How Uhambo walked alongside Anelisa
Anelisa Tyam has a passion for the young people in her classes and school that is tangible.
She teaches up to 50 learners at a time, from Grades 8 to 12 in a school in Delft, Cape Town, in an environment where many young people are at risk and vulnerable.
“I love these young people and want them to have Christlike values that are based on love, compassion, kindness, generosity, respect for themselves and others, integrity, self-control – that they will be responsible citizens when they grow up – with the true spirit of Ubuntu and humility, serving others as we hope to serve them now.”
It is not an easy hope given the circumstances that many of these young people are growing up within. The unjust and impoverished context that many of the learners live in make it “swimming upstream” on every level.
“It is painful to see young people addicted to substances and high in class with drugs being so accessible everywhere, exposed to violence and their behaviour so destructive, such brokenness, abuse at home,” she says, “And I have tried to help where I can, when it comes to protection and intervention, as well as uniforms, books, and basics where needed.” Sometimes this has come at high risk for her and her life has been in danger for doing the right thing for a young person.
She also gathered other teachers who were also seeing similar struggles and trying to help vulnerable young people, and collaborated with them, forming a team of concerned teachers within their community. Her compassion for young people is infectious and her ability to organise and collaborate is inspirational.
Anelisa has been through tough times herself, where she began to lean into God as a refuge and help when younger and faced with tragedy and loss. She hopes for a different future for her learners and is working hard to make sure they are exposed to different options and can make life-giving choices.
But teaching was not her initial choice or vision.
Trained as a psychologist, Anelisa dived into teaching in 2022 and her passion for the young people she serves has grown along with her career. Around the same time, Anelisa was invited to church and her life changed radically as she encountered Jesus for the first time in a very personal way, despite being exposed to the Christian faith while growing up. Today she is a part of Bethel Worship and Healing Movement in Delft, led by Pastor Zos who is like a mother to her, and says, “That has become home – it is where I belong.”
The church is very supportive of Anelisa’s ministry with young people. “My pastor has introduced me to organisations that help, as well as offering the church space to meet with the young people and providing meals when we gather.” One of the organisations she was introduced to that has walked alongside Anelisa in her love and passion for at-risk young people is The Warehouse.
In 2024, Anelisa was invited to be a part of Uhambo, The Warehouse’s leadership formation journey that walks with grassroots pastors, youth leaders, and women of faith as they develop projects to meet real needs in their communities.
“Being a part of Uhambo helped me so much and opened up a lot of things for me when I was not sure how to tackle things, even though I wanted to help.”
One of the key initial breakthroughs was understanding the roots of the problems the community faces, what is behind the learners’ behaviour, understanding the kids better, and sitting down with them and listening. “This helped me understand that often the parents themselves were broken, and the contexts so deeply harmful,” she explains. “Uhambo gave me direction and coached me throughout the journey. Being part of it, kept me grounded.”
The Uhambo team, led by Zenzile Molo, gave Anelisa guidance and structure to form and hold her work with young people. “They helped me do a needs analysis, discuss what I need to do, what I should continue, what the core values of our work are, how to raise funds, training kids, asking for mentors, getting parents involved, collaboration, timelines, and how to implement strategies to organise and be consistent and sustainable.”
Uhambo gave her, in her words, “the structure to sustain this work.” The regular meetings, workshops, advice, equipping and connection with others in the cohort, have helped Anelisa develop a sustainable and life-giving ministry despite the challenges. It also helped her turn her intention into transformative action.
Her hope for young people has only strengthened and grown, despite the tough journey.
“My hope for these young people is to have spiritual and emotional support, to have enough safe faith-based spaces where they can talk together, and share, get outdoors into new spaces through camp, learn to work together …”
What gives Anelisa hope?
“It is the fact that I have Christ – God’s unchanging character, power, the promise that faithful service bears fruitful work.” And people who walk alongside her, even as she walks alongside these precious young people.