Timbuktu in the Valley

Timbuktu in the Valley is a ‘pop up’ school. Situated in Victoria Yard, in Lorenzville, Johannesburg, it provides a haven for children who do not have easy access to education. The founder, Victoria, is a journalist who created this warm shelter. The seeds of Timbuktu began when a young child approached Victoria and asked her to mend his bike. Instead of fixing the bike herself, Victoria taught the young lad how to do it himself so that he could become self-reliant. The next day a number of other young children arrived for bike-mending lessons. And so began a heart-warming project where people working in Victoria Yard gave of their time to teach children skills that they have, like trumpet playing, stilt walking and cooking. 

During COVID, many students from disadvantaged backgrounds were left in the lurch as they did not have access to computer equipment and the ability to learn remotely. There were also students who had dropped out of school due to difficult circumstances. Into the breach stepped Timbuktu, which provided a haven for these students and began classes for kindergarten and primary students. The school focuses on core teaching subjects like Maths and English.

ABCA visited Timbuktu to donate much needed books and were so impressed by the culture of learning and the dedication of the carers and teachers. We were inspired by the pure joy reflected on the faces of the students when they rifled through the books and then lost themselves in their chosen book.

Posted 2022