MiWay donates car to assist school upliftment

"The school had been classed as dysfunctional," recalls Theo Krynauw. Only one in three pupils passed their matric exams in 2010. "We felt inspired to connect our lives to the children of this school. We wanted to wake their sense of self-worth and the realization that they have resources within themselves that far outweigh the hopelessness of their situation."

Krynauw began addressing the school assembly every week, and he and Angela took groups of ten pupils at a time on outings that helped to expand their view of the world. "We take them on nature walks and to places like art galleries, holistic farms and radio stations. We also have two children at a time sleep over at our house, which is where we really got to know about their hopes, dreams and aspirations, as well as the poverty and abuse suffered in many cases."

Finding ways to meet the children's practical needs came next, with the couple visiting many doctors to try to get them to give of their services one hour per month pro bono.

Their contribution and the way the community of Hermanus has mobilized to support them, soon attracted the attention of MiWay, which donated the car so the couple can transport pupils to their outing and appointments easily. The company is also contributing financially to medical costs.

"We applaud their tenacity and dedication for getting involved in this project on their own accord and within their own budget constraints," say Carine Conradie-Haffejee, head of marketing at MiWay. "Giving them a car means they will be able to help more children, more quickly. We also hope that driving the branded car around will make them more visible and encourage others to get involved in their amazing project."

The results have already become evident. "The pass rate for 2011 moved up from 32% to 66%," says Theo Krynauw. "The school's headmaster Mr Lolwana and his team did a wonderful job over the last year and we are proud to be a part of it and to have made a meaningful contribution to the school over the last year. Many of the children have become such good friends and we are linked to their lives for years to come."