While many believe the lockdowns’ effect is a thing of the past, this is not what we experiencing day to day in the classrooms. To address this, we have introduced targeted support programs at Harmony Primary school which is predominantly where we operate.
We have two main programs at Harmony Primary:
Morning programs: We take the weaker readers out of class for around 20 minutes and give them one-on-one time with a volunteer who helps them with their reading.
Afternoon programs: The qualified HELP teacher, Christelle Malan, with over thirty years’ experience, sets work sheets for groups of children from different grades in Maths and English. Volunteers assist so that we can give as much attention to the children as possible.
As there was little to no sport at the school we have introduced soccer and have 3 teams U14, U12 and U10s. Kerry-Anne Voster the coach is a Premier League trained coach and ref. She is passionate about the game and encouraging the children to participate.
Neville Sherman, a retired Principal and Inspector, who has taught in many countries teaches drumming, art and drama once a week at Harmony Primary. The children enjoy bashing away at the drums and other instruments and then quieten down with some drawing and painting.
Thomas Wildschutt Senior Primary TWSP
Neville is also teaching twice a week at Thomas Wildschutt Senior Primary where he works through The Hobbit by Tolkien and encourages the children to write, draw and enact certain parts of the book. He also gives them some music and drumming.
HELP is reaching out to all South Africans, locally and abroad, to assist us in achieving our literacy and numeracy goal by donating. The price of educating and feeding one child at HELP equates to R 200.00 per month.
The children come from a diverse cultural background: whether they are from South Africa or refugees from broader Africa, they all have a history which is hard for us to understand and comprehend. Besides their often appalling living conditions and family lives, these children are survivors against all odds.
Drugs, stabbing, rape, TB, AIDS, xenophobic attacks are all part of the daily life around them. Stability, love and support are words that do not form part of their world and the surrounding community – this is what HELP is adamant in providing besides making sure that the children are provided with food. Of course there are many loving and stable parents and elders in the community but the surrounding influences are often devastating. Vulnerable children are often targeted by gang members. For all these reasons it is imperative to keep educating our children.
… are therefore often wary of an adult, in many cases they have little perception of trust and find it difficult to communicate.
BUT most important of all, these children have not necessarily had the luxury of stimulation and encouragement during their four formative years. Very few of them have ever been read bedtime stories, or had a parent who will show/teach them different shapes, colours, numbers which are all essential elements for basic education.
As a result, once these children come to school (7 years old), they often find it hard to adjust to sitting still, having to share an eraser and listen to instructions. The school syllabus presents not only totally new concepts, but the lessons are also given in a foreign language, English. English is often the children’s third or even fourth language.
Since July 2010 when we first started HELP at Capricorn Primary in Vrygrond, HELP has given these children a new chance.
In the sixteen years that we have been operational, we have achieved not only academic results, but a complete turn-around of the HELP children’s results.
The HELP children have far more confidence and are now not afraid to ask questions, to voice their opinions and, generally speaking, have improved in their social skills with regard to their fellow pupils.
Academically it is difficult to put definite percentages on the improvements but it would be fair to say that the children, under our guidance, have achieved between 40-50% increases in their marks. This is due to a vast improvement in their understanding of questions, their firmer grip on the English language and their increased confidence to attempt every question and trust their answers.
HELP’s history highlights:
Address : 11 Oyster Bay, Capricorn, Muizenburg 7945, Western Cape, South Africa
Email : hope@help-eduprogramme.co.za
Contact Number : +27 063 656 9384
