Help Alliance opens iThemba Primary School near Cape Town for disadvantaged children

After completion of all construction stages, 700 disadvantaged children will be afforded a place at the new school.

Susanne French, Help Alliance project manager for iThemba and Lufthansa Purser, has worked endlessly over the past few years to get this project up and running. The primary school has been approved by the South African Ministry of Education and is recognised and financed by the state. The provincial government provides the land and the operational costs are borne by the Western Cape Education Department.

Help Alliance patron Vivian Spohr, in the presence of her husband, Carsten Spohr, chairman of the executive board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, opened the primary school. "We are very pleased to be able to offer so many deserving children here in the township a first-class education. It is a dream come true not only for the many people who have worked tirelessly for the project, but the children and families who will be impacted by the education provided. The girls and boys attending iThemba now have a new opportunity to achieve their dreams," says Spohr.

Building on its commitment

For more than ten years now, Help Alliance has been involved with the children in the township and has been supporting the iThemba Pre-School since then. With the construction of the iThemba Primary School, it is now taking the next step in expanding its commitment with a clear focus on the Sustainable Development Goal of Quality Education.

"We have just completed phase one," explains French. "Our goal is to build a community college for the whole family, because we have a holistic approach. The project is building towards offering evening classes and sports for young people. It is precisely this age group that is particularly at risk. We want and must show young people an alternative lifestyle to gang violence, drugs and alcohol. For this we need many more donations, of course."