Christopher* first reported to one of Valcare’s projects, Khula Development Group, as a school drop-out.
But this year, he defeated the odds as he became a prefect at Dal Josaphat Primary. An inspirational achievement.
‘What a turn–around! We are so proud of Christopher and our volunteers whose dedication played a huge role in reintegrating him into school. He is a showcase of Khula’s work and we give glory to God for this intervention,’ says Erns Labuschagne, Khula CEO.
Christopher says as a prefect he has specific responsibilities. ‘I love helping children and my parents are very proud that I have been chosen as a prefect.’
Khula’s work is based on an established referral network among schools which identifies children at risk of dropping out of the school system. ‘Khula helped me to return to school every day and now I feel loved and accepted,’ says Christopher.
Daleen Labuschagne, Director Programs at Khula, explains: ‘There is a very high incidence of school dropouts in the poor and disadvantaged communities around Paarl. Last year, our Explorer Program – aimed at children from Grade R to Grade 4 – worked with 48 children of whom 40 successfully passed the school year. Our Champions Program (Grades 5 to 7) helped 33 out of 34 children to pass. These numbers paint a very hopeful picture, but largely unchanged social and economic circumstances continue to contribute to children dropping out of school. We already have a combined 256 children on our books this year and in view of these numbers, Christopher truly is a reason to celebrate!
‘The dedication and commitment to especially our children are what will ultimately improve the quality of life of future generations as we equip them to make more of the opportunities at hand.’
*pseudonym
