Index Vreugdevoetjies vision and mission Page The town of Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape Page Background – demographics and population Page Educational skills profile – Oudtshoorn and region Page Poverty Page The history of House of Hope/Vreugdevoetjies School Page The Cango Valley community – Buffelsdrift, Schoemanshoek, Grootkraal Page Organogram of School Structure Page Organogram of School Management Structure Page Parental Guidance Page Budget Page Finances Page Evaluation Page Needs and Dreams Page 2 | P a g e Vreugdevoetjies vision and mission (insert ONE PAGER) Vision We create a safe platform where our children are developed body, soul and spirit by dedicated teachers in a challenging community. Mission 1. We offer a value based education in a secure environment 2. We guide our children to discover their own, unique identity 3. We have well trained, knowledgeable teachers, that have a deep understanding of the community 4. We transport the children to and from school 5. We provide nutritious meals on a daily basis 6. Children participate in sport, art and music 7. Continuous involvement in the upliftment and equipping of each parent 3 | P a g e The town of Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape For most visitors to South Africa and the Western Cape, the R62 is a must. This beautiful valley offers visitors landscapes of mountains, vineyards, fruit orchards and so much more. At almost the end of this route, one reaches the town of Oudtshoorn, the “ostrich capital of the world”. This semi-dessert region lies between the Outeniqua and Swartberg Mountain Ranges. 4 | P a g e Background – demographics and population Known as a tourist centre as well as a farming community, this municipal district has a population of around 95 000 people in 21 910 households, according to the 2011 census, making it the largest town in the Little Karoo. Demographics First Language "Coloured" Afrikaans Xhosa "White" "Black African" English 5 | P a g e Educational skills profile – Oudtshoorn and region Indicator Oudtshoorn Western Cape Literacy rate (2011) 79.4% 87.2% Poverty rate (2010) 34.1% 22.1% The literacy rate in the Western Cape is 87.2 %, which is higher than the literacy rate in the country as a whole of 80.9%. In this regard the Oudtshoorn literacy rate is below par at 79.4%. This could be due to the high dropout rates (26.6% in 2012) in Oudtshoorn perhaps as a result of learners having to leave school due to a lack of finances, teenage pregnancies, gangsterism and substance abuse. Table 1 Education indicators in the Oudtshoorn Learner enrolment Gr 1-12 2013 - 18 836 2014 - 18 933 Average teacher pupil ratio 2013 -29.0% 2014 - 29.5% Average drop out rate 2012 - 26.6% 2013 - 28.1% (FET phase) Percentage matric pass rate % 2011 - 80.4% 2012 - 88.1% 2013 - 89.4% Literacy rate % 2011 - 79.4% Oudtshoorn has a relatively large number of schools with libraries and media centres (22) and non-fee paying schools (34). This may be due to its larger population size. Learner enrolment increased by 0.5% from 18 836 in 2012 to 18 933 in 2013 resulting in an increase in the learner-teacher ratio from 29.0 to 29.5 %. The matric pass rate for schools within Oudtshoorn was relatively low at 85% in 2011 to 88% in 2012 having shown some improvement. It increased further to 88.1% in 2013, however it is still low compared to other local municipalities in the Eden District. The average dropout rate in the Further Education and Training (FET) phase was 28.% in 2013. Oudtshoorn has a low level of educated workforce as only 31.8% of its population over 20 years of age has a matric or higher educational qualification. 6 | P a g e Poverty Poverty Rates Region/District 2001 2010 Eden 31.6% 21.7% Oudtshoorn 43.8% 34.1% The Eden District showed improvement in its poverty rates from 31.6% in 2001 to 21.7% in 2010 and has thus underperformed with regard to the provincial average (22.1%). Oudtshoorn has the highest poverty rate in the District with 34.1%, despite decreasing from 43.8% in 2001. Oudtshoorn’s poverty levels are thus more severe compared to the District and the Province as a whole. This may be as a result of the high levels of unemployment in this municipal area. 7 | P a g e The Cango Valley community – Buffelsdrift, Schoemanshoek, Grootkraal Visitors to Oudtshoorn will almost without exception, find themselves on the R328 towards the world famous Cango Caves, only 30km from town. Known as the so-called “Golden Mile” of the Klein Karoo, tourists pass the farming community of Buffelsdrift, just outside town, in their thousands every month. The present building of the school is situated right next to the R328. The farm Buffelsdrift was a large and prosperous tobacco and ostrich farm some 80 years ago. But over generations the land was cut into ever smaller pieces, up to a point that is was no longer viable as agricultural unities. Many of the workers lost their jobs in the last 30 years. When farmers Piet and Laura Schoeman bought the farm in 2003, the unemployment level was around 60 percent. It has since been their dream to uplift and restore these people with hope and prosperity. The larger area of Buffelsdrift consists of around ….. hectares. Prominent tourist attractions such as the Cango Wildlife Ranch, Buffelsdrift Game Lodge and Surval Boutique Olive Estate are all within its boundaries. These establishments, as well as the farm of Buffelsdrift, are the largest employers in the area. Driving further north one finds 2 other settlements, namely Schoemanshoek and Grootkraal. As there are currently no pre-school facilities at the latter, we transport the children to and from this community daily (a distance of about 60km). 8 | P a g e So in the greater area of Buffelsdrift, Schoemanshoek and Grootkraal, there are about 400 underprivileged households, with no access to running water and electricity. (The municipality is in the process to equip some houses with solar panels). With an average of 8 people per household, we are looking at a total of 3200 people in our community. This community is faced with some challenges, and here is a short description of the most important challenges. a) The number of teenage pregnancies is staggering and on the rise. Girls as young as 15 become pregnant; and research has shown that some of reasons are that they lack a good self-image, effective decision making skills and effective sexual education. Another (shocking) reason, is to obtain social grants from government. b) Due to a severe level of alcohol abuse in the area among old and young, a lot of the well-earned money that come into households, are wasted and not managed well. The abuse that is found within families as a result hereof, is a story on its own. c) Several households do not have a young or mature male as a role model, as most of the young mothers are not married. Again, we are faced with the problem with the social grants. No wonder they are referring to fatherless families – a huge social problem. d) As it is commonly known that a child’s most important development years are between 0 and 6 years old, we realized the desperate need for a facility that would create such an educational platform. e) Unemployment, resulting in high poverty levels, remains a constant challenge to the community. This subsequently leads to extreme social problems. f) High school dropout levels We acknowledge these challenges and work towards minimizing the impact of these on our communities. 9 | P a g e The history of House of Hope/Vreugdevoetjies School Since farmers Piet and Laura Schoeman bought a piece of the farm, Buffelsdrift, in 2003, it has been a dream in Laura’s heart to start a facility where small children could be cared for. With no formal educational training, she was not sure where to start and how to go about. The first step would be to get a building to convert into a school, but this was unsuccessful until October 2012 – when a local teacher from the community approached her for a building to start a school. For almost 10 years, she never gave up her dream. The current available facility in the community could not meet the need. In the bigger area of Buffelsdrift alone, more than 300 children under the age of 6 years come from neglected homes, and could benefit from our facility. On the 16th of January 2013, with 15 children and babies, Vreugdevoetjies (Happy Feet) opened its doors on the farm. It was a huge leap of faith, and today more than 80 children are enrolled at the school. After many months of filling out forms, running after certificates, permissions, many regulations to comply to - the NPO organisation, House of Hope, was founded. All this was done with the help of volunteers. Ms Judy Kellerman was the main drive behind the process, and managed to register the school in record time. In Sept 2013 the process was finalised, and the school was incorporated at the Department of Social Welfare. Since March 2014, the school has received a subsidy from government. The children receive 2 meals per day and one snack (fruit etc). Nutritional food is priority, and the children’s health have increased in the months that they have attended the school. The daily menu includes fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, eggs, nutritious porridge and milk. 10 | P a g e We are seeing the difference these dedicated teachers make in the lives of these children.