All our efforts focus on education, wellness, and sustainability, so in partnership with Samkelwe Senior Secondary School in Nomathamsanqa, Addo, South Africa, Universal Promise has designed a Wellness Studio that administrators, educators, and the student body will use to cope with life's stressors, all exacerbated by rampant unemployment, poor healthcare, and poverty.
Nomathamsanqa, a vibrant, welcoming township of 10,696 Xhosa in South Africa, sadly faces 70% seasonal unemployment, poverty, poor healthcare, high HIV rates, addiction, and illiteracy. Few services exist to assist the residents, so the youngest to the oldest are often left to heal on their own. After systematically leading two previously underserved schools to points of independence, we are now involved at the local high school, where we encounter learners asking for intervention and support.
The Wellness Studio will inculcate in students a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of cultural, emotional, physical, and sexual health, support societal norms that positively affect health, expose and reverse those that negatively do, and provide resources for those-in-need. The Program will build on the above by hosting the school choir, dance, self-defense, and yoga & meditation to make good, safe use of idle time.
We believe the Wellness Studio will positively affect the emotional and physical well-being of students, educators, and families. The long-term impact may include better coping mechanisms, less anxiety, and fewer physical diseases fueled by anxiety. The program will boost self-esteem, nurture camaraderie, and grant students opportunities they richly deserve and desperately need. This sustainable project will also employ locals and welcome guest experts for guidance and student support.
