Empowering Through Education

Education enables people to break out of the poverty trap and enhance the quality of life for themselves and their community. We fund and facilitate the building of pre-schools and classrooms, develop bursary programmes, teach environmental awareness and build capacity in our communities, conduct vocational training and facilitate adult education programmes.

Our three key areas of initiative are:

School support for far-flung communities
Scholarships for natural leaders
Teaching young people to treasure their wilderness

School support for far-flung communities

In far-flung rural communities, schools are often overlooked and chronically under-resourced. Africa Foundation has made its School Improvement Programme a priority for the past 16 years. The programme consists of infrastructure assistance:

construction of classrooms
provision of equipment
construction of ablution blocks
construction of crèches
administration rooms
media centres
fencing
and the development of vegetable gardens

and other school support programmes such as;

career guidance courses for secondary school students
conservation lessons.

The far-reaching benefits of the school support programme include:

Schools become eligible for additional teachers (arranged by the Government) as the improvements raise the profile of the school
Classroom over-crowding is reduced
Student-teacher ratios are improved
Overall learning conditions are improved
School attendance and pride increases
An indirect spin-off is job creation, through both the builders involved in construction projects and the employment of additional teachers
Equally important is the strengthening of school governance and parent-teacher interaction. Africa Foundation ensures the process of the project through the school committees and governing bodies, thereby building their capacity and empowering them.
The relationship between the school, community, the conservation partners, donors, and Africa Foundation is cemented, as the request for classrooms is often the most pressing need
At a higher level, the profile and importance of tourism and conservation (and their benefits) is raised

"Once we were made aware of the work of and Beyond and The Africa Foundation in the local community we were very keen to participate, for wherever you live in the world, education is key to the future."

David Clark, Managing Director, Marley Floors UK Donor

Scholarships for Natural Leaders - (CLEF)

Africa Foundation works with the & Beyond Foundation to fund the Community Leaders Education Fund (CLEF). Launched in 1995, the CLEF Scholarship Programme offers partial funding to students from rural communities bordering conservation areas where the & Beyond Foundation operates. The broad objective of the CLEF Programme is to develop natural leadership potential by offering deserving students the opportunity to improve their career opportunities by studying at tertiary level. Students are required to "give back" to their community during their holidays, by conducting an activity that involves and uplifts their community, eg. Career guidance at high schools, community clean-up campaigns, or helping at local clinics.

Students are free to select the institution and the course they would like to study, and are mentored throughout the year by a dedicated Programme Officer. To date the CLEF Programme has sponsored over 230 students, and total funding granted amounts to over R2.7 million.

"The recent Mesebetsi Labour Force Survey shows that those with a tertiary education have a 98% chance of being employed, whereas those with only a secondary school-level education are over-represented amongst the 45% unemployed."

Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Former Chancellor of the University of Cape Town

Putting Something Back

Nyiko Nxumalo is a student from the Huntington community, on the outskirts of Londolozi Private Game Reserve in Mpumalanga province. A young man with a drive and determination beyond his years, Nyiko decided to pursue a career in Law, and is enrolled at the University of Johannesburg. With the help of his mother he managed to put himself through his first year, but approached Africa Foundation to assist with his remaining study years. Nyiko is doing exceptionally well in his studies and is deeply committed to uplifting his community. He has been part of female empowerment workshops in his community, and was involved in the collection and distribution of clothing to impoverished households.

Nyiko's Buyisela Project:

"There are other more serious challenges facing my people than just lack of optimism about the future. I got to find out first hand, during my interaction with the old people in the fields, just how much of a need there is in Huntington for water. The value of water is over-looked by some people in the suburbs who are surrounded by running water, but to the old people, it is something that they would all like to have in abundance. They understand the value of water and they make sure that they put it to good use. Our village is situated in a naturally dry area with very hot weather and little rain. As a result of such a lack of water, my people have been restricted in their means to carve out a living for themselves and their families through farming and ploughing."

Teaching Young People to Treasure Their Wilderness

Africa Foundation and & Beyond lodges sponsor Conservation Lessons for students from neighbouring disadvantaged schools. Amazingly, most local school children have never been into their neighbouring conservation area and have never seen an elephant or a lion.

Over the years, we have learned that this exposure is key to building relationships between rural communities and their natural, wild neighbourhood. Many students report that their lives were changed when they realised what was on the other side of the game fence.

Lessons are conducted by professional & Beyond rangers and trackers and include game-drives, environmental talks and activities centred on various conservation issues. To date, over 7000 students and 500 teachers have experienced Conservation Lessons.