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Three2Six newsletter - August 2025
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Artworks from "The meaning of home" exhibition
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The team of volunteers from the University of the West of England with one of our local volunteers
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During the quiet weeks of the August break, the spirit of learning and creativity was kept alive at Sacred Heart College. For two weeks, Three2Six, in a partnership with seven dedicated student volunteers from the University of the West of England (UWE), facilitated an extraordinary holiday programme. Under the inspired leadership of Mian Ng and our coordinator Justine Kimbala, this collaborative initiative transformed the College into a hub of innovation and joy for its refugee and migrant children.
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The core philosophy of the programme was to provide a purposeful and enriching experience. It was designed to be profoundly engaging, ensuring every child was an active participant in a hands-on journey of discovery. The curriculum, tailored for each grade, focused on harnessing innate creativity to build essential life skills. Confidence was forged in the fire of performance, teamwork was woven into collaborative projects, and self-expression was unlocked through different artistic forms.
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Children gravitated towards specialised groups based on their interests. The music-making group filled the air with rhythmic beats and melodic harmonies daily, as children learned to compose and perform together. In the second week, a social media group became a digital storytelling studio, where participants learned to use technology to tell their experiences and showcase their world. Throughout it all, the guiding hands of our dedicated teachers ensured a seamless blend of nurturing support, creating a safe space where everyone’s ideas were valued.
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The culmination of this programme was a vibrant showcase event held at the College. The theatre stage buzzed with energy as everyone gathered to witness the fruits of the children’s labour. The programme was a dazzling array of talent: poignant poetry readings gave voice to inner thoughts, spirited song and dance performances demonstrated confidence, and a specially curated film premiered the work of the movie-making cohort. The walls of the theatre were decorated with a gallery of artwork created during the craft sessions, a colourful testament to the imagination unleashed.
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A particularly important element of the programme was a specialised workshop – led by Andy Francis, a seasoned filmmaker - for a small group of past Three2Six students. This cohort embarked on an intensive course in mobile phone moviemaking, a skills-based initiative that empowered them with practical, modern digital literacy. Using the tools readily available to them, they learned the art of visual storytelling, from scripting and shooting to editing, transforming everyday devices into powerful instruments of creative expression.
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Exhibition launch
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The Project is particularly proud to be collaborating with Kate and Nina Shand, Nereida Ripeiro-Muñiz, the Windybrow Arts Centre, the Melville Mudroom, UJ Art Therapy, the University of the Witwatersrand and the Origins Centre on the exhibition “The meaning of home”. We had a superb opening event at Origins Centre, with speeches from those involved in this collaboration, including from some of the children, as well as powerful poetry, dancing and drama.
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The exhibition features our children’s own clay sculptures together with raku-fired porcelain vessels made by Kate and Nina Shand. These artworks serve as an exploration of the concept of home, providing a personal lens through which to view themes of belonging and identity.
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This is part of a project that began with the creation of “The meaning of home: A Toolkit for Storytelling Interventions with Migrant Children”, a booklet developed by Nereida Ripero-Muñiz and Kate Shand in partnership with Wits University, the Johannesburg Parent and Child Counselling Centre (JPCCC) and Three2Six. It later led to a series of clay workshops with migrant children, culminating in this exhibition.
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The project combines art therapy with arts-based approaches to migration, using creativity to process the complex emotions associated with displacement. The exhibition which was first on display at the University of Johannesburg earlier this year has been further enriched by significant new additions: a compelling photo series titled ‘Leaving No Child Behind,’ which sheds light on the lives of refugee and migrant children, and the ‘Doll’s Building and City Project,’ a reimagined Victorian dollhouse transformed into a South African context by children from the Windybrow Arts Centre. Together, these elements create a multifaceted and moving dialogue on the multiple meanings of home.
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You have until the 16th of October to visit the exhibition at Origins Centre, at the University of Witwatersrand!
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Boxes and boxes of energy bars and other nutritious snacks! This is what we received from an incredibly generous local business. The children attending our August holiday programme were given an energy bar at the start and end of each day – an important boost to help them stay focused, active, and well-nourished. We will continue distributing the remaining bars out when all students return for the final term of the school year. A heartfelt thank you to Kim for this substantial donation. His continued support has been helping ensure that our students have the energy they need to study, learn, and play with their friends.
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We are also deeply grateful to other local benefactors, Briony and her family, for donating a large amount of clothing. The items have been distributed to our families. Some will be kept and used directly, while others may be sold by our families to help generate extra income.
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Registration for the 2026 academic year
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A big shout out to our partner, the Outreach Foundation, for supporting our grade 7 parents with the 2026 academic year registration process. A team at the Foundation generously made the organisation’s computer lab available for two weeks, giving parents – many of whom do not have access to technology at home – a vital opportunity to complete the online application. The one-on-one assistance provided by the team was especially valuable in helping parents navigate the system with confidence.
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Alumni Day
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On the 2nd of August, an Alumni Day was hosted at Sacred Heart College. This session took a more educational and skills-focused approach, while still preserving the spirit of connection and care. We welcomed back some familiar faces and were joined by Nyasha, Angel and a previous Marist Three2Six Volunteer, Tamara, who brought fresh energy and insight into the day.
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The morning kicked off with a set of yoga and stretching to wake the body up in winter, which was combined with vocal warm-ups to encourage awareness, breathing control. These are tools that are incredibly valuable both in everyday stress management and public speaking.
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Following this, we moved into our main workshop: Preparation & Presentation Skills for a slideshow themed “Creating Your Ideal Country.” In groups, learners were encouraged to dream up and define what an ideal society would look like to them, considering elements such as leadership, new constitutional rights, and an anthem. The idea was not only to stimulate critical thinking and creativity but also to build confidence in speaking about complex ideas in front of others. Nyasha and Angel were hands-on, helping to facilitate group discussions and offering support as the children crafted their slides, encouraged to use different platforms and even see what AI can generate. Tamara, who has a background in education and community work, played a pivotal role in guiding the learners as they brainstormed and began putting together their ideas.
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The presentations were meaningful and the engagement during both the preparation and the presentations was one of the best yet. The learners responded with enthusiasm and creativity and their ideal countries reflected strong values of inclusion, equality, peace and hope for a better future.
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The day wound down with a shared meal and a reflection prepared by Dineo. As is tradition, we closed with words of gratitude and hope.
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"We love Three2Six" written by the children during the holiday programme
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Each donation counts and helps us make a valuable change in the lives of our learners.
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