Join hands to support the village of Rooiboklaagte
Education
One of the worst legacies of the apartheid system is the degradation of the rural schools, and the situation in Rooiboklaagte is no exception. It takes a top-notch student to go through the local schools and pass the national exam to get a diploma. Built in 1948, the grade school desperately needs to be replaced. The crèche (nursery school) is below standard and thus ineligible for government lunch program funding.
Donations make a difference.
- The Butler Creek Primary School, Portland, Oregon, held a penny drive and raised $3,000 for their sister school in Rooiboklaagte. The funds were used to paint the local school inside and out.
- Generous donations have sent Eulender Mbetsi to the best school in the area, Southern Cross, where she is thriving. Another donor supports two young children to attend school in Acornhoek, where instruction is in English.
- A visitor from England learned that the elementary school children had no way to wash their hands or lunch dishes---with a cholera epidemic downriver. Returning to her “five star” lodge, she raised enough money to dig a borehole. This well now provides water for the school and for the gardeners to water their vegetable garden.
Wish list
- Contribute a scholarship for one of the promising young learners from the village to attend school where instruction is in English, rather than the local African language (an advantage outside the tribal areas). The cost for transportation and tuition is $600 for one year.
- Support the community reading room with books and shelving; early reader books in English can be purchased locally. Currently, a resource room nearby the Mapusha studio serves as a meeting place for the Tiyiselani women and a reading room for children; future services will include English classes, for anyone from the community who is interested, and business classes for local entrepreneurs who are eager to learn essential new skills
Read about supporting the village of Rooiboklaagte through economic empowerment and food sustainability.
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