By Tumi Makgobotloane
Keeping our stories alive
There is something special about a good story.
For many of us, some of our earliest memories are of sitting and listening to a parent, grandparent or elder tell a story. Some made us laugh, some taught us a lesson, while others helped us understand where we come from.
But with so many things competing for young people’s attention today, keeping that tradition alive has become even more important.
That is what makes this week’s Kwesukasukela Storytelling Workshops particularly meaningful.
Taking storytelling into schools and communities
Running from 7 to 12 September, the week-long programme is taking storytelling into different spaces across Mpumalanga, including schools, under the theme “Please Tell These Stories.”
The initiative brings together storytelling, poetry, music, writing and other forms of creative expression, with a focus on preserving indigenous narratives.
More than just telling stories
Project Coordinator Mthokozisi Mthethwa says the project is rooted in the belief that stories are an important part of identity, memory and community life.
“Our stories carry history, values, language and lived experiences. Through Kwesukasukela, we want to encourage people to tell these stories, preserve them and share them with future generations.”
–mTHOKOZISI MTHETHWA, PROJECT CORDINATOR, Kwesukasukela Storytelling Workshops
For Mthethwa, the workshops are also about promoting oral traditions and creating opportunities for artists and communities to connect through storytelling, poetry and music.
Inspired by the rich heritage of izinganekwane, the programme will bring together storytellers, poets, writers, musicians and artists to explore storytelling as a tool for cultural preservation, education and creative expression. Participants will take part in practical sessions, discussions and performances, highlighting the importance of telling our own stories and passing them on to future generations.
Connecting stories with literacy
But tomorrow, 8 September, storytelling will meet another important cause; International Literacy Day.
The Mpumalanga Department of Education is hosting an International Literacy Day celebration at Siphumelele Secondary School in the Whitehazy Circuit, City of Mbombela Local Municipality, starting at 09:00.
The Kwesukasukela team will also be part of the programme, together with an organisation called BookHive. The team will assist BookHive in gifting books to learners, while Mthethwa will also lead a storytelling session.
A story can give a child a voice
A book can introduce a child to a world they have never seen. A story can teach them something they may never forget. And being able to read, write and tell your own story gives young people a voice.
The week will continue at different locations, with the main Kwesukasukela event taking place on Saturday 12 September in Buhle, kaBhokweni.
And perhaps that is what makes the theme “Please Tell These Stories” so fitting.
The week-long workshops, together with the International Literacy Day programme, bring the importance of storytelling, books and reading into focus, particularly for young people. By creating spaces where children can engage with stories, receive books and discover the joy of reading.
Because our stories are more than words. They carry our history, our culture and our memories, and they deserve to be told, read and remembered.
Event details
Event: Kwesukasukela Storytelling Workshops
Theme: Please Tell These Stories
Dates: 7–12 September 2026
Main event: Saturday, Buhle, kaBhokweni
Focus areas: Izinganekwane | Storytelling | Poetry | Music
