Our MISSION is two-fold. First, we created this organization to improve educational opportunities and the learning environment for students living in the townships around Cape Town, South Africa. Second, we want to provide elementary and middle school students in Missouri and New Jersey with a richer understanding of the struggles that many children in South Africa face simply to receive an education, which in turn will provide a more informed perspective on the challenges we face in an increasingly interdependent world.
The Republic of South Africa is one of the most beautiful and fascinating countries in the world. Yet, it is a country of many contradictions. One of the most visible contradictions is the gap in educational opportunities between the children living in townships and those living in the wealthy areas.
In Kalksteenfontein township, located in the Cape Flats just outside of Cape Town, for example, many families struggle to send their children to primary school because the tuition -roughly $15.00 per year - is too expensive. A significant number of children who graduate from the primary school cannot go on to secondary school because of the cost. Even fewer students attend college. The situation is similar in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, and other townships in the Cape Town area.
We created the Good Hope Educational Initiative because we believe the future of a vibrant South Africa rests on her children. Our MISSION is two-fold. We created this organization to improve educational opportunities and the learning environment for students living in the townships around Cape Town, South Africa. Thus, our primary goal is to help the schools in the Cape Town townships be a healthy, safe and supportive environment that will grow the leaders of South Africa’s tomorrow. We will accomplish this goal by providing selected underfunded township schools with financial support for scholarships, supplies, musical instruments, and equipment. We also will help subsidize lunch programs, music lessons and field trip opportunities for the children of these schools.
Our second goal is to educate American elementary and middle school students in Missouri and New Jersey about South Africa and her people. We want to provide these students with a richer understanding of the struggles that many children in South Africa face simply to receive an education. Our hope is that we can find ways to help American students appreciate the opportunities they take for granted as well as gain a more informed perspective on the challenges we face in an increasingly interdependent world.