State of a nation... addressed!

by Laura Collura, Principal at the School of Hope

We all want to hear some good news about our beloved nation. At the School of Hope we are playing our part in addressing one of the most important issues facing South Africa: education. While we ponder the state of our nation, there are more than 60 young people who have matriculated from the School of Hope since 2008 who would not have finished their schooling otherwise. Young girls who are mothers, boys trapped in gangsterism and drug abuse and young men desperate to complete their schooling are amongst the brave young people who have made it to Grade 12 and are now either meaningfully employed or studying further to obtain a diploma or degree.

Byronne Essack -Valedictorian 2014-
 was awarded the Denver Andreas
Scholarship with which he intends
studying sound production.

Nine more individuals joined this group of successful learners who overcame all the odds stacked against them to complete the National Senior Certificate in November 2014. Amongst them, Carlo Sabotker from Delft and Zubair Cader from Mitchell's Plein who made us proud by passing their national examinations and are both enrolled at False Bay College to study Electrical Engineering in 2015. Top students Yanga Mtule from Nyanga and Byronne Essack from Belhar are pursuing their passion for music before settling into their future studies. They have produced two original music videos in the process of chasing their musical dreams. They join the alumni who grace the halls of Stellenbosch University, those studying through UNISA - and those who are working on their career.


Zubair Cader will be studying at
False Bay College from May2015.

This year, 130 learners have made the all-important decision to enroll and are aiming to complete their education in spite of the challenges that have made it difficult for them to do so. This is a record enrollment and includes sixteen Grade 12 students. Indeed, this is good news for our city, which boasts some of the best schools in the country but is also plagued with unacceptable high school drop-out rates.

With 96 applicants already on the waiting list for 2016, it is clear that many children, youth and their parents are anxious for a chance to be part of the solution. We are privileged to be making a difference in this city, bringing hope to those who need it the most.