NOLUVO MGIJIMA
THE launch of Sakhokuhle School of African Medicine and Crafting (SSAMC) in 2023 has been beneficial to people interested in ancestral healing as a line of work.
The SSAMC, a registered NPO, is dedicated to working with young people in rural and township areas.
It offers practical short courses in plumbing, welding, sewing, bar soap making, candle making, and African medicine.
Its aim is to equip the youth with self-employment skills, inspire hope and create real opportunities for them to change their lives.
It recently hosted a graduation ceremony in Kokstad for 18 young people who received certificates for completing their courses.
Of the 18 students, six of them completed crafting courses and the remaining 12 finished studies in African medicine.
To study an African medicine course, Dr Thandazile Jili, the NPO founder, said that people need to be legitimate traditional healers with “indumba”, a place of work for traditional healers.
“I introduced the course for traditional healers to understand the category of medicine mandatory to heal patients to avoid a situation where traditional healers would give out medicine without having a direct dosage guide,” she said.
Jili further said that the NPO also works with clinics and medical doctors. Last year, the NPO issued 13 certificates for an African medicine course and one in a bar soap making course.
