Sumbandila Outreach Programme
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The process of selecting the first children for the Full Scholarships brought the Sumbandila Trust into contact with a group of learners who, although they were not selected were nevertheless talented, ambitious and capable of performing very well academically and making a substantial contribution to society. These learners are now in secondary schools, even the best of which are under-resourced and over-crowded and in which conditions militate against the development of their potential.
Sumbandila provides intensive educational support and mentorship in core areas to these learners and thereby assists them towards academic success and admission to university education while, at the same time, keeping them focused on the needs of their communities of origin and instilling in them the commitment, once they are qualified in their careers of choice, to bring their skills back into the service of those communities. This is achieved by a bi-monthly Saturday programme as well as Holiday Schools comprising mentorship and bridging classes held at Ridgeway College and using the IT centre laboratories and other facilities of Ridgeway. Holiday schools in July and September and planned for January. These include Leadership and Entrepreneurial Skills Development programmes and activities and a strong emphasis on active environmental education and cultural activities in addition to the more academic.
Saturday schools for the first 20 children selected for the Sumbandila Outreach Programme began in August 2008 and have been expanded to include a further 22 in the 2009 intake and 27 in the 2010 intake. Funding for school fees and for transport costs to and from school has been obtained for all of the students from the Study Trust. In the long term Sumbandila and Study Trust will assist them in finding funding to attend tertiary institutions. The Sumbandila Outreach Programme is currently funded by a generous grant from The D.G. Murray Trust as well as a number of private donors.
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