Story

Nokuphilia school, Tembisa, on the edge of Johannesburg, South Africa, was opened by The Love Trust, a South African non-profit organisation with the vision to nurture future generations through providing education for vulnerable children in disadvantaged communities.

Tembisa was established in 1957, when Africans were resettled under apartheid. Some areas are in severe financial hardship and poverty with 40,000 children living there and very few receiving an education.

Every child at the centre is either affected or infected by AIDS.

The centre provides the children with quality education, meals, transport to and from the school, aftercare facilities and extra curricular activities.
The centre has also become a hub for various other community projects and is committed to training and employing teachers from the local community.

I am participating in a volunteer project to help further expand this centre into an independent Primary and then later, Secondary school and to grow further community development projects based on the needs of the community.

I will be part of a volunteer support team travelling to South Africa to live and work with the children in the centre, providing support as mentors and teachers in reading, geography, languages, sports, games, educational visits and outdoor activities among other things.

I will also be helping with the building and construction of the new school, including painting/decorating, gardening/landscaping, cleaning/installing items of furniture and any other tasks which will help serve and support the children and local community.