The World’s First College of

everyone who is young at heart. There are full time and part time courses, teaching everything from magic, mime, juggling, ventriloquism, puppetry, clowning, lighting, theatre production and many more. Saturday is a very busy day and some children arrive at 9 am and leave at 1 pm, spending time doing as many activities as they can. Should they get hungry, the tuckshop fills the need. Once they move Performers at a Charity Show for James House. on to Entry level 2, the students are all As I approached the front door to the expected to wear black and white. College of Magic, I heard raucous laughter Our grandson, Scott, really looks the part coming from inside. The door flew open in his black suit, white shirt and black tie. and about 20 pre-school children and their He carries all his “magic” in his black at the college when he was 10. He is now 20 the world compete for “Best Of”. teachers came out. The look on their faces briefcase. and because of his Magic training, he has Back home, just down the road, our said it all. They had just had a “magical” Even the caretaker, Isaac Gama, who greets travelled to Italy and England, finally taking youngsters have a chance to shine! time. us with a smile every Saturday morning, is on a “magic” contract in China. Not only is School groups are most welcome, in fact, It was a Wednesday morning and I had suited out. He is also learning to juggle – his magic fantastic, he has the courage and encouraged. The College has a programme arrived to talk to Marian Williamson, who well done Isaac! confidence to travel, by himself, to China, called “Magic Class Room” and for R25.00 has been with the College for as long as she Once attending the College, a child’s to fulfil his contract. a child can enjoy a few hours of magic, can remember, in many different guises. At confidence and self belief grows visibly, Olwethu’s magical journey was made which explains the excitement when I present she is in charge of Fund-raising. and according to Marian, that is the most possible by FISM, The Federation arrived. One thing is certain, Marian is passionate rewarding aspect for those who work or International des Societes Magiques. They Not only is Magic taking place inside the about the College of Magic and what it has volunteer at the college. hold a conference every 3 years where stunning building, but also outside, in the to offer. One young man, Olwethu Dyantyi, started 50,000 magicians from 32 countries around garden. There’s a thriving vegetable patch The College is based in Lansdowne Road, of potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, spinach, Claremont, in a fantastic house dating back radishes and a beautiful lemon tree. The to 1898. It has had a face lift or two, but has “green team” are also actively involved in kept the original character and is the ideal a recycling project. venue for MAGIC! The College also has a “Sponsor a Student” Started in 1980 by David Gore it has gone programme. It is a fantastic initiative from strength to strength and is a “one off” for young folk who would not normally in the world. attend the College. If you are interested in In 2010 they opened a branch in Kimberly contributing, visit www.sponsorastudent. where they currently have 70 pupils. Two co.za or for more information, visit the teachers fly from to Kimberly College website at www.collegeofmagic. every week to give classes. com. In Cape Town there are classes ranging By Margerett Macfarlane from children (10 yrs) to adults. In fact, for Graduation day for the young magicians. Photographs courtesy of The College of Magic.

DreamWorker was free to employer and employee and relies founded in 2008 entirely on grant and donation funding. We by locals really want to make it easy to get people to Tania and Ronald employ!” says Tania Bownes. It has Tania and Ronald are tremendously loving disposition, cuddling my dogs and grown considerably with a central office proud of the work being achieved by the giving my ageing dad a kind word and a based in Observatory, an office in Atlantis DreamWorker “DreamTeam”. August gentle touch”. and one in Port Shepstone and fieldworkers 2013 was another record month, with over Kathy Bodmer is a well known personality Nomaphelo is also delighted with both in various areas, including Hout Bay. 16 000 days of work being achieved for the in the Hout Bay community. She and her DreamWorker and her employer. Fieldworker, Darylene Sherwood, can be previously unemployed (Full time and part family have been involved with Voluntary “When I arrived at DreamWorker I had no seen interviewing candidates at the local time work). Emergency Rescue for years. But when her work. I had been unemployed for a long Tobi office or the Library several mornings DreamWorker’s subsidiary programme, domestic worker resigned very suddenly, it time but did not know where to find help. a week. Link of Love, is all about Job Creation. was a personal “crisis” with a difference! My husband is a fisherman and the work is “Our aim is to help the unemployed in the The public and corporate are encouraged to “My work as a CPR trainer is really hectic. very unreliable. DreamWorker found me lower end of the economic sector. People make their contribution towards alleviating With my sons, my father, a tenant and two two days of work as a char, then one more who do not have easy access to newspapers unemployment. A day of work can be big dogs at home, I really do need help on and finally, my last two days with Kathy. and the Internet in their job search. We purchased for an unemployed person to go the domestic front! Luckily I knew about Now I am the breadwinner in our family!” do not believe in just putting names onto out and work in their own community for DreamWorker and was able to get my much she beams. databases, although we do have a highly R100 a day. Work such as helping in the needed help quickly. Nomaphelo has her dreams too. To have sophisticated, personalised database schools, cleaning at aged homes or tending Nomaphelo Masekwana has been a breath a better education and a better life for her system. All our candidates are personally the sick. of fresh air in my home. She cleans child. For herself, she dreams of getting screened, mentored, reference checked For details visit www.dreamworker.org.za. beautifully, moving cupboards and cleaning her driver’s licence and becoming an au and copies of identity documents kept All donations are fully tax deductible as on top and underneath! She communicates pair. She recently passed her learner’s on file. This is a people business and the DreamWorker is a registered PBO. well with me about whatever is happening licence first time and is hugely proud of her unemployed need guidance and inspiration Please help us to get working! in my home. And she has such a happy and achievement! during their time of crisis. Our service is 021 696 4048 or [email protected]