Who we support

Zakhele Primary School

It was an unplanned surprise visit to the 600-pupil Zakhele School in 1997 that first alerted us to the needs of schools in the former black townships in South Africa. At that time the school had no funding, no bank account, no telephone, no books or resources, huge classes, broken down toilets, and only one tap. Despite the difficulties, it had (and still has) a staff committed to providing for the children at the school.

In the intervening ten years, the Trust has, with its partners, enabled the school to become better equipped with books and learning materials. There is now a small library in a room which has been refurbished for the purpose and there are books in the classrooms. The Trust provided computer facilities kindly donated by RM Plc. and a range of software donated by a number of educational software companies in the UK. Funding from the Trust enabled a room to be made secure to house the new computers. Following the installation of a telephone, email links were established with some UK schools. To help the school make progress with unfamiliar technology, the Trust funded a teacher from the UK to work in the school for a month.

The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) helped us to establish a science room. A derelict room was refurbished with new furniture, science equipment and a whiteboard; the Trust funded a data projector and enabled another teacher from the UK to work in a support role to get science teaching under way..

We transformed this.......................................................to this!

We have part-funded experienced primary teachers from a Hampshire school to work during their summer holidays at Zakhele School where they have supported literacy, mathematics and ICT teaching.

Many of the children at Zakhele live in extreme poverty in the squatter camps. Many are eligible for the government’s feeding scheme which provides some food in the school at lunchtime. The Trust recently bought a new cooker for the school. For many children this may be the only food they get each day.

We continue to support Zakhele school, mainly by helping them purchase more books to enrich pupils’ learning and to help them to learn to read.

Meetse A Bophelo Primary School

Meetse A Bophelo School is a huge primary school of over 2,500 pupils most of whom live in the surrounding squatter camps. The school was set up by parents in 1994 following the arrival of Freedom and has been subsequently taken over by the local education authority. It is housed in converted cargo containers which are in a very poor state of repair. Many of them are dilapidated and falling apart, and all of them are extremely hot in summer. Some of the classes have over 60 pupils which makes the situation even worse.

Just like Zakhele School, there are very few books and learning resources in the school. Teachers have to teach their subjects without the proper teaching equipment and without suitable resources for the pupils.

All the pupils are eligible for the government feeding scheme and so the school has to prepare 2,500 meals every day. Gas to heat the food is provided, but this is always insufficient for the numbers to be catered for. As a result, the Trust has assisted the school to purchase additional gas so that no child goes hungry.

The Trust has provided funds for books and resources. In the summer of 2006, an advisory teacher from the UK worked in the school helping specifically with the teaching of reading. She helped the school convert an old tin shack into a ‘library’ where the children could share what few books they have. The children loved using the library shack, but it was far too small and, being made of corrugated iron, it became unbearably hot in the summer. It also let in the rain – hardly ideal for a library! So the Trust has undertaken a major project to build a permanent library and to stock it with books.

Sikhanyisele Primary School

Sikhanyisele Primary School serves a mixed community in Mamelodi which includes large sections of squatter camps. It has around 600 pupils and needs similar to those in Zakhele School. All learning resources are in short supply and the teachers are often frustrated by the lack of sufficient resources to support effective teaching. The Trust has so far provided three tranches of funds for books and resources.

Tshegofatsong Special School

Tshegofatsong Special School provides education for children with severe learning difficulties and is the only special school in Mamelodi. As well as providing education for pupils of school age, it also runs a special unit for young adults teaching them basic skills and simple trades such as baking, sewing and brick-making which might enable them to find work. Children come to the school from all over Mamelodi and many travel long distances to get to school. The Trust has provided funding for new playground equipment and funding to replace worn out classroom furniture.