From Just Grace learner to deputy principal: Mr Fayi’s story

By Kasia Rybarczyk

In 2013, Mr Fayi was one of about 35 learners in Just Grace’s very first tutoring group, spending his Saturdays working on mathematics. Today he is Acting Deputy Principal and Head of Curriculum at Isilimela High School, the school where Just Grace now supports a new generation of learners.

In this interview with Just Grace, Mr Fayi looks back on what the programme gave him: confidence in tackling problems, a sense of where he was going in life, and a path away from the pressures many young people in the township face. “Most of us who were part of the Just Grace initial first project of tutoring mathematics, we are somewhere today,” he says.

He also speaks as an educator. When he sees gaps in his learners’ performance, he refers them to Just Grace’s social workers, who visit their homes and work hand in hand with teachers to support them.

Mr Fayi’s journey shows what Just Grace’s holistic approach makes possible over time. Learners who once came to Saturday tutoring sessions are now building careers and shaping their community, and the same combination of academic support, psychosocial care and home visits continues to help young people in Langa reach their full potential.