Winter School Session

For the past few years, Amy Biehl Foundation staff and interns have organized and run a winter school for parents and children from the townships of Cape Town. Held at Nomlinganiselo Primary School, and running for two weeks beginning in late June, the winter school is designed to keep children off of the streets and in a safe environment, while at the same time providing career training and computer literacy skills to parents. The Winter School hosted 340 students aged 6-18 and 30 parents last year.

Three times a day, each student had a choice of 8 workshops to attend. Each workshop lasted for 80 minutes, and activities included learning support, art, computer training, sport and Kwaito (modern) dance. Additionally, each student was provided with a nutritious lunch and an afternoon snack.

The parental involvement proved to be a great success with 30 parents participating in the programme. During the first week, parents were taught computer skills in a classroom setting; for the second week they were then given the choice to attend a week-long cooking or sewing class intended to give them business skills and training. At the cooking class, parents were sent to the Silwood catering school in Rondebosch where they were trained in running their own catering company. Parents in the sewing programme, which was held at CPUT, were shown how to purchase materials, design and manufacture clothing, and sell their finished products.

The continued success and growth of the winter school program is dependent upon sufficient financial support. A dramatic increase from the first year that we offered the winter school to the second year of the winter school is evidence of the need for this type of programme.

Dependent upon funding, we would like to take students on outings during the December school holiday to places such as the Tygeberg Zoo, Kirstenbosch Gardens, and Ratanga Junction. We would also like to open a school during the September school holidays.

World’s Apart, Hearts Together Exchange Programme

In 2006, the Amy Biehl Foundation was invited to Washington in the United States for the month of June as part of a cultural exchange with the city of Seattle. Our Programme Manager, Ntobeko Peni, along with a local drama teacher, led a group of six drama students on the trip, none of whom had ever been on a plane, let alone left the continent before. While in America, the students attended classes in public schools like normal students, learning English, Maths, History and life skills. The students also played the role of teacher, leading American students in activities such as Xhosa, traditional dance and story-telling. The students improved their communication skills, their ability to work as part of a team, and saw a part of the world that would not have been possible without the Amy Biehl Foundation. Each student stayed with a different host family for the entirety of their stay, and was fully immersed in American culture. The trip was a life-changing event for the students, and they were able to share their experiences with their classmates upon arriving home. Programmes like the World?s Apart, Hearts Together trip, are important in raising hope and cultural awareness for South African youths, and provide extra incentive for other students to participate in Foundation activities.

Northern Ireland / SA partnership – Hockey and Soccer Coaching

Eric Jenkinson from Jenkinson Consulting and 6 coaches from Northern Ireland held a hockey and soccer clinic for 60 of the Amy Biehl Foundation kids. This was the 2nd year and each kid received a certificate and prizes were handed out on the last day. Next year will be even bigger and better with 25 visitors comprising of coaches and players. Training will be in the mornings with matches in the afternoons.