Education Access Project
Since its inception in 2003, under the auspices of the Solon Foundation, the Education Access Project (E A P) has focused on enabling orphans and vulnerable children to continue their education and remain healthy so as to live a life of dignity and become self-supporting and productive citizens. The goal of the project is to provide resources to poor schools to assist learners identified and selected by the school with the everyday costs of education, including a daily meal, uniforms, transport, stationery, outings and fees.
Out of 93 Catholic independent schools, 40 participated in the project in 2007 supported by the Solon Foundation with 592 learners and the Rich Foundation who joined the E A P to support a further 6 schools with 95 learners benefiting in 2007. The Rich Foundation’s contribution has been increased in 2008 to include a further 2 schools which draw the majority of their learners from disadvantaged townships and informal settlements.
Problem solving and administrative support is an ongoing part of the E A P activities whether by phone, letter and/or visit. Progress reports indicate that the E A P learners are doing well across the board. In 2007 the overall pass rate across all grades was between 84% to 90% with a matric pass rate of 76% for the E A P beneficiaries, well above the 65.2% national pass rate.
Reports from the schools indicate significant improvements in the learners’ academic performance as well as their psychosocial development with comments about their increased participation in school activities and the leadership roles they have taken on. The acceptance by peers resulting from the reduced marginalization that the learners experience would appear to contribute markedly to their all round development and self confidence.
The following are some of the comments from schools on learners’ progress: Learner A has improved a lot, not only academically, but even his behaviour and appearance has changed – He was a shy, quiet child, but is now friendly and sociable.
Learner B used to be sleepy, have chapped lips and wore a tattered uniform and his school performance was poor. Suddenly, his performance improved markedly and his work became excellent.
Learner C was very reserved, and had no uniform, lunch box or books. With these deficiencies rectified, he has gained confidence and participates in all learning and sporting activities.
Learner D was always quiet, had dry lips and came to school with an empty stomach. She was often absent as she had not money for transport and her homework was not done. With the E A P assistance she has changed remarkably – she comes to school happy, confident and proud with her nice clean uniform. Her performance has also improved a lot as shown on the continuous assessment that is used.
Pastoral Care Access Project and PEPFAR
The Pastoral Care Access Project aims to assist orphaned and vulnerable children to remain in school and to complete their basic education. In addition to making provision for their material needs to access schooling, the purpose of this project is to enhance and increase the level of care in schools so that children feel cared for and protected. The project serves 15 public schools on private property in the North West province, including two early learning centres. 13 of these schools are situated in rural areas and serve poor communities where there are high rates of unemployment and HIV/AIDS presents a challenge.
After an evaluation of the project held in April 2007, priorities were re-evaluated and new areas of work were identified for 2008. In order to make the project sustainable once funding is withdrawn the fifteen schools have been clustered into six groups in order to create Caring Schools, where the needs of orphans and vulnerable children can be given a high priority. The aim is to provide a safety net for orphans and vulnerable children in their community by accessing available resources in a collaborative way and delivering on the needs of the children in their communities. Three Caring Schools project was piloted in the Free State in 2006 and this concept has been introduced to four schools in the Limpopo province and 15 schools in the North West province during 2008.
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) grant for orphans and vulnerable children is in its second year of implementation (2008) and is made possible by the partnership with the SACBC AIDS Office. This grant makes funding available for children to access schooling and focuses on prevention education regarding HIV and AIDS in 17 schools in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Free State.
