StreetSmart SA, an organisation dedicated to helping street children rebuild their lives through donations from restaurants in the Western Cape and Gauteng, has handed R40 000 to the Swellendam Bursary Fund, their Swellendam beneficiary for 2016.

The Swellendam Bursary Fund provides bursaries to promising local young people wishing to study at university or college, but who do not have the means to pay for their studies.

Having raised R6,965 in aid of StreetSmart, La Sosta restaurant was the leading contributing restaurant in Swellendam over the past year.

"I am honoured to co-ordinate the Swellendam area for StreetSmart. I see great potential and look forward to making a difference with all the restaurateurs in Swellendam and surrounding areas. I am particularly touched by the dreams that have already been realised with StreetSmart funding and am convinced that with the support of those who can, we are able to at least triple that amount in the year ahead," said Sem Kallen, the newly elected co-ordinator of StreetSmart Swellendam.

Nationally, StreetSmart South Africa has donated the grand sum of R1,05 million for 2016 to various charities  working towards the upliftment of street children. In addition to the Swellendam Bursary Fund, the other beneficiaries are: Cape Town Multi Service Centre, Home from Home, Learn to Live, Ons Plek, T.L.C. Outreach Projects, Zip Zap Circus in Cape Town; Kusasa in Franschhoek, Home from Home in Stellenbosch, Grabouw ECD Centre in Helderberg, Kids Haven in Johannesburg, Masizame in Plettenberg Bay; and PEN in Pretoria. 

“2015 has been another exceptional year for StreetSmart SA! We celebrated 10 years, expanded our support to 23 programmes, and for the second time, StreetSmart has disbursed over R1 million to beneficiaries nationally. We are thrilled to continue our support of the selected StreetSmart Swellendam beneficiary for 2016. We also extend a hearty welcome to Sem Kallen, who will be taking over the local co-ordinator role from Henk Klijn, who initiated StreetSmart Swellendam in 2013. The local committee of four members is the driving force behind the success and expansion of StreetSmart Swellendam,” says Melanie Burke, Chairman of StreetSmart SA.