We love to share the feedback received from our beneficiaries about the impact that StreetSmart funding is having on the lives of vulnerable children. 

StreetSmart Stellenbosch has contributed to Stellumthombo – BecomingKids, an early intervention programme focusing on high risk children living in the Cloetesville area in Stellenbosch, towards a learning support facilitator salary.

“Rita Pearson said: ‘Every child deserves a champion; an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.’

Once a child has repeated two grades in primary school, they are just advanced every year until they can continue with high school.  During this time teachers become frustrated with the struggling child and often give up on them.  BecomingKids’ goal is to help kids stay in school and to prevent them from landing on the streets.  Sometimes the school system makes it very difficult for children, especially for those with learning and behaviour difficulties, to stay in school.

BecomingKids has a young boy in the program that the school system has given up on. The school governing body wanted to expel him immediately.  He has been in the program for six years and is still regularly attending school because of the continuous learning and reading support, and adults cheering him on. He is currently in grade 5, but 14 years old. With a lot of mediation meetings at school and with his mom, we have been able to change the governing body’s mind. In January he will be applying at a technical school where he, hopefully, will be accepted and be able to work more on a practical level. That will give him the opportunity to flourish.”

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