Shoprite Foundation partners with Adopt-a-School Foundation this Mandela Day

This unique encounter with cyberspace is presented in support of Adopt-a-School Foundation’s Back to School for Mandela Day initiative - a comprehensive, multi-faceted programme that will equip learners and teachers at the under-resourced school with the assets they need to facilitate the best educational outcomes.

Said the managing trustee of the Shoprite Foundation, Maude Modise: “In line with the Shoprite Group's purpose of uplifting lives every day, the Shoprite Foundation focuses on enabling teaching environments that successfully engage learners, and help them excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in schools.”

In addition, the Shoprite Foundation also provided the following to the 1,200 learners at the school:

• A much-needed 5,000-litre Jojo tank 
• Snack packs  
• Corndogs
• 500 packs of sanitary pads

According to Modise, the Shoprite Foundation believes that quality education is crucial to the growth of a developing country like South Africa. Initiatives that improve educational content, delivery and the learners’ overall experience, can lead to groundbreaking innovations that will drive our country forward.

The Foundation therefore supports educational programmes, such as those presented by the Adopt-a-School Foundation, that bridge the inequality gaps in the country’s education system, prepare young people for future-fit careers, and ensure that no child is left behind.

Adopt-a-School, a partner entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, which marks its 20th anniversary this year - is a non-profit that creates and enhances conducive learning and teaching environments in disadvantaged schools. It uses a Whole School Development (WSD) model that focuses on school leadership, curriculum, infrastructure, and social welfare. The WSD Programme is the cornerstone of the Foundation’s mandate to help under-resourced schools in every aspect, ensuring that schools are equipped with quality education.  

Adopt-a-School's Back to School for Mandela Day initiative saw numerous organisations come together on 18 July, commemorating active citizenship as many volunteers gathered to engage in activities that included:

• Jungle gym painting
• Library painting and assembling of new furniture
• Computer lab painting and new furniture
• Combination court painting
• Vegetable garden expansion
• Virtual reality learner activity 
• Packing and distribution of snacks for learners
• Eyesight testing
• Distribution of school shoes to orphaned and vulnerable children

AAS chief executive Steven Lebere said: “Since 2012, the Back to School for Mandela Day initiative has seen corporate partners go back to school and spend their 67 minutes supporting volunteer activities around schools. Through this initiative, many of our schools have benefitted from conducive teaching and learning environments.  This would not have been possible without the much-needed support from donors and partners.  I want to Thank the Shoprite Foundation for supporting our Back to School for Mandela Day campaign, ensuring this year’s school experiences an engaging and impactful Mandela Day.”

Should you wish to sponsor/adopt a school or dedicate your 67 minutes to the Back to School for Mandela Day initiative, please visit www.adoptaschool.org.za.

About Adopt-a-School Foundation

Adopt-a-School Foundation (AASF) is an entity of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (CRF) and was officially established in 2002 by a group of concerned individuals, including Cyril Ramaphosa and Dr James Motlatsi. The Foundation is registered as a Section 21 company with PBO status and has an Independent Board of Directors.

The Foundation works with a wide range of stakeholders, including District, Provincial, and National Departments of Basic Education, corporate donors, various service providers, and best-practice NGOs. The Foundation implements Whole School Development, a holistic model aimed at improving the academic, infrastructural, social, and security environment in schools.

There are currently 663 schools under the Adopt-a-School Foundation’s adoption programme. The Foundation works in all nine provinces in South Africa, including Lesotho and Mozambique. For more information on the Adopt-a-School Foundation, visit the Foundation’s website at www.adoptaschool.org.za. Email az.oc.loohcsatpoda@sbocajz or call 011 592 6580.

Adopt-a-School statistics:

Since inception, well over a billion rand has been invested

Schools Adopted: 660+

Learners reached: 1,555,240.

Educators developed: 33,023

Facilities constructed: 715

Jobs created: 14,837

SMMEs: 2,335

Learners benefiting from visual support: 108,048

Spectacles provided: 5,276

Learners benefiting from Health and Sanitation projects: 21,102

Learners participating in awareness campaigns: 9,423

About The Shoprite Foundation 

It is at the heart of the Shoprite Group’s philanthropic purpose to uplift lives in the communities where it operates. Founded in 2022 as a registered non-profit entity, the Shoprite Foundation contributes to this through its focus on supporting educational programmes that bridge the inequality gaps in the country’s education system, preparing young people for future-fit careers and ensuring that no child is left behind.

Specifically, the Foundation directs its resources into improving science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, providing learners in underserved communities with access to quality education and facilitating teaching environments that are conducive to successful learning.  Through an increased uptake of STEM subjects, learners will be better equipped to contribute to society by solving complex problems, driving economic growth and innovation, and impacting social change.  

In addition to a focus on youth education, the Foundation also works to provide economic opportunity and skills development for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).