Having found herself caught between two worlds as a child, Rethabile Sonibare is now opening an eye into the universe for young girls. While she grew up in the township of Khayelitsha during apartheid, Sonibare attended a historically white school in the suburbs. Becoming one of the first students to desegregate the classroom, Sonibare would return home and recognise the differences between her education and that of her friends. “You start to see class and inequality quite early and it becomes your everyday reality,” she says. Although apartheid ended in 1994, the impact of its unequal education system pervades, with children in informal settlements often only able to access schools with poorer resources. Today, Sonibare is redressing that legacy with the first independent all-girls school in Khayelitsha. To expand children’s horizons, she’s bringing them closer to outer space.
In 2012, Sonibare began running afternoon astronomy clubs to introduce kids to science. Soon, her efforts grew into Molo Mhlaba Schools, a pre-primary and primary school for girls with a focus on STEM education. “Having started as an after-school programme, Molo Mhlaba was really inspired by my daughter,” Sonibare says. “I wanted to create an empowering environment for her and her peers.” South African women are underrepresented in STEM. “Close to 70% of women are excluded from careers in science and technology,” Sonibare says. It’s an issue that starts in the classroom. In a co-ed environment, girls are often unrecognised and not actively encouraged to pursue science. For Sonibare, it was essential to create a space solely for girls to test their skills and expand their minds. But the development of the school took some convincing from community members. “Initially, the community rejected the idea of building a school only for girls,” Sonibare says. While locals believed boys needed an opportunity too, Sonibare was able to demonstrate the importance of a girls-only school and its greater impact. Soon, she opened Molo Mhlaba’s doors at lower fees. But Sonibare ensures that learning is not confined to those who can afford it.
Running after-school programmes for any student to attend, Sonibare and her team focus on astronomy as an introduction to engineering and chemistry. Using project-based learning, teachers give girls a hands-on education and take them on trips to the planetarium to spark their curiosity. “They get to immerse themselves in the wonders of the world beyond their communities,” Sonibare says. The Grade 3 and 4 classes even sent postcards to space as part of a Blue Origin project. With over 100 pupils attending class, Sonibare is also involving members of the community in the school as part of a women-driven programme to upskill them as educators. By empowering both women and children, she’s enabling girls to pursue careers in STEM and lead not just in their fields, but their country. “I feel proud knowing that I contribute to an alternative path for girls to become stars in their communities,” Sonibare says.
