Our vision started out as a “concern” whenever we came across stories of talented learners, with solid character and a hunger for knowledge, unable to access quality education because of their circumstances.

This “concern” grew into a “burden” as we became involved in several different programmes within the schools where we taught, that offered opportunities to disadvantaged learners over the years. Whilst we were able to contribute to helping a few, the burden grew in the knowledge that there are still so many learners who are overlooked and therefore miss the chance to receive a sound education. As the burden grew, so did our experience in learning the “how, why and what” details that contribute to ‘successful opportunity’ at both primary and high school levels. Our dream is that we would be able to facilitate more opportunities through partnerships with excellent high schools in Kwa-Zulu Natal because underpinning this dream is the belief that young people should be allowed to thrive, not just survive.     

We believe in a part-funding model whereby the partner school, the Amathuba Foundation and the learners’ caregiver are together all responsible for funding the five years of high school. In addition to this, we also believe that a successful opportunity is not achieved simply through funding, as this is just a means to an end. Real success is measured by how much the learner felt a sense of belonging within their learning space as this determines whether he/she can truly thrive. This is achieved through fostering a culture that says “how you feel matters”. Thus, we believe in constant relationship building and mentorship whereby the learner is given a voice as opposed to simply ‘saying the right thing and appreciating the opportunity’ and merely assimilating to the environment around them to fit in.

Therefore, we have developed the B-CRIGG mentorship programme which will run congruently with the academic programme for the five years. This mentorship programme will aim to develop our recipients by focussing on our core values: BELONGING, COMPASSION, RELATIONSHIPS, INTEGRITY, GRATITUDE and GENEROSITY. This mentorship will be offered by young adult mentors within the Amathuba Foundation and facilitated through a selected ‘champion teacher’ within the partner school. We have an existing partnership with the Frank Jackson Foundation, based in the UK, who currently sponsor 4 learners every year to attend two primary schools within the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. These learners become full boarders from Grade 4-7 and receive exposure and an outstanding foundation in the areas of: academics, cultural activities, sports codes, EQ development and spiritual growth. Whilst not limited to, we aim to offer preference to these learners, who then need to fund their own high school if they are not offered substantial scholarship funding or bursary funding.

Therefore, our selection costs are minimal and the research on potential candidates is thorough and trustworthy. We believe in the value of boarding at high school as it not only levels the playing field for these disadvantaged learners, but provides the necessary stability needed to ensure that academic, cultural and sport involvement is easily accessible and once again, learners are able to thrive and not just survive. Finally, we believe in the power of giving back to uplift communities and to bring about social change within our country. The Amathuba Foundation welcomes the involvement of past learners in our programme and through the B-CRIGG mentorship programme, our matric leavers take with them a life-changing experience that cannot be isolated just to themselves.