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.’

Learners from School of Hope show “Hospitality” to ITS Solar, generous donors of the Thembalitsha Foundation.

The Grade 11 Hospitality Studies  Class of 2012 presented their final practical, a three-course meal, to one of the Thembalistha Foundation’s loyal supporters, ITS Solar who are South Africa's leading heat pump and solar water heating supplier.

Learners set a beautiful table and served the company's employees a tantalising menu comprised of a trio-of-fish starter and a hint of Moroccan cuisine for the main meal. The lunch ended off on a sweet note with a raspberry trifle topped with berry compote.  Learners had an opportunity to practice their silver service and culinary skills on worthy guests. They also shared some of their inspirational stories.
 In a much-appreciated thank you letter, Director Riaan Honeyborne had this to say:

"Ons by ITS-Solar wil net vir julle baie dankie se vir die ete wat julle vir ons voorberei en bedien het. Dit was baie lekker gewees en julle is enige tyd welkom om dit weer by ons te kom doen.
Ons waardeer dit baie."

The Grade 11 class has an 89% pass rate for 2012. Well done to them and to their amazing teachers for this outstanding result!

The students and their amazing creations!

September News

Much can be said about the benefit of education and attending school: it provides opportunity for personal growth, discipline and problem solving, social interaction, purpose and future security. Besides all these benefits, school life should prepare learners to launch, equipped, into the world at large, a world of work and a world that rewards diligence and entrepreneurship. Since not even a matric certificate can guarantee everyone a job, we encourage learners to think of themselves as job-creators and not just future workers.

One way we do this is through Market Day, a simple but motivating opportunity to dream up a business idea, execute it and make a profit. Or not. School of Hope's Market Day is an important part of the Business Studies, Hospitality, Consumer Studies and Economics learning areas, allowing our learners to put their theory into practice ... in a delicious way, if possible!

This month's Market Day was a great success as we had the best learner participation of all the previous years, which is a key indicator that our learners are passionate about their future.

Each class had a focus such as East meets West, Cafe', Bistro and Something Sweet. They day was filled with laughter, lots of eating and an impromptu dance floor that opened up for talented individuals to entertain the crowds.   The learners surprised everyone with the manner in which they took responsibility and initiative and executed their plan with enthusiasm and flair. 

In spite of torrential rain and what felt like a hurricane raging outside, the Market was well attended. All the groups made a profit and sold out of their product. The Chinese food was particularly popular but also the special desserts, vetkoek and mince and samoosas were memorable. In the end, every learner had an opportunity to see their ideas in practice, to learn from their errors and to earn something by working smartly. Now that's a lesson worth learning for our future entrepreneurs!

July News

School of Hope believes in giving back!
In 2011 School of Hope developed a new Core Value. The value of GIVING: to devote or sacrifice something such as time or effort.

As a school this value exists as an expression of the generosity of others, it is imperative that we, in turn, give back to the communities in need around us. Our own transformation must result in compassion towards others. We value generosity of spirit which we express through community service.

This month we gave back to the community by collaborating with Habit for Humanity to build two homes in Mfuleni. The community of Mfuleni is a relatively new township located approximately 30 km from Cape Town CBD and is now home to around 25,000 people. Housing is a great priority in Mfuleni as nearly 40% of the community lives in informal shacks that lack water and electricity. There was no greater opportunity than being part of giving someone a home. For us the experience was phenomenal and we embraced every second with a kind heart. Here is what the students had to say:

Ishmael Moosa: “It felt good for me to build a house for someone else. I learnt that it is always good to give without receiving something as a prize or gift, seeing the smile of the home owner was my reward.”

Zandre Reid: “I learnt about team work, how to be committed and be a good leader. To me it felt good knowing that I could do something for some else and it was something meaningful.”

Dillan Saayman: “For the first time I got to see what it takes not to just think about myself but of others too.”

This experience has reminded us to put into practice living a life of transformation. The good things we build, end up building us!

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.

May News

Our Swedish Connection Continued!....

Last month we told you of the exchange students we received for a visit. This month it was our turn to go to Sweden!

Six of our learners and two educators participated in a unique cultural exchange.  From the streets of the Cape Flats, learners were flown over the Baltic seas to a the country known for originating the Nobel Peace prize, and producing Volvo, ABBA , IKEA and Roxette. The learners landed in Sweden not knowing what to expect but excited for the unknown and for an experience they would never have dreamt of.

They had the opportunity to become a part of a Swedish family and experience life at school in a small town called Kumla. Our learners attended classes in arts, music, Spanish, physics, entrepreneurship, woodcraft and their favourite, sports. They played indoor soccer, squash and learnt Swedish folk dancing.
During their time in Kumla, the town flew the South African flag in their honour. They were also invited for lunch at the municipal offices. Wherever they went, they were treated like royalty. The local internet radio station featured the group and allowed one of our learners to host the show which was later broadcast in the community television news station.

Our students formed friendships with teenagers from Iraq, Pakistan, Thailand, Bosnia and Somalia. They were filled with the richness of diversity and their lives were impacted by the simple life in Kumla. They also toured the historic city of Stockholm.

Families that hosted our learners opened their homes and allowed them to experience Swedish traditions, one of them being the tradition of removing their shoes before entering a home. Our learners speak warmly of how the table was laid for dinner and how special attention was made for their packed school lunches every day. They gave our learners an opportunity to share in the love and commitment they have towards being a well functioning society.

Sweden is rich in beauty and interesting in culture but what stole the hearts of our learners is the warmth and love they received from the small town of Kumla.

April News

Our Swedish Connection…

In March we added to our school family eight delightful people from a school in Kumla, Sweden. They arrived tired after the 26 hour flight, but excited to experience life in Africa. Nothing had prepared them for the sheer beauty of our shores, the sunshine and the warmth of our people. They did as much as we were able to fit in their itinerary: Table Mountain, Camps Bay, Boulders and Blouberg beaches, District Six Museum and the V&A Waterfront. However, they surprised us by claiming that meeting the courageous and friendly learners at the School of Hope was the highlight of their trip. Indeed, their learners and ours immediately hit it off they became part of our school life just as if they had always been part of it. They even complimented us on the food and took notes in class! It was difficult to say goodbye when they finally left to return to Sweden.

However, it won't be long before some of us are reunited ... in Sweden! Six of our learners and two of our teachers will be leaving for Sweden as part of the exchange on the 4th May and returning on the 16th May. The learners will be staying with host families in Sweden and will be part of school life in Kumla, a small town in Sweden. The exchange is funded in part by the Swedish Government, and partly by the fundraising efforts of the teachers, learners and parents of the School of Hope.

Five Star Treatment for the amazing Matric Class of 2012!...

Ayanda Tini (Good Hope FM) and DJ's Lloyd and Lyle joined us in celebrating our amazing matrics at the 2012 Matric Dance. Held at the magical Tuscany Villas, every guest was a VIP! A special thank you to Angela Van Der Burgt from Wings Of Support who changed her flight schedule to be able to be here for the night to do the girls' make-up.