On 2.6.2023, the author Lutz van Dijk gave the 8th graders a detailed impression of life in the township Masiphumelele near Cape Town. This is the topic of his novel "Themba", about which the pupils had talked in the subject German.
In his novel, he tells the story of a boy who becomes infected with HIV and is left to fend for himself after his mother contracts AIDS. As in all his novels, Lutz van Dijk based his work on real life stories that he got to know through his work in Masiphumelele.
Together with his husband, Lutz van Dijk founded "Hokisa" in 2001, a home for children infected with HIV who need support. In his exciting lecture about his work in "Hokisa" and as a writer, Lutz van Dijk gave the students a comprehensive insight into the causes and problems of the South African townships and answered the many questions that arose for the students at the end.
Lutz van Dijk had already given a lecture on the background of his novel "Kampala-Hamburg" to the 10th grade students in January.