The Rondebosch Boys Outreach was established in 2012 by maths teacher, Mr Rowan Harmuth. The project started out with boys and their teachers and parents travelling through from Cape Town to the Transkei each winter holiday to spend time with learners at Izolomzi Senior Secondary School, the goal being to help them to prepare for matric exams. The Izolomizi project has run its course with the school having achieved well over 90% pass rate in recent years, including distinctions in subjects such as accounting, maths and science.
A new partnership has now been forged with a new school in the area; Tyali Senior Secondary School. This school is located on the road between Kentani and Trennerys Hotel (where the Cape Town party stays). Tyali SSS is currently working out of pre-fab buildings but a brand-new up-to-date school is being built on the premises for the leaners.
These days the outreach team is now drawn from several Cape Town girls’ schools, in addition to Rondebosch Boys. What is abundantly clear is that the outreach is a life-changing experience for all the learners involved. The learners from Cape Town generally come back blown away by the dedication and drive of the Transkei counterparts, and by how much they achieve under such difficult circumstances.
The principal of the school, Mr Pakamisa Swelindawo, was elevated from a teaching post at the school to the position of principal about three years ago. In 2017 the school managed to raise the matric pass rate from the usual performance of around 40 – 42% to 48% and last year they achieved a fantastic 91% pass rate. They now have former learners studying medicine (four of them) and IT among other subjects.
CECM continues to sponsor the fuel that gets the learners to and from Cape Town.