Empowering South African Youth Through Education

“Hectic.”

This is a favorite word for South Africans, used to describe almost any kind of busy and chalenging situation. January is truly a hectic time at The Umkhumbane Schools Project, and this year is no exception!

It’s the time of year when our Matric students, who completed high school only a matter of weeks ago, have just now received the results from their National Senior Certificate exams. They are finding out during these busy days whether a door to higher education is open to them, as universities notify them (often by text message) as to whether they have qualified for a firm offer of admission. Once an offer is in hand, students have a very short window in which to accept, with payment of a fee just to accept the offer. Securing a spot in a dorm or off campus accommodation, many times while still waiting to receive confirmation of financial aid, is the next challenge. Classes will begin the first week of February. It is hard to describe how stressful these four weeks in January can be.

At the USP, this is the time of year when we kick into high gear to assist admitted students in accepting offers and paying registration fees. Or asking admissions offices to reconsider applicants whom they have rejected. Or helping to find alternative programs to apply for where space may still be available, for some who have passed their national exams but received only rejections. For others, our goal will be to help them find ways to upgrade their marks and reapply next year. For all, we try to offer constant reassurance that there is a path available to them if they remain determined.

While this year’s hectic season still continues to unfold, we already have much to celebrate!  There are Yola and Asanda, pictured above (L-R), whose faces may be familiar to you by now. A USP maths learner, Eskom Expo medalist, and Biodiversity Pilot program stalwart, Yola has accepted an offer to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Wits University in Johannesburg. Asanda has also been one of our maths and Biodiversity learners, and has been accepted for a BSc in Environmental Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, one of several of our Biodiversity learners to be accepted into the same Environmental Science Bachelor’s program. Others have been accepted to study for degrees or diplomas in Life and Earth Sciences, Agriculture, Analytical Chemistry, Occupational Therapy, and other promising fields.

It is thanks to you, our GlobalGiving donors, that the USP is able to help our learners navigate this difficult, sometimes discouraging -- and always hectic -- path. We are so proud of their persistence and success and so grateful for your generous support.

Happy New Year and many thanks again, from all of us at The Umkhumbane Schools Project!  We will continue to keep you updated on our activities as another exciting year unfolds!

“And the Best Environmental Project on Water goes to…”

“For the Most Innovative Medical Research Project, Congratulations to…”

“The prize for Best Develoment Project is awarded to…”

We are listening with eager excitement as the prizes are being announced at the 2018 Regional Eskom Expo for Young Scientists. It is August 15, and the regional competition that we were feverishly preparing for at the time of our last GlobalGiving report is coming to a close. More than 500 young people have come from schools all over the central part of KwaZulu-Natal to compete in this two-day event.  In all, our team of twelve Umkhumbane Schools Project learners brings home one Gold medal, five Silver medals, three Bronze medals, three Highly Commended certificates, two Best-in-Category prizes, and seven additional special prizes. This has been an amazing day, one that all of us will long remember.

Fast forward to October 2^nd. It is 6:00 AM, and the sun has just risen over the Cato Manor township and informal settlement area of Durban. Remember Pamela and Lusanda, the two learners we highlighted in our last report? Both of these scholars, along with another of our learners -- Nomvuselelo -- are boarding a bus bound for Johannesburg. These three have been selected to go on to this year’s Eskom Expo International Science Fair, based on the quality of their entries in the Regional Competition. For the last several weeks, they have been hard at work to upgrade and expand their projects. Pamela has done more testing on the ability of vetiver grass to absorb contaminants from water. Lusanda has done another round of testing for toxic chemicals in cosmetic products. And Nomvuselelo has expanded her study of the causes of lateness to school among high school learners in Cato Manor.

And now here we are on the 6^th of October, greeting our returning travelers, who have brought home two Silver medals (Pamela and Nomvuselelo) and a Highly Commended certificate (Lusanda) from the International Science Fair. Exhausted but happy, they pile off of the bus from Joburg, full of smiles, stories, and heartfelt hugs and goodbyes for the other members of the KZN Central delegation to the ISF.

It is no overstatement to say that our Expo mentoring program is made possible through the generosity of our GlobalGiving donors. The funds you send are spent on developing teaching curriculum to assist learners with little prior exposure to scientific thinking or learning. They are spent on project materials, transportation to and from university labs and research sites, and food for the learners at all of our project workshops. Your gifts have also bought notebooks, paper, pens, two laptops, internet time, and printing.  In addition, you have enabled us to provide food and transport costs for our dedicated team of university students who have spent countless hours assisting our young scientists in visualising a goal and applying the full measure of their capabilities to reach it.

It is nearly impossible to put into words the impact the experiences of these last several months of preparation and participation in the Expo have had -- and will continue to have -- on our learners.   The true rewards from all of your support and all of their hard work have little to do with how many medals they bring home. It is about self-discovery and newfound confidence, new friendships and habits of excellence. Perhaps most importantly, it is about being a part of something big, something important, and knowing that you are good enough to be there.

In the words of one of our 2018 young scientists,  “Expo gave me the opportunity to see myself as a winner and a medalist. I have never got an opportunity this big and amazing.”   

On behalf of all of us at The Umkhumbane Schools Project, thank you so very much for making this work possible!