Educate a South African Child Experiencing Poverty

On the anniversary of what would have been Nelson Mandela’s 100th birthday, students of Christel House South Africa along with partners from Dell EMC teamed-up to celebrate the anti-apartheid activist, political leader and President of South Africa. To honor Mandela’s memory, students were encouraged to help clean up their communities by bringing two plastic bottles to school; one to recycle and the other one in which to plant a Spekboom tree to take home. With drought issues in South Africa, the Spekboom is an eco-friendly tree – it requires very little water and is a CO2 guzzler, off-setting harmful carbon emissions. The Mandela event was a true teaching moment. Young students learned about the inspiring leader, remembered as the “Father of the Nation,” and honored his legacy by improving their neighborhoods.

Christel House South Africa (CHSA) has become a leader in using technology to bridge the digital divide facing impoverished children. Education leaders from across the Western Cape visited to see how they do it. Recognized as a Microsoft Showcase School, CHSA has been expanding the use of computers and software throughout their classrooms. Students demonstrated the technologies and benefits to the visiting educators. In the music room, students showed how software allows learners and teachers to collaborate writing and sharing music in real-time. “Without Microsoft, our learner’s progression in technology would not have been possible,” says Adriaan Hector, IT Manager, CHSA. “Mastering technology skills makes our learners even more desirable as future employees.”