Location of the projects
In the north of South Africa lies the “Lowveld” of Limpopo with the town of Phalaborwa. After many years of sponsor and volunteer activities in Cape Town, Teachers for Africa is now closely involved in the South African Lowveld. It had been a wish for a long time to be able to also make a positive impact in this part of the country. Teachers for Africa works closely with local organizations that also work towards the development of the local community of Phalaborwa. And by working together we all know what the local community needs.
Demographic and economic background of the area
There are around 150.000 people living in and around the municipality of Ba-Phalaborwa, mostly in traditional communities and shanty towns (locally known as townships). The population is predominantly black (93%) and mainly lives from mining and tourism. Unfortunately unemployment and poverty are very high in these communities. The region has an unemployment rate of almost 47% and Limpopo is in fact the second-poorest province in South Africa. Many people with a job still hardly make enough money to provide for their family.
Phalaborwa itself has about 13.000 residents, the slight majority of them being white Afrikaners.
Kruger National Park
Phalaborwa is the only town directly adjacent to the world-renowned Kruger National Park. The Kruger Park has a total area of approximately two million hectares, and besides its size, the Kruger Park is also known for its wide variety of animal species. Of these, the so-called “Big Five” is best known: lion, buffalo, leopard, rhino and African elephant. Take a look at the Kruger Park website. The local economy benefits greatly from the many tourists who visit the Big Five on safari, but unfortunately the black population is barely benefitting from this themselves. Almost half the population has never completed high school or even primary school, which means that finding work is very hard, let alone a decent paying job. Education is crucial to fight poverty in this area. Solid education with more personal guidance can make a huge difference to make the local children start a better life.
Projects near Kruger Park
Teachers for Africa is very proud of the sponsor projects and programmes we started in the municipality of Ba-Phalaborwa in late 2014. Together with a number of selected disadvantaged partner schools and local projects, we focus mainly on (sponsor) projects concerning education and sport.
In addition to financial donations, we can also use motivated volunteers from South Africa and other areas around the world who want to further develop these projects with their knowledge and experience, that will of course benefit the children and teachers.