Ubunthu KATS

Project Mission

Offering financial support to Learners to enable school completion

Keeping Kids at School aka KATS

This project literally does just that. Many Orphaned and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in South Africa drop out of school as a result of insufficient funds and scanty emotional support. By linking sponsors/ mentors to individual learners, KATS fosters meaningful relationships, which enrich the lives of all who participate in this programme.

Is there a specific target group?

Yes. Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Adolescents in Cape Town and in the remote Kalahari region within the ‡Khomani San community.

How does KATS work?

Individual or Group sponsors/mentors connect with an individual learner through the Ubunthu Trust, build relationships and sponsor schooling. For the first year all correspondence will be monitored by the Trust, once the Trust is satisfied that a proper relationship has been established between parties, direct correspondence can take place.

What does sponsorship and mentorship mean?

Sponsorship is a financial commitment to enable the learner to stay at and complete schooling.

Mentoring is the relationship with the learners, which encourages, motivates and emotionally supports them while they’re at school.

Mentoring is very important to the success of this project and correspondence between the sponsor/mentor and child is beneficial.

Can I make a once-off donation or sponser a child even if I would not like to mentor?

Yes. In that case Claire Barry Ubunthu Trust Kalahari Projects Manager will take a mentorship role.

Who manages the money?

The Ubunthu Trust manages all moneys destined for the OVC. We pay fees directly to the schools, hostels, shops for school clothes and transporters. The learners receive pocket money monthly. This ensures that the money is used for what it is intended.

Accounting is done professionally and is available for inspection at all times.

How does this benefit the community?

This is where the spirit of Ubunthu truly emerges. An individual, who completes schooling, has a far greater chance of engaging in tertiary education, Further Education Training and/or working. This means that the financial status of the family improves. Even though some of the children are Orphans they still have families who would benefit from a working member.

KATS Learners

Christolene

Ntombi

Bianca

What happens if ‘my’ teen drops out?

The Ubunthu Trust has a relationship with each Learner, the school they attend and offers a counselling service. We consistently monitor the well- being of all the learners in the programme. If there is a drop-out we would investigate the reasons and mediate a return to school. However, these are OVC children and we cannot guarantee that the trauma they may already have suffered and the pressures of dysfunctional families will not be too great for the Learner.

At present we fund 2 Learners in Cape Town, 5 in the Kalahari and 1 who is at University in Pretoria. Our past beneficiaries include 2 University Graduates as well as very well qualified Tour Guides and an IT diploma.