural activities committee. I also entered a Competition that was sponsored by the Department of Justice (South Africa Police Services), a learner Simbonge Ngobese was competing in the Station around her school with other schools situated next to the station, which was Inyoni Police Station. She won a competition to represent Inyoni Police Station at the District of Ilembe District.
In 2019 I was involved in moot court competition with grade 11 learners which was the most difficult project I have ever held before, they represented the district, province and national to international level where they had represented south Africa in the International Moot Court competition in 2020 that was held in Poland. Since then, all that I am doing ends in the international level. I further entered the Nelson Mandela competition with a grade 11 learner competed in the national level and won to represent South Africa in Germany. I also conducted an iNkosi Albert Luthuli competition which made my two learners to compete in the National competition, my grade 9 learner who wrote a letter to President Ramaphosa (current president) addressing the socio-economic issues in SA left a mark by winning among many learners around South Africa. In 2020  I was  involved in Moot Court Competition with learners (Nozipho Dube and Nondumiso Ntshangase) in grade 11 where two learners were selected to participate in the Kwa Zulu Natal Provincial Level and won the competition to compete in the National level to represent Kwa Zulu Natal, again her team won the competition to represent South Africa in International Crime Court in 2020 that was held in Poland. Again, in the same year Nozipho Dube participated in the competition is called by Nelson Mandela Museum Camp in National level, where Nozipho Dube won the competition to participate in Germany representing South Africa in 2020. I was the selected educator who accompanied the 24 Ilembe District high flyers who were participating in Coding and Robotics programme named Code Like a Girl, two learners from my side were announced as the top eleven and they received prizes from Vodacom Mobile Network LTD.
In 2021 I have conducted Heritage Education Schools Outreach Programme, my four learners were representing Ilembe District in Provincial Level and got position 2. Again, I have conducted an INkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History Competition, four learners were representing Ilembe District in Provincial Level and learners got position 2 and learners got position 1 then she represented KwaZulu-Natal Province in the National level. I conducted a an International Digital Youth Camp that was hosted in Germany, one learner participated in that camp and was supposed to participate in Germany in 2022. I have conducted a Youth Citizens Action Programme, where six learners represented the KwaZulu-Natal Province in the National level and won position 3. Mentored two learners in Quiz Competition and won the competition. Mentored two learners who participated in the South African Schools Moot Court Competition and they were ended in semi-finals.

In 2022 I have mentored four learners in different schools at Ilembe District who were participating in International Digital Youth Camp that is hosted in Germany. I am a dedicated teacher who organized 4 youth members from our community to start a computer center in my location to help their beautiful young sisters and brothers who still at school with the access to information. These youth members are dependent in social grants. I have raised funds since covid19 started to buy old computers and to pay for an internet. I went to the Chief in my village to give me support by giving us a land that is situated in the center of plus or minus 10 000 learners in the whole community of Mzongwana Tribal. As the company name is now registered, I am a founder of Gijima Mzongwana Youth Development Foundation NPC, I started this non-profit company with an aim to provide computer centre and a warm home (where they will get a piece of bread and cup of soup every day) for the learners who are going in different schools at Mzongwana Tribal Community. I have bought two second computers and paying two Cellc mobile network  contracts to make sure I provide access to information for the rural children.
I set out to tackle issues by developing various projects aimed at inspiring students with a safe and empathetic education. I also promote global citizenship, cultural diversity and tolerance. I had exploited latest technologies and gaming techniques to motivate learning, change behaviours and reduce stress levels in my students. Through gamification, learners become the heroes or heroines of virtual communities and learn through fun. I dedicate much of my time helping and training my fellow colleagues and pass on my learnings to education professionals using the skill of Computer Applications Technology which is my major subject because I am an expert at it, I even got tutor award at Durban University of Technology. I created a beautiful award that has an Mathubesizwe Tie (it’s a chosen icon) and they are no longer paying for award certificates because of my creativity. By involving myself in sports activities I was lucky to be selected to attend the South African netball coaching and I passed the exam with 88% and received a National Coaches Associations making me qualify to coach girls around South Africa. I was also certified to obtain a NATIONAL COACHES ASSOSIATION CERTIFICATE which was signed by the president of Netball South Africa and I received a MEMBER CARD. Furthermore, through all my dedication and workaholic skills, I have gone an extra mile to fulfil my goal in dusting and uplifting a life style of the children of the rural area and I am still going do more as long as the sky is the limit I will go even further.” She said.
 

Mandisa Mtolo is a remarkable shero who has achieved numerous accomplishments in the field of education and community development. She began her journey by pursuing a Commercial Educator course at Durban University of Technology, where she graduated with five major subjects, exceeding the usual three. Mandisa's dedication led her to be placed in a rural "no-fee" school by the Department of Education.

Driven by her own background and a belief in the proverb "teach a man to fish," Mandisa committed herself to improving the future of rural children. She started various initiatives, including a Facebook group for her school and mentoring learners in Youth Development projects. Her efforts were recognized with a plethora of awards, including the AKS Global Education Award and the Global Teacher Hall of Fame Award.

Mandisa's Youth Citizen Action Programmes transformed her school and community. These initiatives addressed problems, motivated learning, and reduced school dropouts and drug-related issues. She used her own resources, including her private car, to ensure these projects' success and sustainability.

Understanding the challenges faced by her learners, Mandisa initiated programmes to improve language comprehension, provided access to technology, and facilitated research through the internet. She even opened her home to students who needed extra support.

Mandisa's impact reached a global scale as her learners excelled in international competitions, including the International Crime Court in Poland. Local officials recognized her efforts with donations and visits to her school. She became a role model for her students and fellow educators.

Her commitment extended to various competitions and programs, such as the Provincial Participatory Education Techniques, Women in the Workplace Project, and Nelson Mandela Museum Camp. Mandisa's dedication went beyond her school, as she actively participated in community programs like Ubuntu Mabande kwaMzongwana, aimed at alleviating poverty and hunger.

Mandisa's influence grew, and she mentored students in coding and robotics, leading them to represent South Africa on international stages. She founded the Gijima Mzongwana Youth Development Foundation NPC to provide a computer center and support to thousands of learners in her community.

Her continuous efforts resulted in awards, including the Empowervate Programme's Change Agent and Sustainability Award in 2023. Mandisa's lifelong commitment to education and community development has left an indelible mark on her students and the world, making her a true shero and a beacon of inspiration.

Forewords by the NTA Winner Mrs PT Ndlozi
One of the main objective of our education system as South African citizens is to provide equal and quality education for all. Working for the Department of Education at the forefront, having to deliver the already planned curriculum to our learners has opened my eyes in so many ways that I have been able to identify various challenges in our education system as well as came up with some of the mitigations. I believe there really is a need in transforming teaching & learning through digital technologies. As the National Teachers Awards winner in the category of Excellence in Primary School teaching, it would be a pleasure to make a change in those disadvantaged schools and bridge the gap of inequality that has long been there. At the end of the day we want to build a powerful nation and it all begins at the foundation of our education system. On the 04 October 2023 | was invited by UKHOZI fm @ #Ubusuku Obuhle Ezemfundo with Siya Mhlongo https://omny.fm/shows/ubusuku-obuhle- ezemfundo-re-imaging-science-educat where I was interviewed on Re-imaginig science education of our future leaders can enable this reality through Innovative opportunities that improve access to science, tangible benefits of science for sustainable development, unlocking South Africa's science potential and impact of the generation that is equipped to apply knowledge acquired in solving real life problems affecting societies and the importance of Artificial Intelligence and coding.

lam Pinky Thandeka Ndlozi, who lives in Richards Bay, Birdswood. l am 35 years old. I have Bachelor of Education, Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Management and Certificate of completion in Coding and Robotics.

I have been working for Department of Education for 16 years. I was office based from June 2007 to May 2019, working in Finance section as an Administration
Clerk in different finance divisions which are Accounts section where I was recovering debt for the Department of Education in King Cetshwayo District such as Tax debt, Overpayments, Debt suspense accounts and many more. Ialso work in Supply Chain Management (Demand and Acquisition), Norms and standards and Expenditure control. In May 2019 | was employed to be an Educator at
Imizikayifani Primary School. I worked beyond the call of duty, and I was nominated to take part in the National Teachers Award, where I contested with other teachers in District level,
Provincial Level and National level. The Minister of Basic Education, Mrs AM Motshekga awarded me for excellence in Primary school teaching during National Teachers Award, which took place on the 20th of October 2022. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sponsored me to travel to Washing DC in United States of America (USA) on the 17 February 2023-03 March 2023 to represent South Africa to participate on the tools that we can use to improve education systems, looking at adaptive approaches, large scale assessment and digital content. l obtained a Certificate of participation at Comparative and International Education Society Annual Conference (CIES). I visited Franconia Elementary School in the United States with Prof in Dr Michaela Vogt. Comparative Educational Research Theory and History of Inclusive Pedagogy from Germany to compare and collect data in the teaching and learning strategies, assessment, frameworks, policies and digital content.

After winning National Teachers Award, I introduce a project called Digital Content (DBE Bhelela Content) in line with CAPS. Its objective is to transform teaching and learning through ICT skills to schools that are both in urban and rural areas also that are inadequate of resources and to bridge a gap that has long been there. It also improves efficiency in the completion of the curriculum. I have introduced, facilitated and implemented Digital Content and Coding & Robotics in many schools in King Cetshwayo District, Zululand District and
Amajuba District. As I said in the National Teachers Award "I may not be able to bring about 100% change, but 2% I will bring will make a huge difference to learners'" to make them global citizens and prepare them for Forth Industrial Revolution (4IR). I invited KZN MEC Of Department of Education on the 22 September 2023 on school innovation day where learners were showcasing STEM skills and remarkable achievements of our learners in the field of coding and robotics, science and research. I am a school co-ordinator and Delegation leader of Eskom Expo for young
Scientist, CPTD, Spelling Bee and First Lego league which includes Innovation projects, Robot design and Robot game. I have been recently awarded by SACE for being the Top participant in the CPTD system with 1024 professional Development Points. I also participated at SACE conference, theme Teaching Profession in our hands, "our voices and plight matter".

In July 2023, was invited by Minister of Basic Education, Honourable Angie
Motshekga to address on the topic 'Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future'.