15
www.thevillagenews.co.za
2 September 2020
Alternative education to keep children off the streets Writer & Photographer Hardus Botha
A
djacent to Hoopland Academy in Kleine Street in the Stanford industrial area, iKhaya Youth Centre offers a mentorship programme for children who have dropped out of the mainstream schooling system. The facility is managed by the Fynbos Community Foundation, which was founded by Koos and Joanie Smith after they started the first rural private school, Fynbos Academy, on their farm, Langverwacht in Papiesvlei, a few kilometres outside Stanford. Today the Rural Education South Africa (RESAS) branch, an initiative of the Fynbos Community Foundation, oversees Fynbos Academy at Papiesvlei, as well as Hoopland in Stanford and Blouvlei Academy in Wellington. It is a network of independent Christian schools that provide quality education for children in rural areas of the Western Cape. “It has sprung from our passion to invest in the needs of children in our local community by providing them with the quality education they deserve,” says Koos. “iKhaya is our latest initiative and the word means ‘home’ in Xhosa. “Through this programme, we accommodate children who could
not complete their schooling in an alternative educational system that will take them off the streets, give them back their self-worth and assist them in entering the mainstream economy once they turn 18.” Koos and Joanie’s fynbos export company, Langverwacht Fynbos, is the main sponsor for iKhaya Youth Centre, as well as the other schools involved. For the shortfall in finances, they depend on the community and private sector. Langverwacht Fynbos provides work for about 20 women, while adhering to all the Covid-19 safety protocols. iKhaya Youth Centre has a theoretical component as well as a practical component. The latter involves different areas: cafeteria, toys, solar energy, upholstery, mechanical work, arts and crafts, woodwork, electrical, bicycles and painting. Udo van Wyk, who was appointed manager at iKhaya at the beginning of August, says he’ll start with the theoretical part within the next week and is looking forward to working full time with the children. A dualistic approach is followed at iKhaya in developing the youths’ skills and cultivating a sense of self-worth, while also creating practical solutions for homes in areas where people are living in poverty. The children are
very proud of what they create and through the process, they develop immensely as young adults. Workshop manager, Amanda Arp and her two assistants, Virgill and Rico, are preparing all the woodwork for useful furniture in the form of ‘kits’. These sets are then taken next door to iKhaya, where the learners assemble them. The idea is to sell this furniture to local people at an affordable price. Amanda worked at Pieter Deon Interiors for 10 years, starting as an apprentice and ending up as a production manager. She has no problem with manufacturing furniture on her own and can handle the tools better than any man! Get involved Koos says the programme is still only in its foundational phase and many other ideas could still be incorporated. “Therefore this is an ideal opportunity for volunteers to engage with us and help expand our offering. If you have time available and a willing heart to serve then please get in touch with us, as we would love to hear from you,” he says. Contact Koos on 082 456 8238 or admin@lvw-fynbos.co.za, or visit www.fynbosfoundation.org and www.ruraleducationsa.com for more information.
ABOVE: iKhaya Youth Centre offers a mentorship programme for children who have dropped out of the mainstream schooling system. From: Udo van Dyk (manager), Rico (workshop assistant), Amanda Arp (workshop manager) and Virgill (workshop assistant). BELOW: iKhaya Youth Centre learners are in the process of rebuilding an old ‘Vaaljapie’ tractor which will be displayed in the centre. Left at the back are Koos Smith and Emma du Toit (16), a teenager from France who helped her father, Johan du Toit, Communication Manager of the Fynbos Community Foundation, during the lockdown period in the centre.
