August 2023
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| Dear Friends, We are thrilled to share KHULA Education's latest Annual Report with you! You can read some of the highlights below, and access the full report here. There is so much to celebrate, with 2022 seeing us reach over 6,450 children and young people - more than ever before - and bringing about a tangible impact for the communities around Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana, including: Students in KHULA-supported high schools outperformed thousands of schools across the country, achieving final exam pass rates almost 10% higher than district and national averages We saw a 17% growth in KHULA preschool enrollments, meaning our 3 preschools are full and we are fundraising to build a fourth We expanded top-up teaching support to two new schools, Ncepheni and Ntalantala, bringing hundreds of new students into the programme Five outstanding highschool graduates received full Madrinha Scholarships covering all their university fees, joining the existing cohort of 11 scholars whose studies are underway Of course, behind all these numbers are individual lives that have been positively impacted and we couldn't be prouder of the testimonials from students, caregivers, school principals, teachers and community leaders who we serve, a selection of which follow and many more which you will find in the full report. Read our 2022 Annual Report How KHULA'S Top-Up Teaching Programme is Transforming Schools In 2019, barely half of Shiyane High School students were passing their final ‘Matric’ exams, a prerequisite to tertiary study. In 2022, with the support of KHULA’s top-up teaching programme, that figure has soared to 91%, with many students becoming the first in their families to go on to university. Below are excerpts from interviews with students past and present on how KHULA's top-up teaching programme has made a difference in their education.  Noxolo, Grade 11: "I've been receiving KHULA support from Grade 6 until now. KHULA have definitely helped me because now I am top of the top ten learners in my grade! They also hosted a Career Day this year. We learned about choosing the right subjects to match the career we want and about what level we need to achieve in order to get into university.” Asanda, Grade 12: "KHULA has helped us in many ways. I’ve learned more about technology and was even in the top three learners in my class. The top-up teaching programme has helped us a lot because they give us information that our teachers don’t know and we ended up getting good marks in English." Minenhle, Shiyane graduate: "When I got to Shiyane, KHULA supported us with Maths and English, which helped us get very good marks. As a student, it was very hard to balance your home chores and school work, but KHULA supported us – they gave us access to the Resource Centre after school so we could study before we went home and there we had access to WiFi, iPads and laptops for our school work. "Now I am in my third year studying for my Bachelor of Education at the University of the Free State. I really appreciate the support we got from KHULA. I hope it can carry on for the next generation.” Read their full testimonials on pages 29 - 31 of the Annual Report School and Community Leaders Praise KHULA's Work One of KHULA's core organising principles is that we are community-led in all that we do, and there is no greater endorsement of our work than that of the communities we serve. The interviews and testimonials of community leaders showcased throughout the Annual Report demonstrate the depth of our commitment to serving these communities, and we could not be prouder.  Mr Khoza, Principal of Amoibe Primary: "KHULA is changing the lives of our community, especially our youth. Much of the success of our school is thanks to the support we get from KHULA and this is recognised by parents, who have seen the school’s transformation. We also see this in the enormous increase in students enrolling at Amoibe – about 110 new learners this year from many different places." Mrs Sibiya, Principal of Siyanda High School: “KHULA is helping us and the surrounding community. There are families who used to be very, very poor, but because of KHULA, their children are able to go to university and help their families. “KHULA has helped our students improve their results a lot, and they’re not just passing exams, but getting good quality passes. Many learners are now studying at tertiary level because they see the importance of education. We now have learners applying and enrolling in university simply because we are working with KHULA.” Mr Khumalo, member of the Traditional Authority Council: "I can honestly see the difference that KHULA’s work and effort is making in our children’s education and their attitude towards education and the increase in the enrolment at the preschool and primary schools has created job opportunities in the community. The hope is that one day KHULA will grow further so we can see all these beautiful things multiplying.” Read their full testimonials on pages 22 - 23 of the Annual Report Three Thriving Preschools, Soon to be Four! “We know that funding early childhood development in the first five years of life is one of the most powerful and cost-effective equalisers that we have at our disposal to ensure that the world’s most vulnerable children can reach their full potential.” Justin van Fleet, Executive Director of the Global Business Coalition for Education In 2022 we continued to observe the huge value of a KHULA preschool education, with young learners continuing to outperform their peers as they started primary school. It was also a landmark year as, for the first time ever, we had to close enrolment for 2023 intake early due to all three preschools being oversubscribed, and we are now actively fundraising to build a fourth preschool. Scan the QR codes below to listen to some of our recent Magaga, Rorke's Drift and Amoibe preschool graduates showing off the English language skills honed in preschool. And if you're interested in supporting our fourth preschool, please email iona@khula.org.uk or you can make a donation at https://www.khula-education.org/donate/  None of the amazing achievements detailled here and in the full report would have been possible without your support and dedication to the children and young people of Rorke's Drift and Isandlwana. We would also like to give special thanks to Jason Hopper at District-6, who designed the 2022 Annual Report 🙂 With our thanks and best wishes to every one of you, Iona, Debbie and the KHULA team |
