Developing Vulnerable Kids Thru Sport South Africa

The start of the year for the new children in the Senior School of Excellence (SSE) is always full of mixed emotions; excitement of the year ahead but also anxiety about the new schooling system. It is therefore quite important that the older children in the programme offer as much support as possible, easing them into their new schools.

This year, we have a total of 52 children in the SSE programme, four of them doing their final year in high school. We are also happy to announce a new partnership with Alexander High school, which will have their first intake of our children in the year 2016, bringing the number of our partner schools to seven.  Our relationships with the different schools have been amazing so far, with St George’s Preparatory School requesting children as young as ten years old for scholarships.  Our youngest (and cutest) beneficiary, Keanue, will be in the programme for a total of nine years.  He started Grade 4 this year at St George’s, and has stolen the hearts of all the female UTS staff members!

In January, we had a fun outing with our SSE beneficiaries, which was a great way of integrating the class of 2015 to the rest of the group. The beautiful, sunny summer day was spent doing various team-building activities and swimming in the warm still waters of Van Staden’s River mouth. We invited some of the past beneficiaries who started university this year, to take part in the outing as peer leaders to the group.  

Our university students have settled in very well, and are really enjoying tertiary life. Lindiwe now lives in a student residence, a walking distance from campus and has adjusted very well with her housemates. S’bu needs to do a few hours of community work for his studies and there is no doubt which organization he will be doing that with. S’the is over the moon with excitement about his hours of flying aircrafts and Athi is a shining star in the University rugby team.   We couldn’t be prouder of our current crop and past graduates who are flying the UTS Flag high.

“University life is completely different from the past 12 years of schooling, no teachers chase after you for your work so I really need to be super dedicated. Other than that, campus life is good and I have made plenty of friends from other cities!” – Lindiwe, UTS Beneficiary.