Welcome to our final newsletter for 2014.
This year has certainly flown by and it is a good time to pause and reflect on our achievements and share the stories from the classrooms of our adopted schools.
The Foundation winds down each year with a big celebration and fundraising event –the Back to School Party. This year was no different, with our eight annual Back to School Party fundraiser exceeding our expectations and raising over R 4.3 million for our work. We once again welcomed over 1000 guests dressed in their school uniform to the Sandton Convention Centre. We were entertained by the Soweto Gospel Choir, Mango Groove, comedian Ndumiso Lindi and our very own King Shaka High School boys choir who stole the show! Ed Rising, the very entertaining auctioneer who ran the auction at our fundraising dinner in London last year, raised a record R1.2 million in the Back to School Party auction. Thank you to Mr Billy Gundelfinger for bidding R 7 500 for a 20 pound note to kick start the fundraising!
R1.5 million of the funds raised at this party will go directly towards building a Grade R facility at Motshegofadiwa Primary School in Hammanskraal, Gauteng; conducting a strategic planning, leadership and governance programme at Dutyini Primary School in the Eastern Cape and conducting eyesight tests (and provision of spectacles) at primary schools in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The SAB Human Resources Development Department has adopted the Adopt-a-School project and programme managers and will be taking them on a 6 month leadership incubation programme in order to develop and enhance their leadership skills and provide them with tools for conflict management and effective facilitation. This programme aims to empower the project teams enabling them to positively influence the schools in which they work. The programme began in November and will continue until April 2015 – where after SAB will engage in a mentorship programme with Adopt-a-School project and programme managers.
Our 2014 essay competition winners were announced in this year’s annual report. Congratulations to Clive Mchunu from Mokgome Secondary School for winning our High School entry with his essay on ‘The Importance of Quality Education in a Developing Country.”
Please contact us if you would like to receive a copy of our 2014 Annual Report.
We wish our scholars all the best for the end of year exams and we wish you all a safe and restful holiday season.
Regards,
Stephen Lebere
Executive Director
