Contact Details
Name : Mbali Zwane
Company : Shanduka
Phone :011 259 4139
Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
URL : www.shanduka.co.za
Friday 20 March will see the launch of an innovative programme to provide a massive boost to education in the rural village of Bodibe in the North West Province. Over five years, R25 million will be spent on schools in the village.
This project was made possible through the BBBEE transaction in 2007 where *Sinako and Lafarge agreed to allocate 70% of the shareholding in Sinako to two trusts (the Lafarge Education and the Lafarge Community Trusts) and for staff through an ESOP. 60% will flow to the communities adjacent to Lafarge operations to improve education outcomes. There will also be a focus on learners with visual impairments.
The launch will take the shape of a community soccer tournament involving an equal number of girls and boys teams.
Cheryl Carolus, Chairperson of the Lafarge Education Trust says, “We are all very excited. It is the outcome of 18 months of stakeholder engagement that has brought us to the point where we all share a common vision that will give the children of Bodibe a chance to build a different future for themselves, their families and their community. We feel proud of this innovative approach to broad based empowerment and transformation.”
She adds, “This shows what can be achieved if large companies, together with their new BEE partners apply their minds and commit to fixing their own backyards. If all businesses do this, we will begin to eat the massive elephant of poverty and underdevelopment in bite sized chunks.”
The Bodibe project is a whole school development programme which mobilizes four sets of stakeholders namely the private sector (being the Lafarge Education Trust), NGOs (led by Adopt-a-School Foundation), the North West provincial government with assistance from local government, the Bodibe community including the royal household, the tribal council, educators, parents and learners.
Lafarge Education Trust has tasked the Adopt-a-School Foundation to work with the 11 schools in Bodibe village to create an environment that is conducive for teaching and learning. This project will focus on infrastructure development, teacher skills upgrading, school nutrition and increased participation in and renewal of interest in sports.
Upcoming milestones include the soccer tournament on 20 March 2009. This tournament has been organized through a partnership between Lafarge Education Trust, Adopt-a-School Foundation and the Dreamfields project.
Dreamfields uses soccer as a force for change in rural areas and townships around South Africa. The tournament will be attended by leadership figures in the local community, the Lafarge Company and Trust, North West provincial and local government, Adopt-a-School Foundation and Dreamfields.
On 6 April work will start with the laying of the first bricks for the renovations at the 11 schools. Preference will be given to local suppliers, local skills and labour. More than 120 much needed jobs will be created in the village in the five years of the programme. The SETA’s and Public Works Programme will be harnessed to add further value and sustainability in the community.
The first phase of the computer training for the 11 school principals, administration clerks and heads of the departments will also begin in April.
“Through the training we wish to inform and excite school management about how computers can be used to make administration more effective and improve teaching and learning,” said Banyana Mohajane, member of the project team who herself was a deputy school principal before taking on the position of Community Co-ordinator for the Adopt-a-School Foundation.
Adopt-a-School is a section 21 company that was founded in 2002 by Cyril Ramaphosa and other concerned South Africans. The organisation’s vision is to be instrumental in the improvement of education infrastructure in order to create equal access to learning opportunities for all South African children.
Since its inception the Adopt-a-School Foundation has assisted 60 schools in 7 provinces.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the Chairperson of Adopt-a-School said “This project has scale, depth and breadth. We are really looking forward to supporting the role players to make this project a good model of innovation in education”.
John Perlman, the founder of The Dreamfields project said, “We are very excited about this partnership because the Lafarge Education Trust and Adopt-a-School are embarking on something much bigger than soccer. They place, over time, to transform the schools in Bodibe into centres of excellence and education and we are delighted that soccer and Dreamfields can contribute to this.”
“We have spent the last few weeks training officials, volunteers and local service providers to make the tournament on 20 March a massive success,” he added. “The revival of sport in general and soccer in particular can build important life skills for young people. And it is also a lot fun!”
DBSA has helped shape the educational model and provided expertise by seconding their education specialist, Graeme Bloch, to serve on the Trust.
This project was made possible through the BBBEE transaction in 2007 where *Sinako and Lafarge agreed to allocate 70% of the shareholding in Sinako to two trusts (the Lafarge Education and the Lafarge Community Trusts) and for staff through an ESOP. 60% will flow to the communities adjacent to Lafarge operations to improve education outcomes. There will also be a focus on learners with visual impairments.
The launch will take the shape of a community soccer tournament involving an equal number of girls and boys teams.
Cheryl Carolus, Chairperson of the Lafarge Education Trust says, “We are all very excited. It is the outcome of 18 months of stakeholder engagement that has brought us to the point where we all share a common vision that will give the children of Bodibe a chance to build a different future for themselves, their families and their community. We feel proud of this innovative approach to broad based empowerment and transformation.”
She adds, “This shows what can be achieved if large companies, together with their new BEE partners apply their minds and commit to fixing their own backyards. If all businesses do this, we will begin to eat the massive elephant of poverty and underdevelopment in bite sized chunks.”
The Bodibe project is a whole school development programme which mobilizes four sets of stakeholders namely the private sector (being the Lafarge Education Trust), NGOs (led by Adopt-a-School Foundation), the North West provincial government with assistance from local government, the Bodibe community including the royal household, the tribal council, educators, parents and learners.
Lafarge Education Trust has tasked the Adopt-a-School Foundation to work with the 11 schools in Bodibe village to create an environment that is conducive for teaching and learning. This project will focus on infrastructure development, teacher skills upgrading, school nutrition and increased participation in and renewal of interest in sports.
Upcoming milestones include the soccer tournament on 20 March 2009. This tournament has been organized through a partnership between Lafarge Education Trust, Adopt-a-School Foundation and the Dreamfields project.
Dreamfields uses soccer as a force for change in rural areas and townships around South Africa. The tournament will be attended by leadership figures in the local community, the Lafarge Company and Trust, North West provincial and local government, Adopt-a-School Foundation and Dreamfields.
On 6 April work will start with the laying of the first bricks for the renovations at the 11 schools. Preference will be given to local suppliers, local skills and labour. More than 120 much needed jobs will be created in the village in the five years of the programme. The SETA’s and Public Works Programme will be harnessed to add further value and sustainability in the community.
The first phase of the computer training for the 11 school principals, administration clerks and heads of the departments will also begin in April.
“Through the training we wish to inform and excite school management about how computers can be used to make administration more effective and improve teaching and learning,” said Banyana Mohajane, member of the project team who herself was a deputy school principal before taking on the position of Community Co-ordinator for the Adopt-a-School Foundation.
Adopt-a-School is a section 21 company that was founded in 2002 by Cyril Ramaphosa and other concerned South Africans. The organisation’s vision is to be instrumental in the improvement of education infrastructure in order to create equal access to learning opportunities for all South African children.
Since its inception the Adopt-a-School Foundation has assisted 60 schools in 7 provinces.
Cyril Ramaphosa, the Chairperson of Adopt-a-School said “This project has scale, depth and breadth. We are really looking forward to supporting the role players to make this project a good model of innovation in education”.
John Perlman, the founder of The Dreamfields project said, “We are very excited about this partnership because the Lafarge Education Trust and Adopt-a-School are embarking on something much bigger than soccer. They place, over time, to transform the schools in Bodibe into centres of excellence and education and we are delighted that soccer and Dreamfields can contribute to this.”
“We have spent the last few weeks training officials, volunteers and local service providers to make the tournament on 20 March a massive success,” he added. “The revival of sport in general and soccer in particular can build important life skills for young people. And it is also a lot fun!”
DBSA has helped shape the educational model and provided expertise by seconding their education specialist, Graeme Bloch, to serve on the Trust.
*Sinako is a consortium that consists of
- Peotona Group Holdings
- Motjoli Resources
- Lafarge Education Trust
- Lafarge Community Trust
For more information contact
Mbali Zwane
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
011 259 4139
PA to Cheryl Carolus
Read more http://www.mediaweb.co.za/journalist/mnews_j_.asp?id=3639
