Risuna’s story, summarised:

Risuna has always been a confident, curious, and thoughtful child. However, when his school marks failed to reflect his true abilities, learning became a source of frustration, and he slowly began to doubt himself. With support from Edublox, Risuna made remarkable academic progress and rediscovered his love of learning. He now reads confidently, asks insightful questions, embraces new opportunities, and even achieved second place in his school’s English public speaking competition. Most importantly, his confidence has returned, allowing his bright personality, curious mind, and natural kindness to shine once again.

Watch Risuna speak in the video at the bottom of this page!

The unedited version:

Risuna’s mom, Hlulani Ndindani, wrote:

Before Edublox, watching my son, Risuna, affectionately known as Susu, struggle at school was one of the most heartbreaking experiences of my life as a mother.

Susu has always been a confident, curious, and exceptionally thoughtful little boy. He is the kind of child who brightens every room he walks into. People can have a conversation with him and walk away amused, amazed, and sometimes completely speechless. He often jokes that he feels like an old soul trapped in a little boy’s body, and honestly, that is the perfect description of him.

His reasoning and the way he sees the world has always amazed me, but his school marks were not reflecting the child I knew. He would sometimes cry when he could not understand a concept, and slowly, I watched his struggles at school dim the spark that had always made him shine.

It was heartbreaking to watch a child who had always been so confident begin to doubt himself. I knew my boy was capable of so much more, and I had to find a way to help him.

That was when we turned to Edublox, hoping to give him the support he needed. After struggling during his first two school terms, he went on to do exceptionally well in the third term. This was more than an improvement in his marks. It was the beginning of a journey towards rediscovering his confidence and allowing his abilities to shine.

I remember giving him R20 pocket money when his school held a book sale. Instead of spending it on sweets or treats, he chose to buy a book. Even during difficult times, his love of learning was still there.

As his progress continued, I began noticing those beautiful little moments that reminded me of the boy I had always known. I remember when he asked the woman at his school’s tuck shop why they charged such high prices for the things they sold, considering that their customers were children. She and I looked at each other, completely speechless!

That was Susu: always thinking, questioning, and looking at the world from a perspective that many adults would never consider.

During a holiday, after he had started doing well at school, we went to a place where he noticed a chef, read his name tag, and said, “Hey, Thomas, thank you for the nice food. Compliments to the chef!”

The chef was so touched that he gathered his entire team around Susu and explained that no one had ever shown him gratitude quite like that. He was amazed that such a young boy had taken the time to read his name tag and acknowledge him personally. When he asked how old Susu was and I told him that he was seven, turning eight, he was genuinely shocked.

We experienced similar moments at restaurants, play areas, and swimming pools, where Susu would confidently read the rules aloud, including words such as “utensils”, “consequences”, and “necessities”. I would watch him in amazement, feeling both proud and emotional.

This was the same little boy whose school struggles had once left him in tears because he could not understand certain concepts. Seeing him confidently read, engage with people, and express himself reminded me just how much potential he had always carried.

Susu also entered his school’s English public speaking competition for the first time and achieved second place! Watching him take that step and perform so well was another incredibly proud moment for me. It showed me that he was not only making academic progress but also finding the courage to embrace new opportunities.

Today, one of the greatest blessings has been seeing his confidence return. His kind, gentle personality is shining through again. He is interacting with people more freely, asking questions when he needs to understand something, and allowing his natural curiosity to lead him.

I feel as though I am getting my Susu back, and no academic achievement could ever fully describe what that means to me as his mother.

My advice to other parents is this: Please do not allow your child’s school marks to define their intelligence or potential. Look beyond the report card, listen to your child, and never stop advocating for them. Sometimes, children need the right support to bridge the gap between what they know and what they can demonstrate at school.

Edublox has been an important part of our journey, and I am grateful that we took that step. My greatest wish was never simply for Susu to achieve better marks. It was for him to believe in himself again, to stop feeling defeated when learning became difficult, and to let his beautiful personality shine without the weight of thinking that he was not good enough.

My Susu, you were never less intelligent than the world needed you to be. You simply needed the right support to let your light shine again. Watching your confidence return, your kindness shine, and your mind amaze the people around you has been one of the greatest gifts this journey has given me.

I am, and will always be, incredibly proud to be your mother.