Edition #1
Funding a more diverse andrelevant education
Index WELCOME! ...............................................................................................
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A RELEVANT EDUCATION .......................................................................
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ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT ......................................................
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OPPORTUNITY AND DIVERSITY AS EDUCATIONAL GOALS .................
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DONATING – THE EASY WAY ..................................................................
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MARCUS RASHFORD SHOWS THAT GIVING IS LIVING .........................
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A PIONEER – JAMES WILSON – CEO OF AMDEC ....................................
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THE PROUD FATHER ...............................................................................
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UNTAMED ................................................................................................
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AUTHENTICITY – MENTOR AND TEACHER.............................................
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CAFÉ ROUX ..............................................................................................
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MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB ..........................................................................
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SMART THINKING ...................................................................................
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THE ENTREPRENEUR – REDDAM HOUSE OLD BOY AND FOUNDER OF QUICKET ..................................................................
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THE LAST WORD – CHANGING IT UP! ....................................................
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Hi All
WELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL EDITION OF
CONNECT! is our story dedicated to acknowledging the people of our Reddam House Foundation. For well over a decade now, our Foundation has supported many students who might otherwise have been unable to afford premium education, as well as those who have encountered significant barriers to learning, by welcoming them into our school so they are able to go out into the world on an equal footing, in pursuit of excellence. It is the people of our community who brought this story to life and are responsible for writing our new brave and exciting chapters. In this and subsequent editions, we bring their lives into colour so we may purposefully support the education of our children.
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A RELEVANT EDUCATION We want to educate all our children – not merely an elite few - to contribute to a bold, brighter future for South Africa. We believe that to prepare our future leaders for the challenges they will face, our education must be real and relevant. To be relevant, we need to encourage entrepreneurial thinking and the ability to see things differently in the world, opening our students’ eyes not only to new learning and growing opportunities, but to the vital life skills of tolerance, sharing and understanding. This will be engaged by substantially increasing our number of Foundation students. If we do so, we can cultivate the necessary ethnic, cultural, economic and religious diversity to encourage new and deeper thinking. This is not to say that we donate our time, money or skills as a means to uplift others. This is part of the gift. But, we equally give in order to lift ourselves up through connections. The role of our Foundation is to educate you and me, and our families, as much as it does the recipient of the award. It is this full loop of interaction and openness that will inspire connections of productive learning. Through the incredible generosity of our partners, our Foundation currently supports eight students, for whom Reddam House sponsors 50% of the cost for each student. However, we wish to invite and learn from 10 new students being introduced per year, so that - at any given time - we would cumulatively have 50 fully funded, bursary students in our school. To achieve this, we require funding of some R7 million per year. This presents a challenge, but ultimately, a challenge our country requires us to meet and exceed. In the ensuing pages, we hope to highlight some key people of our Foundation. In getting to know their story and aspirations, we trust you will see our passion to connect as a deserving cause of inspiring scope.
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ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT Entrepreneurial thinking is defined as ‘the ability to see things differently’. The entrepreneur is the innovator who seeks to benefit from disrupting the traditional way of doing things and forging new routes to greater heights. Businesses take calculated and managed risks to become competitive, to squeeze themselves into a share of the market, or to create an entirely new one. As a school, we face the same choice – more of the same or taking the risk of introducing innovation and diversity into our education? Arguably, South Africa’s socio-economic future is dependent on entrepreneurs driving small to medium-sized sustainable businesses that place people first, so it’s critical we encourage innovation in our school by embracing the ‘new’. No better example of teaching entrepreneurship may be witnessed than in Reddam House’s Irma Sargeant, who is the passion, dynamo and vision behind this programme on all levels in our school.
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OPPORTUNITY AND DIVERSITY AS EDUCATIONAL GOALS Given the extraordinary cultural diversity in South Africa, connecting with people of difference is vital. Diversity helps our children experience the richness of individuals and groups and, in turn, makes them more comfortable with themselves. When young adults of different backgrounds work together they share their experiences and opinions and push themselves further. Being a cause of this ‘seeing’ is good for us too; we find our own wellbeing in creating meaning. And we will find new learning as we become a part of the rich stories being created. 4
DONATING – THE EASY WAY Having set out the plan, now comes the challenge of resourcing this relevant education. To keep things quick and simple we have set up a payment portal through Quicket on our school website https://www.constantia.reddamhouse.com/reddam-house-foundation or simply scan the QR code with your phone for instant access.
The platform allows donors to easily pledge an amount. And as a point of connection, Quicket is the brainchild of two of our entrepreneurial Reddam House alumni (Jamie Hedley and Mike Kennedy). We are extremely proud of the ‘Give Back’ support that they have shown to our Foundation. The magnitude of the Foundation’s challenge can only be addressed by extending our network far beyond the immediate school community. In so doing, we hope to reach those who understand the value of our excellent, forward-thinking education; those who want to see a bright future for all South Africans and; those who acknowledge that their own success is due to the educational opportunities that they themselves were given. 5
MARCUS RASHFORD SHOWS THAT GIVING IS LIVING At the age of 23, England and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, became the youngest person to top the UK’s Sunday Times Giving List. His donations totalled £20 million for 2021. Although others ranked above him in sums given, he donated a higher percentage of his net worth: Rashford is estimated to be worth a cool £16 million, so he’s off the charts at 125% of his annual net worth. All this was achieved whilst acting as an ambassador for food poverty charity FareShare – and his efforts are extraordinary for someone so young, who comes from a broken home and who read his first book at the age of 17. With the remainder of the list pledging between 5% and 40% of their net worth annually, the idea that we can thrive whilst giving, clearly has merit. This is our challenge, which, if met, will change the lives of our beneficiaries, bring sparkle to our souls, and set the standard for our children as leaders in our future South Africa.
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A PIONEER – JAMES WILSON
CEO OF AMDEC Foundation pioneer, James Wilson (CEO of the AMDEC Group) is a passionate supporter of the Reddam House Foundation. The Foundation is thankful for James’s support and significant contribution. As parents of five children, all who’ve attended our school, James and his wife Debbie have become an integral part of our school community. James believes strongly in the Foundation’s educational mantra of tolerance, entrepreneurship and social development through diversity, noting “there is an obligation on all of us to try and improve the lives of those people who don’t have access to quality housing and education, where they can nurture and educate their children safely, securely and with dignity”.
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THE PROUD FATHER Happy Nyambose has witnessed his daughter Princess develop confidence and leadership qualities since joining Reddam House in Grade 8 in 2021. She has a close circle of friends, where story-sharing is welcomed and, to his immense pride and gratitude, she has retained and shared her natural humility. A ballerina who plays the cello, Princess is fast becoming a talented hockey player who harbours ambitions to be an astronaut – so the output certainly looks promising. The input, however, is quite different. Princess stays with her uncle in Westlake to be near the school. Her mother lives in Malawi, whilst Happy, who was a Support Consultant for a civil engineering company, is navigating the impact of retrenchment following the consequence of COVID on business economies. To thrive despite the odds is the character that all our students need. In Princess, our school has found a guide and example. We can help far more of our people live with resilience, if we are able to achieve and support a vibrant Foundation.
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UNTAMED Untamed, The Dylan Lewis bronze Trans-figure, exhibited outside the Pitcairn Auditorium, is for sale. When sold, a 20% commission will go to the Foundation. Dylan Lewis’s inspiration for this piece is the struggle to make sense of our rapid disconnection from the wild, natural places from which we have evolved. He writes; “For me, part of the journey towards authenticity has been to re-wild the psyche in some way” and his sculpture “is an attempt to find the image in the emotion exploring its wild, untamed aspects”. Original artwork infuses life in a home and, when the Foundation sells this remarkable piece of art, it would infuse raw life and entrepreneurial energy into our vision. If you’re seriously interested in owning one of Dylan Lewis’s remarkable, original creations, please contact the Foundation at constantia.foundation@reddam.house.
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AUTHENTICITY – MENTOR AND TEACHER,
SARAH VERSTER Sarah Verster is an ex-independent school and UCT genetics/human physiology graduate and archetypical Maths teacher. Scratch a little deeper, however, and you will find a supporter and defender of justice who rallies against unfairness and bias. Authenticity is perhaps a teacher and mentor’s greatest gift. To develop and maximise their potential, our children need permission to be themselves, not merely to conform to what is expected of them, a value intrinsic to the Reddam House ethos, and they learn this not in the classroom but by example – so we are very fortunate to have Sarah as a mentor to our students.
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CAFÉ ROUX We are delighted that the Noordhoek restaurant and music venue, Café Roux, has connected as a Foundation donor. The food and beverage industry is not an easy park in which to play - as managers Ronnie Chisadza and Vinnie Munengami will tell you. Mastering the plethora of skills needed to lead a team in business is tough, but if the Foundation motivates entrepreneurial thinking within our emerging adults, we will be helping to create a workforce better equipped to lead for success. It is to this end that Café Roux lends its support. It is our hope that other local businesses support the development of our future leaders and, in so doing, help the Foundation by sharing their resources and experience.
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MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB Aside from the fact that he hails from the Emerald Isle and has a name most South Africans struggle to pronounce, Darragh McGillicuddy is a typical Reddam House parent who donates to the Foundation. As a third-generation hotelier and South African supporter, he believes strongly in diversity and tolerance; that these traits will help cultivate the entrepreneurial thinking young people need today. His company, McGillicuddy Hospitality, an entrepreneurial enterprise that manages the pre-launch operations of new cruise ships all over the world, is testament to this. When he’s not providing exceptional service for world-class clients and brands, you’ll likely spot Darragh enjoying family time with his wife Sonja and two boys, Josh (Grade 6) and Luca (Grade 3), hiking the mountain trails with their dogs. The Foundation, too, has mountains to climb but with support like his, we will prevail.
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SMART THINKING Smart Thinking is an integral part of the Grade 9s SEED Capital initiative to tackle food insecurity, in which our Reddam House students created concept designs for vertical planters that could be mass produced using bioplastics. After a lengthy process of iterative development, the judges selected Leila Hibling’s Nutriwall as the top design. It “reflected the ideal of the new generation of ethical designers that are working to solve inequality and poverty” they said, adding that its simplicity supported its effectivity. To thrive in the future, this is exactly the kind of creative thinking our children will need to develop.
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THE ENTREPRENEUR – REDDAM HOUSE OLD BOY AND FOUNDER OF QUICKET,
JAMIE HEDLEY To accept online monthly donations, the Foundation is teaming up with Quicket - the brainchild of former Reddam House Constantia students Jamie Hedley and Mike Kennedy. Back in 2011, along with James Tagg, they saw an opportunity to build a ticketing platform that would empower event organisers in South Africa to manage ticket sales themselves. A decade later, they are helping 100,000 events and fundraisers across 35 countries to manage, promote and simplify their event and fundraising operations. At any one time, Quicket has around 2,500 events listed. Jamie and Mike are clearly innovators who undertook the risk of bringing something new to the table by changing the traditional way of doing things. Jamie is pictured here at the Secret Café, his sister’s outdoor coffee pop-up in the Tokai Forest, and is a committed supporter of the Foundation. He says; “Helping students to think entrepreneurially is a way I can give back to Reddam – and I encourage other alumni to do the same”. 14
THE LAST WORD – CHANGING IT UP! With a record number of students coming to Grade 8 next year, we have an increased responsibility to make the right connections. In traditional education, students see what they have been told to see. At Reddam House, we help them see beyond the tried-and-tested, beyond what we know and what previous generations have experienced. We ask them to find their ideas, and passion and plan. Being open to new ways of thinking is the basis of the entrepreneurial model. In this way, the Foundation programme is a natural motivator. As well as providing an excellent education for the students, it is the Reddam House commitment to expression of alternative viewpoints, exposure to diversity, and the creation of new connections that encourages innovative, entrepreneurial thinking. Education based on disruptive, diverse thought and innovation is a challenge but will undoubtedly produce people better equipped for the future – especially here in South Africa. In the next edition, we plan to explain in greater detail just HOW we intend to reap the benefits of innovation and diversity for all our students. We will also introduce you to the Spirit Group, who have partnered with us to build our Foundation programme.
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