Without education there is no hope, without hope there is no future
David Rattray
Founder
What We Do
KHULA EDUCATION’S vision is that all children, regardless of their socio-economic, cultural background or location are able to reach their potential and make a difference to their families and communities.
Our mission is to enable children from deprived (rural) communities in South Africa to have the opportunity of a well-rounded education in order to improve their own lives and those of their communities.
Where We Work
The Umzinyathi District of KwaZulu Natal is home to approximately half a million people, the majority of whom are Zulu. It is a wildly beautiful area riven with deep and often impenetrable valleys. Roads are few, there is little employment, almost no industry and distances are great.
The vast and barren landscape dictates much of what happens in the area. Travel between the isolated villages is difficult and so people eke out a subsistence living from the land on small plots that are barely sufficient to feed their families and have small herds of goats and cattle for trade or consumption.
Whilst the problems of the area are many, the Zulu people are a proud nation with a fascinating history. The children of today, the pupils we help, are the great-grandchildren of the very same warriors so admired for their courage and nationhood a short century ago. The Zulu people are resilient and, when given the opportunities that others take for granted, can be inspirational.
Who we are
Renamed in 2016 to KHULA EDUCATION, The David Rattray Foundation was founded originally in 2007 to commemorate the work that was initiated in the schools by David Rattray and his wife Nicky. David was an internationally recognised historical raconteur on the Zulu nation and the Anglo Zulu War of 1879.
David was passionate about helping local Zulu children through education. We have continued his work, helping these children through the provision of additional classrooms, computer labs, libraries, school kitchens, teacher and school management training courses and many other interventions. Since inception, through partnerships with the management teams of under-funded, under-resourced rural schools, we have supported 19 schools and over 13,000 students.
About Us
The Scale of the Problem
60%
of the population of Umzinyathi District live in poverty
Up to 80%
rural unemployment
22%
of the adult population have received no formal schooling
46%
functional literacy rate in adults who completed Grade 7
40:1
Student:Teacher Ratio
The definition of KHULA
‘KHULA’ is an isiZulu word meaning ‘to grow and increase’ as well as ‘to develop, mature and thrive’, and through our work with the rural schools of Umzinyathi, we bring new opportunities to the children, opportunities which would otherwise have been unreachable, enabling them to grow and thrive with success.
Using the name KHULA EDUCATION we are bringing to our audience a deeper understanding of our mission and the reason our organisation exists, while at the same time acknowledging the Zulu heritage of the communities we serve.
“A child without education is like a bird without wings”