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Education Access for Orphans, South Africa
Making School Accessible for Orphans in South Africa
Continuing the legacy of NextAid’s first sustainable development project that supported children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa, we are committed to meeting critical education needs for children and youth in the country. Although primary and secondary education is technically free for orphans in the government school system, many children are deterred from attending due to the costs of required uniforms and supplies. Working with trusted South African partner organizations, NextAid’s school kit vouchers provide the most vulnerable children with a full uniform, shoes, backpack and stationary supplies. We believe that education is one of the most vital opportunities that will enable orphaned children to rise out of poverty. In 2010, NextAid supported the education of 100 orphans in South Africa.
In 2009, NextAid ran a campaign to “Send a Child to School” in during our World AIDS Day events in December. DJs and NextAid artists committed to promote the cause and donors were asked to contribute just $75 to enable the education of an orphan in South Africa. Working in partnership with the loveLife goGogetters program, NextAid ensured that over 175 children would not be barred from receiving the important education they deserve because their caregivers cannot afford the cost of uniforms and supplies. NextAid is continuing this campaign with trusted South African partner organizations that are able to reach the most vulnerable children in need. We hope you’ll join us in promoting these vital education needs.
Inspiring words from loveLife:
NextAid is providing the opportunity for Americans to provide much needed and appreciated tangible resources to South African orphans and vulnerable youth. By doing this they are not only impacting the life chances of many individual children, they are contributing towards the achievement of programmatic outcomes for the goGogetter programme where South African grandmothers are working to ensure that teenage orphans and vulnerable youth in the country don't become double victims of HIV and AIDS. NextAid's contribution addresses problems like these expressed by the goGogetters:
"Rebone lives with her aunt who is unemployed; they are nine in the family. There is no income in the household. She sometimes goes to school without a meal and bare footed. She helps the neighbours with their chores, so that they can give her food and she wears her friend's uniform".
- Rebone, 12 years old.
"Tsholofelo does not receive a grant and skips school because she does not have school uniform. She sleeps with man (sic) to get money. She comes from an unemployed family of five siblings and she wears an old uniform from the neighbour".
- Tsholofelo, 13 years old.
These contributions are deeply appreciated, in the words of goGogetter Jessy from Mpumalanga:
"Thank you very much,
I feel like a bird because of happiness."
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