Alive

Alive (12) enjoys herself tremendously. She sings and dances and bursts into laughter when the volunteers crack jokes. She has a nice big meal during lunchtime. After that she draws and then plays sports with her team.  At the gate at 4 o'clock she gets an apple.
On coming home Alive does the laundry en cooks porridge. At 8 o'clock they are all in bed: Boy (5), Thandi (9) and Alive. Tomorrow, at the holiday school, Alive can be a child again.

Facts and figures

For Facts and figures please go to our Annual report >> to Annual report

Thousands of children

Since the first holiday school project in 1998 many thousands of children and youngsters have enjoyed a wonderful holiday.
Many youngsters have been involved for years, first as a child and later as a volunteer.
'I went to holiday school when I was this tall' Odwa (22) tells the children, holding his hand some four feet above the ground. He now holds the position of senior manager at that very same holiday school.

Alcoholism, HIV and AIDS

‘… the young people including volunteers value the programme. It is also very clear that they need such an intervention desperately due to the socio–economic factors in the community. … the young people view the programme as an opportunity to acquire skills that can support them in escaping alcoholism, crime, abuse, HIV and AIDS and in making informed choices in life. Words cannot express the joy and transformation that young people went through …' Spokesperson Department of Education of the Western Cape

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Role model

‘Becoming a volunteer changed a lot in my life. I now have things to do. I don’t do bad things. I live in a township, if you know what I mean. So at least I don’t go out there stealing or whatever I’m doing. Now I have become a role model. So the kids, when I come around, they call me teacher. I know, even if I’m not a qualified teacher, it still really feels nice, that there are some kids who pay attention to me’. 20 year old Holiday school volunteer

Two meals, fruit and milk

The Stichting Projecten Zuid-Afrika - South Africa Foundation supports holiday schools organised by local schools and organisations in townships. We also support holiday schools for farm children. Many farmworkers and their families still live in abject poverty and have to face harsh circumstances every day. Our goals are:

• To keep children and youngsters off the streets in a safe environment.
• To offer children and youngsters fun, knowledge and skills.

At holiday school children get breakfast, a meal at lunchtime, fruit and milk.

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Holiday schools model

Holiday schools are based on a model that was developed together with a team of South African youngsters from Zwelihle township in Hermanus. For comments on the model >> to Comments on the Holiday Schools model

Main principles of the model are:

• Local volunteers (teachers, parents, youngsters and others) manage the holiday school. Young volunteers are the backbone.
• The local organisation or school is responsible for acquiring South African donations: money, equipment, discounts, venues. We only co-sponsor.
• Children pay a daily entrance fee: money or recyclables(glass or plastic bottles, or tins). Lack of money may not prevent a child from paticipating.
• Young volunteers should be trained.
• Young volunteers will be able to earn credits for a scholarship. For more information please go to Scholarship programme >> to Scholarship programme.

A free booklet about the holiday schools model - 'The SAF Holiday Schools Model: a manual for schools and organisations' - can be downloaded from our website. A presentation 'How to organise a holiday school' is also available on the Publications in English page >> to Publications in English

Other pages

Other pages under the heading Wat we do are: Out-of-school child care >> to Out-of-school child care programme, After school care >> to After school care, Child sponsorship programme >> to Child sponsorship programme, Scholarship programme >> to Scholarship programme

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