By Ayesha Ismail | Let’s Talk
Finetown is not the kind of place where students expected private education.
It is a community south of Johannesburg where families stretch what little they have, where quality education is often a privilege, and where many children enter school carrying the weight of poverty before they can even spell their own names.
But tucked between its dusty roads and crowded yards stands something unusual, a school that looks, feels, and functions like schools in the northern suburbs.
Aman School of Excellence, run by Africa Muslims Agency (AMA), brings a private-school standard of education to a community that was never exposed to it.
Cii Radio has covered AMA’s work for years, from water wells to disaster relief, and this school represents something deeply human: a chance for a child’s story to change.
And few people witness these transformations more closely than Ms. Phumzile Dlamini, one of the school’s teachers.
“We prioritise creating a safe and welcoming space.”— Ms Phumzile Dlamini
When Ms Dlamini speaks about her students, she doesn’t talk about marks first.
She talks about belonging.
“At school, we prioritize creating a safe and welcoming space for our learners,” she told Cii’s Ayesha Ismail during an interview on Let’s Talk. “Our teachers strive to build a strong relationship with each student, understanding their unique needs and their unique backgrounds.”
This is not an ordinary school.
This is a school built specifically for children who were being left behind by a system that could not keep up.
UNICEF warns that in South Africa, “the quality of early learning and development programmes remains a challenge… especially in poor communities.”
Aman School was created as a direct response to that crisis, to offer qualified teachers, a safe learning environment, and a robust programme that includes:
* Coding & Robotics
* STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
* Sports & Physical Education
* A library
* A computer lab
* And a full spread of Islamic Studies: Qur’an, Aqaaid, Fiqh, Islamic History, Hifz, and Akhlaaq
This year, 197 learners call Aman their home.
Next year, they grow to 250.
But numbers alone don’t tell the story.
The Girl Who Once Hid at the Back of the Class
Every teacher has one student they silently pray for.
For Ms Dlamini, it was a little girl whose name we withhold for privacy, a child who entered the year far behind her peers, struggling to read, too shy to raise her hand, too unsure to believe she was capable.
“One student that stands out,” Ms Dlamini said, “struggled with her literacy at the beginning of the year… Through targeted support and individualized attention, she has made tremendous progress — not only in reading, but also in her confidence and her self-esteem.”
She pauses.
“It’s been inspiring to see her take ownership of her learning and become an active participant in class.”
In Finetown, a place where confidence can be stolen long before childhood ends, that transformation is nothing short of extraordinary.
“Teaching here is incredibly rewarding.” — Ms Phumzile Dlamini
Ms Dlamini describes her work with a mixture of pride and quiet determination.
“Teaching at AMA’s Aman School is incredibly rewarding,” she says. “I’m constantly inspired by the resilience and determination of our learners who, despite facing numerous challenges, remain committed to their education.”
She speaks about community.
She speaks about companionship.
She speaks about purpose.
“As a teacher, being part of a team that values innovation, creativity and collaboration makes every day fulfilling and enjoyable.”
Aman School Offers What Many Government Schools Cannot
Finetown and its surroundings have several government schools, but the question of quality looms large across South Africa.
Many learners lack libraries.
Many lack qualified teachers.
Many walk into classrooms, even at “privileged” schools, where hope feels absent.
Aman School was built to be the opposite.
A school where a child from one of Johannesburg’s poorest communities can touch a computer for the first time, build a robot, memorise Qur’an, and speak with confidence,all before reaching high school.
A school where dignity becomes a subject on its own.
A school where Islamic values drive excellence.
“If you’d like to sponsor a student…”
When asked how people can help, Ms Dlamini’s voice softens.
“For listeners interested in sponsoring students, we have a sponsorship program in place,” she explains. “We offer regular updates and feedback on the sponsored student’s progress, ensuring transparency and accountability.”
In a community like Finetown, a sponsorship does more than pay a fee.
It pays forward for the next generation of South Africa’s leaders.
It pays for safety.
It pays for dreams that were never allowed to exist under the dark days of Apartheid.
Listeners can sponsor a child or contribute to the school fund via:
🌐 [www.africamuslimsagency.co.za](http://www.africamuslimsagency.co.za)
📞 011 852 2142
📱 AMA social media platforms
A Partnership Rooted in Years of Service
Cii Radio has walked alongside Africa Muslims Agency for many years — covering their schools, wells, refugee work, hardship relief, and community rebuilding efforts.
Every time, the story is the same:
Where people are forgotten, AMA remembers them.
Where hope is fading, AMA restores it.
Where poverty cripples futures, AMA builds new ones.
Aman School of Excellence is one of those futures.
The Last Word
As the interview ended, Ayesha Ismail offered a line that summed up the entire conversation:
“You have a lovely day going forward and keep up the excellent work.”
It wasn’t just polite radio etiquette.
It was a recognition of something profound:
In a place where children grow up fighting challenges they did not choose, teachers like Ms Dlamini, and sponsors like yourself are choosing them back.
And that, more than anything, is what makes this school extraordinary, Alhamdulillah.
