Temu Tools Help Cape Town Teacher Support Children with Special Needs

• A 32-year-old teacher from Cape Town’s Retreat community, Shanawaaz L Essa, shared her experience of using Temu while teaching neurodivergent children at her preschool
• She told Briefly News that the sensory tools she discovered on the platform helped her adapt her classroom for children with special needs
• Her finds on the shopping platform also supported her efforts to expand learning spaces and raise awareness for neurodivergent children in the community

In Cape Town’s Retreat community, 32-year-old teacher Shanawaaz L Essa runs Cloudberry Kids, a preschool that has become a safe and welcoming space for many neurodivergent children. Over time, families from across the neighborhood have come to her looking for a place where children would not be turned away or misunderstood.

Shanawaaz began searching for tools that could help with focus, emotional regulation, and smoother daily routines to support her learners better. Many of the sensory materials were either unavailable locally or priced far beyond what families in her community could afford.

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Things took a positive turn when she discovered Temu, the global e-commerce platform. She said:

“I downloaded the app out of curiosity and was amazed by the range of items available.”

Temu tools help support children with special needs

What Shanawaaz found on Temu reshaped her classroom almost overnight. Within weeks, her learning space expanded to include balance cushions, magnetic tiles, stacking toys, silicone sensory stones, elastic chair bands, Montessori materials and visual communication posters. She said:

“Some Montessori items cost twelve times more locally. There is no comparison.”

The impact on the children was immediate. Some learners focused better on balance cushions. Others calmed down during magnetic-tile play, while sensory stones became grounding tools during transitions. Shanawaaz said:

“It allows me to support each child more individually.”

Shanawaaz's determination to support neurodivergent children is deeply personal, as her younger brother was diagnosed with autism at four. She remembered how differently he was treated at school, causing their mom to fear that he would end up without a school. She said:

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“Even though I was still young, I saw how deeply he struggled. It made me realise I couldn’t look away when other children faced the same challenges.”

Cape Town teacher raises awareness for neurodivergent children

As her preschoolers grew older, she is now converting her family’s garage into Cloudberry Connect, a sensory-friendly classroom designed specifically for neurodivergent children. To keep up with the financially demanding renovation, she raises funds through bake sales, raffles, and rummage sales. Shanawaaz said:

“Most of the structure had to be ripped out completely. There are days I feel overwhelmed, but then someone donates something small or sends a message, and that gives me the strength to continue.”

Temu also helped her raise awareness in the community. During fundraising drives, she handed out autism-awareness stickers purchased on the platform, items she could not find locally. Soon, they appeared on cars, shop doors, and schoolbags across the neighborhood. Shanawaaz said:

“People started asking about them, which naturally opened conversations about autism. It became an unexpected awareness campaign.”

Her vision for Cloudberry Connect is simple: a calm, predictable classroom where neurodivergent children feel understood and valued. When families first walk through its doors, she hopes they feel “relief, safety, and belonging.”

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To parents of neurodivergent children, her message is clear:

“You are not alone. Your child is not ‘too much.' They simply need a space built with their needs in mind—and they deserve that space.”

Other Briefly News stories about Temu

• South Africans were impressed by a woman who started a whole business after finding supplies on Temu.
• A South African mom with a chronically ill child shared how Temu helped her care for her beloved son.
• Temu helped a woman continue running her mother's preschool for kids in a rural area.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News