Bodibe is located in the North West province, 20 kilometres from the small town of Lichtenburg. In 2009, Lafarge Education Trust adopted eleven schools in Bodibe with a vision to transform the education landscape in the rural community. It was a difficult road, wrought with obstacles. The community was restless, torn apart by poverty and a lack of leadership. The environment in the schools was dysfunctional and not conducive to effective teaching and learning. It was in these difficult conditions that Adopt-a-School Foundation, in partnership with Lafarge Education Trust, piloted the Whole School Development model and was able to achieve meaningful and sustainable results over a period of five years.

Interventions:

School Community Development

• 60 members of school community trained on computer skills
• 11 principals and 1 circuit manager trained on Executive Leadership at Wits School of Education
• 32 Educators trained in Language and Literacy
• All schools trained on setting up environmental clubs
• Science and Maths Educator Training and classroom based support for Bodibe High School
• All schools benefitted from a strategic planning, leadership, governance and team building programme
• All schools benefitted from library training, coaching and mentoring

Learner Development

• Language and Literacy Programme for Grade 3 learners
• Dental Care Programme for over 840 Foundation Phase learners
• Grade 1 and 2 learners benefitted from Language and Literacy programmes and resources
• 8 primary schools benefitted from eye-sight testing clinics and 450 learners received spectacles
• HIV/Aids Awareness and Life Skills
• 2 schools benefitted from Remedial Training of learners

Infrastructure Development

• 16 classrooms
• 3 ablution blocks
• 4 libraries built and equipped with books
• 4 computer centres built and equipped
• 2 computer centres upgraded and revamped
• 6 schools renovated
• 1 science lab built and equipped
• 1 administration block built
• 1 borehole and play plump installed
• 3 Grade R Facilities
• 3 Science Laboratories
• 3 Libraries
• 3 Administration blocks

Co-curricular Development

• Effective soccer league (22 teams for boys and girls)
• Provision of soccer kits and awards on an annual basis
• Expansion of sport codes with Netball
• 23 soccer coaches received level 1 coach training
• Motivational talks, Career Guidance
• Donations: library books, dictionaries, indoor games, indigenous trees
• Lafarge Community awards which awarded 63 people (learners, educators and community members and 4 schools

Beneficiaries:

• 5 405 learners and 185 educators directly benefitted from programmes
• 1200 temporary jobs created for local community members
  • These temporary workers were upskilled through this project
• 14 local SMMEs were empowered and benefited from the project

Achievements:

• Improved infrastructure
• Environmental awareness
• Cleanliness
• Security
• Improvement in attitude towards education
• Passionate leadership
• Punctuality and improved attendance and general discipline
• Participation in extra mural and sport activities
• Motivated teachers
• Boosted self-esteem of learners
• Improved academic matric results (38% in 2008 to 89% in 2013)
• Bodibe has become one of the top performing districts in the province

Bodibe Schools: Empowered for own interventions

• SGB has renovated a block of classrooms at one school
• Parents volunteer in vegetable gardens in all 11 schools
• Afternoon and holiday classes for Grade 11 and 12 learners
• Improved SMT tools and systems for teaching and learning
• Soccer committee to support sport
• SGB Forum to voice concerns and interests
• Improved school surroundings
• Peer-to-Peer coaching

Stakeholder support

The success of the Bodibe story is attributed to the many organisations that have partnered with Adopt-a-School Foundation and Lafarge Education Trust.

• Old Mutual: Contributed R50 000.00 for the Visual Support programme
• Dreamfields: School Soccer League
• Colgate: Dental Hygiene Project in 2011
• Biblionef: Donation of books
• Infinite family: Mentorship and Coaching programme for learners
• Bridge: Coaching and mentorship for principals
• Lafarge Community Trust: Annual Community Awards Programme
• Department of Health: Healthcare support
• Oxford University Press Southern Africa: Dictionaries
• Shanduka Foundation/Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation: Two classrooms, essay competition and annual learner awards.