NEWSLETTER
OUR HISTORY
From The CEO
Dear Friends and Partners
It is so amazing how the year is passing by so quickly, we are almost a month away before we reach the first half of this year, and from Privilege Foundation, a lot has happened since the beginning of this year, starting with a new team members joining us in creating the story of hope here at Privilege. The year took off with the appoint of a new CEO my self John Mathuhle and Praise who is currently our media manager,
It is such a great privilege and honor to be part of this amazing team and I believe that together we are a formidable team to continue creating more stories of Hope as we transform the lives of children and vulnerable communities.
We are excited for this first addition of our newsletter, which we hope to release it monthly to inspire and inform our partners and friends of what privilege foundation is up to, keeping our friends and partners up to date. We would like to kick-off by covering the journey from January to April breaking the story into two segments, with the next one due to this coming Friday of the 13 May2023.
As we reflect into the past few months, we realize that many people are searching for hope in the midst of trouble times we find ourselves and is for this reason we decided to open this first addition with a bold theme of HOPE.
HOPE IN THE MINDS OF BROKENESS
In deed we are a broken nation going through a difficult journey which is characterized by high level of unemployment and hunger, crime, corruption, racial tension and almost if not an already failed state. There is an overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness all over the country, with so many people feeling hopeless in the current prevailing circumstances they find themselves in.
The burning question is whether there is still any Hope left for us? Where will that Hope come from?
Well this is the same question I asked myself few years ago when I was frustrated with what was happening around me and watching things falling apart in our communities and country and in that moment of despair and hopelessness, I felt a small whispering voice from deep within my heart saying, “ If not you, who will become the Hope you Looking for in others?” that’s when I realize that we all carry the ability to imagine a different outcome from the one we currently experiencing, that the ability of re-imagining the future is the gift of Hope for human survival and development.
We need to re-imagine communities that are prospering and flourishing again, communities that are built on systems and values that are sustainable and future proof for the coming generation, we need to change our minds and our value system and re-think the way we look at the future if we want to affect it for the better. We need to allow ourselves to Hope again, dream once more, so we may creatively make a difference where we are planted to blossom, everyone doing his bit and together as people of Hope, changing our beloved country for better future.
“We always kept in our hearts the most noble, beautiful feeling that sets human beings apart: Hope” -Manel Loureiro
PRIVILEGE SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
We are very excited about the developments in the school of excellence, early this year we identified three more schools (ECD) in Matwabeng Senekal which will form part of our School of Excellence Support Center. We are currently hard at work to establish our first support center to cater to this schools and more in this area in the near future.
We are over joyed for the partnership growing between us and PEN, an organization very passionate about ECD centers and have developed a sustainable model, tested and successfully implemented in over 100 schools in the area of Pretoria with similar conditions found here in Senekal Matweng. PEN has a track record of over 30 years’ experience in the field of community development, especially working with children, youth and vulnerable adults in and around the area of Pretoria.
Both our two visits with PEN at their centers and head office was so inspiring and we’ve learned so much from the experience.
EBENEZER DAY CARE CENTRE
Ebenezer Day Care Center has been identified as our first pilot project which will serve as a bench mark for both PEN Privilege partnership
BACKROUND:
Ebenezer Day Care Centre is a member school of Privilege Foundation School of Excellence ECD Support Centre based in Senekal Matwabeng ward 06. The school was founded by Makgahliso Leburu in 2006 who has a passion to see children growing and learning in a safe environment.
The school started with 24 children and has currently enrolled 58 children in total ranging from the age of 00 to 06 years old with 3 classrooms and 2 toilets, an emergency room, office and a kitchen. The school has a temporary structure as a main building for learning. The school have six on stipend stuff members with two volunteers with Makgahliso Leburu as the principal of the school.
Each child pays between R150 to R200 a month and the school is receiving some grands from social development but with limited resources such as a water tank and other learning equipment, the school finds it difficult to operate on full capacity. The school is also providing two meals as part of social development conditional grants.
IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL
Although the school has a running water, due to limited water supply from the municipality, school doesn’t always have sufficient water during school days as they do not have a water tank on site for the reserve.
The entire building of the school is a temporary structure and it desperately need painting and art to give it a face lift.
Because the school have just recently moved into this new site, there are no sand pits, grass or enough trees and shades for the kids to play.
There is a shortage of educational tolls and toys such as books and visuals and props.
Although children receive food everyday but the nutrition standards are compromised due to insufficient funding towards proper nutritious food.
PEN PRIVILEGE VISIT (SENEKAL)
We are excited and looking forward to hosting PEN team led by Marinda, founder and CEO of the PEN on a tour scheduled this month of May to assess the condition of the three schools including our pilot school (Ebenezer Day Care Centre) as we prepare to launch our Support Centre here in Senekal.
We are so grateful for our strategic relationship and partnerships with PEN, as we hope to create a national blueprint which can serve as a model going forward.
Please be on a lookout for the second segment of this first addition scheduled for next week.
Thank you for your support and hope to hear from you soon by email or any of our media platform.
Together in Hope
