SOS Africa’s Grabouw Education Programme was established by The SOS Africa Western Cape Trust in September 2013 in partnership with Grabouw Primary and High Schools to fund the education and care of disadvantaged children from the Pineview and Snake Park township communities.
SOS Africa Grabouw was the charity’s first education project in the Western Cape and thanks to the invaluable support of sponsors around the world, it has grown to provide holistic education to 24 learners and facilitates reading programmes for up to 60 children with learning difficulties.
Pineview and Snake Park Background
The children sponsored by SOS Africa’s Grabouw Education Programme live either in Pineview and Snake Park Townships. There are an estimated 60,000 people living in these communities and work is usually seasonal as most employment is found on the surrounding fruit farms. A significant challenge in the area is the high seasonality and the resultant poverty-related issues that this presents. During the fruit picking season, there is a shortage of labour but for the remaining 8 months of the year, unemployment is extremely high. The impact of this financial hardship on the community is substantial.
The issues stemming from this seasonal employment severely impacts upon the mental and physical health of these communities; where the off-season results in an increase in domestic and community violence as well as child abuse and other such issues, during “the season” children generally return to empty homes without any parental support and are at their most vulnerable.
SOS Africa Grabouw Education Programme
In January 2014 SOS Africa teamed up with a local organisation which had established a number of pre-primary nurseries throughout the Pineview Community focusing on preparing children for school. With their help, SOS Africa identified a number of children from disadvantaged families who had the potential to thrive academically with the correct support and resources.
The SOS Africa Sponsorship Programme enables these children attend Grabouw Primary and High School where they have the opportunity to reach their full potential. These particular schools provide a high standard of education and offer a positive and caring environment for all scholars.
In Grabouw, many children have nowhere to go to when school finishes at lunchtime; this is a dangerous time when children are at their most vulnerable in the townships. The SOS Africa children therefore attend the charity’s “Dudley Rotary Education Centre” each afternoon where they receive a nutritious lunch, extra tuition, homework assistance and mentor support. Most importantly it provides them with a safe and friendly environment within which they can learn and grow.
In addition, SOS Africa’s Grabouw Aftercare Programme also provides extra-curricular activities including sports, music lessons, outings and their favourite activity, gardening. SOS Africa also arranges regular outings to help broaden the horizons and interests of our sponsored children.
Over the past 10 years our dedicated staff have supported the charity’s sponsored children through a personal and holistic education process, tailored to their needs. In January 2018, SOS Africa’s oldest child graduated from Grabouw Primary School and began a welding course at Westcliffe School of Schools. In 2022 he was offered an internship at TFD Manufacturing who subsequently offered him a full-time role in May 2023.
In 2022 SOS Africa’s Elvino was noticed by a rugby scout during a regional tournament and offered a scholarship to Drostdy Technical College in Worcester. Elvino thrived there and was soon scouted by rugby scouts from Durban High and offered a full scholarship by the Sharks feeder school in early 2024 with his sights still firmly set on playing for the Springboks.
SOS Africa’s Grabouw Education Programme continues to make a significant impact upon the lives of growing numbers of disadvantaged children from the Grabouw region. After a 100% pass rate in 2023 and more students set to graduate in 2024, SOS Africa is looking to expand the support it provides the school and surrounding community in the near future. *Watch this space…*
Find out about SOS Africa’s other Education Programmes…
