Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 06:42 pm
SOS Africa, a UK-based grassroots education charity, have launched a Primary School Classroom Fundraising Appeal in partnership with Grabouw High School. The appeal will fund the introduction of multi-lingual Reception Level teaching for the first time, providing pre-primary phase education to an additional 60 children each year.
The charity first partnered with Grabouw Primary and High Schools in 2013 and opened an education centre on campus to provide learning support and holistic education to sponsored children. They have since funded other educational projects, such as additional counselling support for students during COVID-19 and a Primary School computer lab.
Herholdt B, Grabouw High School Principal, commented on the benefits of the project: “Providing Reception Level education enables children to join the school system at a younger age, learn, socialise and grow in confidence before officially starting their primary school years. This extra year of support can provide children with a solid educational foundation, vital to their development.”
The initiative will also benefit disadvantaged communities on the outskirts of Western Cape Town by introducing English language teaching to pupils from the age of 6, making the school accessible to children from a wide range of cultural heritages. Once operational, the classrooms will host 8 SOS Africa sponsored children, many of whom speak Xhosa as a first language.
Charlie Hare, SOS Africa Western Cape Chair of Trustees, said: “SOS Africa believes that every child should have the right to a quality education and making education accessible to all cultures and ethnic groups is a big priority for our organisation. We are delighted to be part of this exciting new initiative which will break down language barriers which often hamper accessibly to education for all.”
The new classrooms will facilitate Grade R learning during the mornings and be available to SOS Africa in the afternoons, enabling the organisation to significantly expand its child sponsorship scheme. The charity is now calling on their supporters and fundraisers from across the globe to help raise £40,000, enough to fund the purchase of 2 new Grade R classrooms ready for opening in January 2024.
In September, hundreds of fundraisers will abseil from King Alfred’s Tower, a 160ft monument in the South-West of England, to raise funds for the appeal. For more information about how to contribute, please visit: Primary School Classroom Fundraising Appeal (biggive.org) or King Alfred’s Tower Charity Abseil Fundraising Event (sosafrica.com).
SOS Africa have thanked their supporters and look forward to keeping them updated throughout the fundraising process.
