Education
“When I first heard about this programme, I did not take it seriously. So many people come and promise us many things and you never see them again. But after I attended the first and second workshops on Leadership and Management, I gained a lot. I learned that for any successful organisation, there should be sound managers who are accountable, responsible and practice what they preach.”
– Princess Ndongeni, Head Teacher, Elliotdale Village School
“The Training Camps have improved my management abilities and my relations with teachers, students and the community. I must thank the programme particularly for supplying water tanks for rainwater harvesting. Thanks to the water tanks, we have our own vegetable garden which supports the children’s nutrition.”
– Linda Ngxishe, Head Teacher, Geya Junior School
What our schools team does
Our team engages embattled head teachers and teachers in partnerships to identify the unique challenges facing each school, and to come up with local-led solutions.
Weekend-long training courses for teachers are offered, covering skills from curriculum development to managing school budgets. For many teachers, this provides vital in-service training and an opportunity to share learning experiences and newly-gained skills with distant colleagues.
Our teams raise awareness of the rights of children and child protection issues, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Working with local education officials and schools, our team helps teachers to access local support and expertise which assists in developing and building important local alliances.
We integrate our education and health programmes by bringing our health teams into schools to facilitate HIV awareness and also to identify children who may be in need of broader support.
Our education programme is integrated with our Orphans and Vulnerable Children programme which identifies children who have lost one or both parents to an AIDS related illness, or who are at risk of losing a parent. Recognising that their education depends on a broader approach to their needs, our OVC workers help them to obtain social care grants, and foster placements, as well as looking to their health and therapeutic needs. These children benefit from stimulating play at OVC clinics, as well as help with their schoolwork from our team. The majority of the children on our OVC programme pass their exams, despite the challenges they face at home.
Our first priority is to invest in local teachers, but we are also helping schools with basic facilities such water tanks for rain-water harvesting. Pictured at left are new water tanks installed at Geya School.
Working in partnership with teachers and education officials, our teams are designing a “development plan” to take an integrated approach to the particular challenges facing each school.