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"The
power of education is seen first on an individual level –
but there is a ripple effect throughout the community."
(Anonymous)
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Education enables people to break out of the poverty trap and enhance the quality of life for themselves and their community. We build preschools and classrooms, develop bursary programmes, teach environmental awareness and build capacity in our communities, conduct vocational training and facilitate adult education programmes.
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School Support Programme
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 thirteen years. The programme consists of infrastructure assistance by way of construction of classrooms, equipment, ablutions, crèches, administration rooms, media centres, fencing, vegetable gardens and other school support programmes, such as career guidance courses for secondary school students and Conservation Lessons. The far-reaching benefits of infrastructure assistance are the following:
- The school becomes 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 facilitates 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, Phinda, 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
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"Once we were made aware of the work of CC Africa and 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, Guest - Phinda Private Game Reserve
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Community Leaders Education Fund
– ‘Scholarships for Natural Leaders’
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Launched in 1995, the CLEF scholarship programme offers partial funding to students from rural communities bordering conservation areas where Africa Foundation works. The broad objective of the 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 175 students, and total funding granted amounts to over R2,7 million.
Nyiko Nxumalo is a student from the Huntington community, on the outskirts of CC Africa’s 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: (excerpt from the original report)
“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."
Read
more...
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"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, “Steering by the Stars: Being Young in South Africa”
(Cape Town: Tafelberg Publishers, 2002, p.12)
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Conservation Lessons – Rural Students
Meet Their Wild Neighbours!
 Africa
Foundation and CC Africa 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 CC Africa rangers and trackers
at CC Africa lodges and include game-drives, environmental talks
and activities centred on various conservation issues. To date,
over 6,000 students have experienced Conservation Lessons through
CC Africa’s
camps and lodges.
For CC Africa, the Conservation Lessons are one small way in which
to involve its closest communities in the conservation effort of the
area. The programme creates an awareness, at an early age, of the
importance of natural resources and how to use them sustainably.
The current theme for Conservation Lessons is biodiversity. Biodiversity
underpins CC Africa’s conservation ethic.
 WILDCHILD
BRACELETS
WildChild Bracelets have hit the shelves of CC Africa's Safari Shops
at all Lodges and Camps.
For a mere R60 or USD10 each, the purchase of these bracelets will afford an
extra child from our neighbouring communities the experience of a Conservation
Lesson on one of CC Africa's Reserves.
Click
Here to find out more...
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