South Africa, Cape Town (Khayelitsha)

CONTEXT

According to UNICEF, South Africa spends a bigger share of its gross domestic product on education than any other country in Africa. Yet performance levels are lower than in many other countries in the region.

In addition, South Africa still faces the consequences of the legacy of the ravaging apartheid. This is seen – among other problems – in the mass of impoverished and run-down rural and township schools in poor neighborhoods.

Khayelitsha is one of Cape Town’s most historic and biggest townships housing over 800,000 individuals living in abject poverty. The community is plagued by high levels of HIV, unemployment, high levels of crime and violence and lack of sanitation. This context is especially hard for the upbringing of young girls, who are even more vulnerable to everyday struggles.

Before construction

After construction

Project Type

Five classrooms, staff offices, a school kitchen, a computer lab, hall, and toilets

Construction Period:
March 2020 – January 2024

Budget

59.905 €

Children

200

Partner

Molo Mhlaba

Donor

Acronis

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

The project focuses on early childhood development and primary school education to ensure that the girls can adjust their academic choices early enough to be able to realistically work towards a career in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics).

By establishing local, low-fee, independent girl’s schools in disadvantaged communities, Molo Mhlaba provides South Africa’s most vulnerable social group with access to quality STEAM-focused education. Furthermore, it provides career orientation, going beyond standard educational targets to strive for excellence and innovation. This is to provide the girls with a concrete chance of obtaining a job in the future. The quality of education offered by Molo Mhlaba School ensures that girls from Khayelitsha have access to an essential opportunity to develop their full potential.