July News

After the relative austerity of the June exams, the School of Hope has been at the epicentre of a whirlwind of activity.

The drama team, who has been practising daily, on weekends and after school, was invited to perform their play …. at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown. The play, written by our own isiXhosa and Arts&Culture teacher, Sibongiseni Myana, is a moving tale of a young girl’s spiritual journey. It is also a challenge to Africa to return to the spirit of ubuntu. As I write this, the group of five learners and three educators have settled into accommodation in Grahamstown and have spent the day marketing their play in the town centre, in preparation for their week of performances.

Most touching is the effect this venture has had on the learners involved. Lindsay Henley, director of BethU’riel, home to one of the young men, Xolani, said she has never seen him so enthusiastic and committed to school since his involvement in the play. Shy and reserved Grace and soft-spoken Thandeka both shine in their respective roles as desperate mother and God-seeking daughter.

The real heroes of the story are the hard working educators, generous donors and selfless hosts who have made the tour to Grahamstown possible. Special mention must be made of the Pick and Pay at Waterstone Village in Somerset West who supported the team and the His People church in Grahamstown who found us accommodation and whose gracious hospitality has been a great blessing to us.

While quaint Grahamstown is a sought-after location during July, New York must be one of the most desirable destinations in the world all year round. Unbelievably, five Grade 12 students will be flying to the Big Apple on the 11th July as part of their mentorship programme with Active Compassion Transforms, for an unforgettable thirteen days of inspiration. We will tell you all about that next month!

May News

Remember that evening of glamour and glory, when you felt as if you and your partner were the king and queen of the world - the night of your Matric Dance? Perhaps you called it Prom Night or Debutante's Ball? Either way, for most of the learners at the School of Hope a night like this seemed like the proverbial impossible dream, until the 29th April 2011, just after another royal event involving a certain prince and princess!

This is what Matric Student Robin Bailey (20) had to say about his special night: "The Matric Dance was outstanding! Everyone looked so lovely and it was a dream come true. I never thought that I would ever be in Matric, not to mention attending my own Matric Dance. It was out of this world and we had a ball of a time."

Erika Lee (New York) spoke elegantly, sharing the story of teenage runaway Oscar Hammerstein who started out sweeping in a cigar factory at 15 years old and ended up opening his own theatres in the heart of what is now known as Times Square (he is referred to as the father of Times Square). His son went on to become the famous modern composer Oscar Hammerstein II. The story was encouraging to the matrics because of the parallels that can be drawn between their experiences and teenage Oscar's troubled young life, proving once again that it is not where you begin but where you end that matters most.

April News

The School of Hope received a much-needed makeover from Multichoice Makes A Difference in March. Apart from the painting and electrical work, they also installed a 32" flat screen plasma television in the common room and decoder. The learners and teachers will have access to the basic DSTV bouquet including the Learning Channel. And that's not all! Boxes and boxes of stationery followed as well as some chocolate treats for the learners. However, the biggest blessing of the day was the braai lunch spread which catered for all the learners, teachers and even the neighbours!

As usual, our learners did not fail to impress and inspire.  Rowena Adams, Multichoice employee who was part of the organising team had this to say about her experience: 

"It was a new and exciting challenge and I felt honoured to participate in organizing the event. Out of all the places we visited, the School of Hope stood out. The difference they make in the lives of those students... they have a soft place to fall and people who care about them. I wanted to be a part of it. I’ve seen the lunch menu and the meals are not extravagant! But these students are grateful for what they get. 

I was approached in the parking area by a young girl. She wanted to thank Multichoice for choosing their school as the beneficiary. I looked at her and thought how easily this could have been me. We all make mistakes and lose our way but we all deserve a second chance. As we braaied, they played music for us and once the work was done, we took a group photo of everyone who participated."

School of Hope Wedding!

On the 19th March, educator Christeline Carolus married Stet Mushwana in a beautiful ceremony held at Vredenheim Wine Estate. Christeline Mushwana has been the Life Orientation Educator since 2007 and serves on the School Management Team as the Teacher Support. Every year, she is voted as one of the most loved teachers by the learners at the school and this comes as no surpise. Christeline is dedicated to reaching and empowering young people everywhere and she does so with tremendous success. Stet is an environmental specialist for Transnet. We wish Christeline and Stet all the very best for their life together!

March News

Making the Impossible, Possible - New York trip February 2011

I was fortunate enough to accompnay ten learners from the School of Hope for an unforgettable ten days in New York, thanks to the overwhelming generosity of Active Compassion Transforms.

The trip is the culmination of a year-long mentorship programme that connects mentors in New York with Grade 12 learners at the School of Hope.

Our time in New York was incredible.  We experienced and saw so much including the well-known sites: the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the Empire State Building.  However, my highlight was watching our learner’s thinking expand as they began to realise that they could accomplish anything they put their minds to.  They had never envisioned something as big as going to New York and now it was happening to them.  This trip made them see that they can dream big and that their dreams can become reality.

This is how some of the participants were able to put this experience into words:

Simoné Van Der Berg (23)
 “Being here has made me realise how blessed I am. Not only has God given me a second chance to finish my schooling but also this unbelievable, unthinkable, indescribable opportunity that the other people in my family would never even dream of. This opportunity is making me think bigger than I had ever imagined. Now my own children will one day think big… I mean HUGE!”

Dawood van der Fort (21)
Thanks once again to Active Compassion Transforms.  It has been great being in New York.  I am making the best of all the opportunities given to me and my mentor is so awesome!  I watched my first Broadway Show today with my mentor:  the longest running Broadway show ever –Phantom of the Opera.  I know the subway system out of my head so I would fit in easily – I will have to come and live here!

Lunga Mdingi (18)
Wow! Being in New York has been the biggest thing that has ever happened to me. It has opened my mind to new things and shown me that nothing is impossible, so thanks to everyone who made this possible for us.  The lights over here really inspire a person and it feels like there is nothing you cannot do.  Tomorrow I am coming back to South Africa ...I will kiss New York good-bye.  I will really miss this place because it helped me find myself but there is no place like home.

Deidré Railoun, Educator and School Counsellor, School of Hope

February News

As we begin 2011 we wanted to share with you just one of the many life changing stories we are privileged to be part of:

The Brothers Mdende:

Born in Eastern Cape, the Mdende children were seven in total, five brothers and two sisters. When both mom and dad left the Eastern Cape to find work in Cape Town, the children (the youngest being 9) found themselves struggling with no parental supervision. Khumbula, then12, and  Masakhane, 14, made their way to Cape Town to find their parents. They discovered that their parents had separated and that their father had started in new family. They tried to make a life for themselves in the township of Phillipi where they shared a crowded shack with their mother and sister and a number of other people seeking shelter. 

"It was hard," remembers Masakhane, "and I wanted something better." The brothers hung around the parks in town during the day, and befriended Chad Henning, a professional photographer who frequented one park during lunch breaks. "He got to know us and invited us on outings, trying to keep us encouraged." Chad referred the brothers to the School of Hope, where the brothers resumed their education. Eventually they were joined by their younger sibling (currently in Grade 10) and all three were accomodated at Beth U'riel, a residential facility for young men in Salt River.

Khumbula and Masakhane both completed their Grade 12 year at the School of Hope in 2010. Khumbula was enrolled at Cornerstone Christian College where he is studying Community Development. As for Masakhane, all through his school days he worked at  popular restaurant Aubergine, where he graduated from table waiter to Sous Chef. This year, he has been accepted at the International Hotel School in Cape Town where his studies will begin in August. Both brothers have full bursaries to cover their studies.

Says Masakhane, "The School Of Hope helped me understand myself and where I wanted to go with my life. It is more than just a school. It is a place where you can develop as a person and learn how to be truly successful in life."

December News

Meghan Martin (Centre)

Awards evening was an outstanding night of joy and tears: top achievers were awarded but we also said goodbye to the Matric learners. Meghan Martin, who was awarded school Valedictorian for 2011, made an unforgettable speech that encapsulated the transformation that took place in her during her time at the School of Hope.

The matrics have started writing their final exams for 2011. So far, they are reporting back to us with broad, confident smiles! 

The rest of the school was treated to an adventurous day spent on a 4X4 trail over roughest terrain! The day was made possible by Kobus Meyer and the Be A Blessing team in twelve 4X4's. They gave each of the 25 participants a goodie bag, took them strawberry picking and thrilled them with their adrenalin-pumping 4X4 antics!

School of Hope also has a new friend: head of the weather department and celebrity meteorologist Derek Van Damme. He has visited the school twice and led the morning devotions, much to the delight of all the students. Before he left, he answered some of our questions and threw in an accurate weather forecast. He was fun, informative and inspiring!