{"id":97,"date":"2019-06-22T16:38:55","date_gmt":"2019-06-22T16:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/esperadoblog.org\/?p=97"},"modified":"2019-08-04T16:57:04","modified_gmt":"2019-08-04T16:57:04","slug":"summer-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/esperadoblog.org\/?p=97","title":{"rendered":"Summer 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Exciting things have been happening at the Komati-Care Centre in South Africa with the support of the Esperado Charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The township of Orlando in Komatipoort, where the Care-centre pre-school is located, is an area of severe poverty. The last time Janet and I were there was in November 2018. the care center takes children from 3 to 6 years of age:at age 6 they enter the SA school system. Fifteen children were leaving the Pre-School to go to a local government school. But there were five children left who didn\u2019t have citizen ship documents, i.e. mainly, birth certificates even though they were born in SA. These children were not allowed to go to school: they would be put back onto the streets with no educational future. How can this be condoned. If you don\u2019t educate children how are they able to progress in life. No matter how bright they may be, they will have only the prospect of the most menial work, if any is available, or as is often the case, turn to crime<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had in the past wondered if we could build a small school but discounted the idea as too big an enterprise for our small charity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first we discussed sending the five children that we knew of to a local private English school. After investigating this would turn out to be very expensive and only five children would benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marietjie Poulton a retired head teacher with many years experience who is involved in organising the Komati-care pre school told us that she had found a company that converted shipping containers into offices and wondered if we put one in the grounds of the Komati-care centre and then employed a teacher we could educate more children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We looked into and decided that we could afford a container. Jan and Marietjie ordered one to be converted to the needs of a classroom and It was delivered in early March 2019. Marietjie then found a teacher who could teach a basic but full curriculum in English. Our teachers name is Nompomoleta and she will be teaching five days a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting this project off the ground hasn\u2019t been cheap. The main expense is the teacher, about \u00a38000 a year. But, the results are already fantastic. We now have 20 children in our little school who are desperately keen to learn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One little girl Stood outside the school for three days until\nMarietjie invited her in. the girls name is imaculada, she is ten\nyears old and has never been in a school in her life. She is now one\nof our learners and is loving every minute of it. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here in Jersey our children take education for granted they have beautiful schools and the most modern equipment. In Africa it is not a given. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Janet and I are not back in South Africa until September when we be able catch up on all the details of how we move forward and develop this project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n