105 Schultüten for the global citizens of tomorrow

The new iThemba Primary School in Cape Town gives disadvantaged township children a first-class education

In Germany, no child has started school without it for more than 100 years: the school cone. The sweet treats it contains are designed to prepare the children for the not-always-so-sweet school routine. But this tradition does not exist in South Africa. And so the 105 girls and boys were amazed and delighted to be handed the homemade cardboard cones by help alliance patron Vivian Spohr.

The reason for the surprise was the opening ceremony of the iThemba Primary School in the township of Capricorn near Cape Town. Spohr opened the primary school in the presence of the director of the district’s education authority, Glen Van Harte: “We are very pleased to be able to offer so many children here in the township such a first-class education”, said the patron in her speech. “A dream has come true, not only for the many people who have worked tirelessly to make this project a reality. The girls and boys now also have the opportunity to make their dreams come true.”

“This school is the future of our children, which they would not have had in this form otherwise. They will be the global citizen of the future.”, says Glen Van Harte, director of the district’s education authority. 105 children in three classes have been taught at the iThemba Primary School since the beginning of January. In a few years, when all stages of the building work have been completed, the primary school will offer places to 700 girls and boys. And school places are urgently needed, because in the socially and economically disadvantaged suburb of the South African tourist metropolis, more than 2,000 children do not have one. What’s more, studies show that children from the townships educationally lag behind other children in South Africa by two to three years.

With the preschool and the new primary school, iThemba and help alliance take steps to counter this development. The preschool, which currently looks after 85 children between the ages of three and six years, lays the foundation. In addition to teaching English to a high level, the teachers there primarily focus on social skills, which often fall by the wayside in a whirlpool of poverty and violence.

In addition to many different opportunities for learning and playing, the learning success is based on the good care the children receive as well as healthy meals every day. The close cooperation with the families and the community creates trust and acceptance. And the new primary school is also based on this successful concept.

“We were convinced that the children and their families have to continue to receive a first-class education after preschool in order to maintain and develop the level of education. Which is why we built this primary school”, explains help alliance project manager and Lufthansa purser Susanne French

help alliance covers the building costs for the primary school of more than one million euros. This is the largest project of the aid project of Lufthansa Group so far. French has been working tirelessly over the past few years to get this project underway. And it’s been a success: The South African ministry of education agreed to the primary school and it is now recognised and financed by the state. The land was made available by the provincial government, and the school’s running costs are covered by the Western Cape Education Department.

But that’s not all: “We aim to set up a community college for the whole family, because we take a holistic approach”, French explains. Adolescents are particularly at risk, because unfortunately gang crime, drugs and alcohol are widespread, she continues. “This of course means we continue to need many more donations.”

The opening ceremony was also attended by Carsten Spohr and Ulrik Svensson as well as by 40 managers from various Lufthansa Group companies from the Africa & Middle East region. For the delegation, the school opening was the prelude to their annual regional market conference, which is taking place in Cape Town this year. They all agreed that the regional business activities of the individual companies in the region should align with the principles of responsibility and sustainability. The iThemba help alliance project is not only a good example of social commitment in the region, it is also a flagship project that perfectly represents the entrepreneurial responsibility of the entire LH Group.

Here you can find more information about the project in South Africa.