Making School A Better Place
What We do
1. Mobile Library
Libraries are constructed out of refurbished shipping containers and are fitted with air conditioning, wooden laminated floors, beautiful shelving, a blackboard, tables and chairs, as well as +-2500 brand new books. Libraries are branded according to the CI of the corporate.
Avbob is responsible for selecting the schools and Touch Africa manages all the logistical arrangements. They follow a strict due diligence process and are responsible for selecting the school based on the following criteria:
Corporates wanting to donate a library to a school can get more information from Mike at mike@redcherryevents.co.za
Avbob Mutual Society Foundation have committed to donating one library a month.
2. Creches
Touch Africa through its Ride 4 Change initiative has built 2 brand new creches namely Step by Step in the vicinity of Kob Inn and Willowvale and the second creche is Zisukhanyo creche in the Mazeppa Bay area. Our 3rd creche is being built in the heart of Port Elizabeth’s Walmer location and is called Early Birds.
Touch Africa also assists with infrastructure and Feeding schemes. Creches are the true foundation phases and an important feeder into the Junior Secondary Schools. Our evaluation critera is that there is a first a need and secondly we identify a patron in close proximity who will monitor and assist both the teachers and children when needed.
3. Friday Flik
This initiative is simple and operates within rural and township communities, the Touch Africa team would identify a town hall and a local school. The Town Hall would be kitted out with a projector and speakers and the school would be mandated to promote Friday night movies.
This initiative will empower the school to manage Friday Flik and in so doing create a revenue stream by charging an admission fee. The movies are supplied by MNET and Ster Kinekor and the content is of such a nature as to uplift i.e. great movies like e’Lollipop will be broadcast because they have have a large appeal to all ages of the community.
The first project at the Walmer High School based in Port Elizabeth has already reaped rewards. The school has been able to upgrade their school hall and enabled them to hire out the facilities for weddings, conferences and music festivals. This in turn has enabled the school to raise much needed funds.
For more information on schools that need support please contact Mike on mike@touchafrica.co.za
4. Adopt A School
Corporates can easily Adopt schools in South Africa by engaging in various activities:
1. Providing electricity – access to technology and warmth
2. Providing or refurbishing infrastructure – desks, chairs, painting classrooms
3. Providing decent ablutions
4. Providing sporting facilities/equipment
5. Providing container kitchen and vegetable gardens
6. Covering library books
A Section 18A Tax exemption certificate is issued for all monies received in addition to a breakdown of how monies were allocated to the various elements of the project.
Adopting a school is all about taking ownership and building relationships with communities. The lessons to be learnt from the children and staff of these schools are often life-changing for the organisation.
For more information on schools that need support please contact Mike on mike@touchafrica.co.za
5. Book Drive
Help Touch Africa stock libraries around the country by participating in the Touch Africa #bookdrive.
Donate your old fiction, non-fiction, picture and reference books (relevant to Grade R – 7) to schools less fortunate and make a huge difference to those who need.
Donated books will be collected from anywhere in the country and will be sorted and dispatched from our on site “library warehouse” in Johannesburg.
Should you, your school or company wish to get involved please contact Mike on
- – mike@touchafrica.co.za
- – or phone +27 (0)41 581 5335
6. Spelling Bee
Spelling is the gateway to reading and writing. Knowing how to spell increases one’s verbal skills and ability to articulate one’s thoughts in writing. The goal of the spelling bee is to increase our learners’ word knowledge, which will help them to be able to competently read and write. It is not to promote learning to spell by rote, but to foster a learners ability to break down a word into syllables and use logic to spell.
Spelling bee is fun and has long term benefits. Taking part in a spelling bee requires learners to spell words in front of an audience and from this experience they also develop self-confidence, communication, public speaking skills and their ability to thrive under pressure.
In 2015, Touch Africa in partnership with the AVBOB Foundation and Camp I Am developed a “Spelling Bee Resource Pack”. This resource pack would provide schools with a comprehensive understanding of how to conduct their own school level bee.
The resource pack consists of a manual, pronunciation CD and a “How-to” video.
The core objectives behind this project is to get schools excited about spelling bee and hopefully encourage them to participate in the National Spelling Bee hosted by the Department of Basic Education.
The Spelling Bee resource manual was created for AVBOB and Touch Africa by Camp I Am.
7. National Footprint
Up to and including 2016, the AVBOB Foundation and Touch Africa have donated 36 libraries to disadvantaged schools around South Africa.