Cape Town - Learners at the Athlone School for the Blind in Bellville South are expressing their creativity through the age-old artform of origami.
Within a matter of seconds, or a few short minutes, the pupils are able to create intricate two and three-dimensional objects, with their hands and a simple piece of paper.
The pupils are gently guided by their teacher, Asemahle Mbijana, as they fold varying objects such as cranes, butterflies, ninja stars, pencils, and cups.
Learners attending the school include children who are completely blind and partially sighted from Grade R to Grade 12. The school also has an SID (Severely Intellectually Disabled) Department and aims to establish a School of Skills for the visually impaired.
The children from Grades 4 to 7 shared that they felt happy, relaxed and soothed while paper folding.
Deputy principal, Gail Williams, proudly shared that pupils were given an opportunity to teach others origami on World Origami Day at Fish Hoek Library last year.
Origami instructors Mbijana and Siyasanga Pike, were introduced to origami by a guest at their primary school, Kyoko Kimura Morgan in 2011, when they were 9 years old.
Morgan would visit Wesbank No1 Primary School and teach the Grade 4 class every Tuesday after school.
Originally from Japan, Morgan started teaching origami to her children 20 years ago, when they were about 6 or 7 years old. She was then asked to teach their friends and classes at school.
In 2006, a friend and criminologist requested her to teach a class of youth awaiting trial at Pollsmoor
Prison. In 2008, she taught children at Soetwater Camp, displaced during xenophobic violence. After this, Morgan established the “Origami for Africa” organisation.
“I believe all our lives can transform in that way bit by bit just like a piece of paper does through origami,” she said.
Morgan’s former students, Mbijana and Pike, have gone on to teach origami across various communities in Cape Town to adults and children.
Pike, 22, from Delft, is in her final year of study at the University of the Western Cape.
“Origami has taught us so many things. It has opened so many opportunities for us because most of the people are not exposed to origami; they don’t know what origami is about. So the moment you tell someone about origami, they are very interested.”
Mbijana, 21, from Khayelitsha started origami classes at Athlone School for the Blind in 2021, teaching 15 pupils at a time.
“Origami is not just for fun, it also helps you gain self confidence. It helps you to be positive, helps you be able to speak. It’s therapeutic.”