July News

More Than Just Alumni

Wilson Johnson, Human Resource Management student, and
Maninho ‘Mr Shack’ (Music Producer – started his own record label
called Shack Rekordz based in Cape Town).

The School of Hope celebrated its first ever Alumni event this month, welcoming graduates for a night of impassionate reminiscing and great food.  We know that it is important to not only forge relationships in the spirit of family, but continue to grow in fellowship even after our learners have left. The transition into the ‘real world’ can be quite challenging, so it was very encouraging to hear stories about how our past learners are championing. Equally important was that we were able to measure our success as a school. Afterall, giving hope through education is what we do!
There was much anticipation on the day as we found ourselves trying to sort out last minute details. We quickly assembled the troops, and made our way to His People in N1 City to put together a décor that made the wait even more difficult. The atmosphere was rich vintage. Centred on each table was a picture of each of our graduates. The lighting was subtle and perfect for intimate conversations and laughter.

“The people at School of Hope are very friendly”, says Lunga Mdingi (22) who is currently completing his final year in Human Resource Management. “I now have a vision for my life. I’ve learnt that you don’t have to sit around waiting for things to happen. You must work hard to become successful”. Lunga, we are proud of you, and wish you all the best for your future.

The school boasts graduates who are headed to make their mark in a variety of industries. From being a HR manager, owning a restaurant and publishing a cooking book, music producing; and successful entrepreneurship. “I’m currently running a business with my dad.” Together with her father, Mishqa Benjamin (22) who graduated in 2011 now transports school children. Go Mishqa - we need more entrepreneurs!  Of course, these are just a few of the remarkable young men and women who have walked through our doors. We thank you for journeying with us this far, and we celebrate your successes and achievements. There is so much available to you, and we hope to continue this friendship for many years to come. Your lives are forever etched in our hearts.

Sipho Banda, Educator (English)

February News

Matric mom, 19, gets an A for perseverance!
This article appeared in two local papers in January 2013, following the announcement of the matric results.
Words by Tanya Petersen.

Fatimah Santon, 19, is proof that even when odds are stacked against you, anything is possible - even passing matric while taking care of your young child.

At 15, Fatimah, from Portland in Mitchell's Plain, fell pregnant during her Grade 10 year at Spine Road High School. At the time she felt it best to leave school.
Feeling despondent and with a baby on the way, Fatimah decided she had to go back to school. However, getting back into a mainstream school while being a mother was a bit tricky, she said. But she plucked up the courage and contacted the School of Hope in Bridgetown, which cares for children who struggle to continue their schooling at mainstream schools due to various circumstances.

In 2010, on January 18th, Fatimah started Grade 10 at the School of Hope. ‘A'ishah, my baby, was only two weeks old when I went back to school,’ she said. However, in spite of having the responsibility of being a mother and having to do well at school, Fatimah stepped up to both challenges. Now, two years later, Fatimah is a matriculant boasting excellent results, including three A's. During the two years that Fatimah attended School of Hope, she has been the top achiever every year. Her results have been so impressive that she managed to secure a full bursary to study a BA in Humanities at Stellenbosch University. A very excited Fatimah told the Athlone News that she had never expected to achieve so much in spite of the odds being against her. She attributes her success to her parents, her daughter and the staff at the School of Hope. ‘The school places special attention on each pupil,’ she said, adding that the ‘special attention’ has a positive impact on all the pupils and it boosts confidence - which makes them feel as if they can achieve anything they set out to achieve. ‘Before I came to the School of Hope I was very insecure. I was also not open with my parents. Here you are someone. The teachers care here and it helps with confidence. At the School of Hope you are not just a number. When you are sad, they ask what is wrong.’

Fatimah's secret to success is balance. ‘When I am at home, I am a mother. I don't bring school work home with me.’ She explained that she tried to complete all her school work at school and when she was able to she would stay after school to study. But the extra classes that the school offered on the weekends also helped her tremendously, she said. But, she added, she would not have been able to achieve everything without the help of her parents. ‘When I needed to be at school, they looked after my daughter.’ Her parents, Jamill and Camilla Santon, both agree that they are very proud of Fatimah. Fatimah says her daughter has been her motivation. In spite of falling pregnant at 15, she had a choice to make a success of her life or not - she chose to make a way to become successful. ‘There is always a way,’ she says. Her advice to people is to never give up. ‘Things that happen in your life can be overpowering, but you shouldn't stay focused on what you did - you need to see that it happened and move past it.’

June News

This month we commemorated Youth Day in South Africa but 36 years after the Soweto Uprising of 1976 the greatest crisis facing our nation is still education. The School of Hope has aligned itself with Symphonia's movement Schools at the Centre of the Community and Partners for Possibility in the hope of being part of the solution…And hope is what we have when we consider the fifteen Grade 12 learners currently writing mid-year examinations at the School of Hope. A small number? Perhaps, if you compare them to 120-200 matrics in large public and private schools. Yet each one has a story of courage and perseverance that makes the group seem larger than life.

Six have spent time on the streets; at least two of them for more than five years. Two head their households. One is the devoted mother of a three-year old. Three are refugees, far from their families and homes. Most know the struggle to survive first hand. They range in age from 18 to 24 years so, unlike most of their contemporaries in other schools, they have to make up for time lost in and out of school. All of them have extraordinary stories and the desire to complete their education and start a productive and meaningful life.

They are weeks away from a two-week trip of a life-time to New York. Then it will be back to Saturday classes, extra tuition, trial exams and the countdown to their final examinations. The challenges of their past will be far behind them as they join half a million Grade 12 learners nationwide in the most significant milestone of their school career.

This week they received blazers and badges, setting them apart from their peers at School of Hope to whom they have become an inspiration. The intention is to place on them a mantle of success, which symbolises our expectation that they will succeed, as students, as people and as leaders in their communities.

Please make this extraordinary group of young people the object of your prayers until the end of the year. Your investment in time will produce a high return. The nation needs them to succeed and if they succeed, we all succeed.