At the UK Old Andrean Reunion Dinner in 2011 a prominent OA reminded us of how fortunate all OAs have been, through no choice of their own, to have had the privilege of being educated at St Andrew’s College and felt that we as a branch should consider doing something towards helping those less fortunate living in Grahamstown. It was unanimously agreed that the UK branch would adopt a charity for 2 years and that the charity they chose was The Friends of Amasango a UK charity which supports the Amasango Career School in Grahamstown which in turn caters for a small number of street children who otherwise would not have access to any formal education. He hoped that other OA clubs might adopt a similar scheme.

The Friends of Amasango is a U.K. based charity (Charity no 1116268) which provides funds and volunteers to the Amasango Career School for street children in Grahamstown, South Africa. The school principal is Mrs Jane Bradshaw who visits the U.K. annually to give focus and impetus to the Friends’ work.

 

Founded in 1995, the school is registered as a Special Needs school under the Department of Education of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. As such, it operates under the statutes, rules and governance of the South African education system.   The school occupies disused railway buildings at Grahamstown station in the most appallingly cramped conditions with 200% overcrowding. We are still hoping and praying for new premises in circumstances of a very limited education budget. Some equipment and facilities would need to be sponsored by charitable subscription. Our website www.amasango.org.uk  gives a good overview of the school.

 

The school currently has been growing steadily over the years and has now reached over 135 pupils, some 50 of whom live in Shelter accommodation provided separately. These under-privileged and often destitute children (the technical term is “extrinsically disabled”) are given love, care and education in a strongly Christian environment to allow them to make something of their own lives – which they invariably do, in several cases going on to high school and even university. Typically, a 12 year old will enter with a Year 2 capability and be given accelerated learning to High School standard.

 

There are 14 full time teachers, including Mrs Bradshaw, and 10 non-teaching staff including 3 security guards employed by the Department of Education. In addition there are 5 part time volunteer local staff to whom we pay an honorarium and generally one or two volunteer staff from overseas who stay for varying periods of up to three months at a time. The school relies on local and overseas charitable support for such essential prerequisites as food and clothing for the children without which they cannot learn. Financial support is also given to ex-Amasango children while in High School.