News

Donor Report

Quarter 3: 2025

MICHAELHOUSE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP TRUST

1/2. QUARTER 3 PROJECTS AND IMPACT REPORT 2025

The intention of this report is to capture the work of the Michaelhouse Community Partnership Trust during the 2nd Quarter of 2025 as part of our ongoing mission of improving our 16 ‘foot- print’ schools and 7 ECD Centres as functional places of learning. This is a complex and mul- ti-faceted process. We have 13 focussed projects, progress on which we report below. Where we can, we work on the basis of ‘fair exchange’ to ensure sustainability and equal “skin in the game”, we are also mindful of keeping our schools ‘at the centre of the community’ by working on the basis of co-determination, collaboration and cooperation. Below are the high-level suc- cesses of our work in respect of:

Eduhelpers [teaching interns]
Shaya Izibalo Maths
School maintenance
Early Childhood Development progress
Boy’s Service
2025 Sports Tournament
ABSA Borehole hand over

3. EDUHELPERS (TEACHING INTERNS):

Workshop; Technology Related Challenges, ABESA Bursaries, Post at Sanral.

Our 25 Eduhelpers successfully completed their second quarter workshop in May. The main focus of this session was on addressing the biggest technology-related challenges faced in schools, particularly printing resources, and internet connectivity issues. The workshop provided a platform for Eduhelpers to share experiences, brainstorm solutions, and strengthen their ability to support teachers and learners in overcoming these barriers.

Some Significant successes in 2025:

Eduhelpers received study bursaries through ABESA to complete their studies
1 Eduhelper received an internship opportunity with a R7 500 stipend over 2 years through ABESA. This young lady has been placed on a permanent post by the DOE.
1 Eduhelper has found permanent placement in an administration post at Sanral.

Eduhelpers in a Classroom & Learner Management Workshop Session

4. SHAYA IZIBALO MATHS INTERVENTIONS:

Matric Term 1 Revision, Assessments Completed; Koloso App; Pleasing Marks.

On the 20th of August our zero-rating application was approved – meaning learners and teachers can ac- cess the SIMI website and teaching videos with zero data cost. The networks have 14 days from 20 August to get this switched on.

A successful teacher training session held at Michaelhouse – Monday 28 July. We had 45 teachers attend from 28 different schools. Topic covered was “Probability and Counting Techniques.” A topic many teach- ers struggle with as its fairly new to the syllabus, so most teachers were not taught it themselves. We had the session professionally filmed and have advertised it on social media so that teachers across South Africa can benefit from it, now and in the future.

A revision session was held on Saturday 16 August for Paper 1 before matric trials. 270 learners attended in person at MHS as well as many schools and individuals online. There was social media interest to this post.

Our next revision session for Paper 2 for trials has been scheduled for Saturday 30thof August. Grade 8 revision session will be online scheduled for 6 September. 5 new schools from the Rorke’s Drift area have been added to SIMI program,3 schools in Kwadabeka (Pinetown),1 school in Cape Town. School visits to 5 new schools in Rorke’s Drift / Isandlwana took place during the week of 26th August. The aim is to address the grade 8 learners.

On Wednesday the 27th there will be a full day teaching and revision for matrics from all schools in a single venue.

5. SCHOOL MAINTENANCE:

Maintenance and Natal Park Waste; wheel bins; waste collection

Natal Park waste has been collecting refuse from Injoloba, Dargle, Asithuthuke, Chrystal Springs, Dabula- manzi and Esiphethwini Sendezi bi-weekly at R3346.50 per trip. MCPT have purchased wheel bins for the schools to make it easier for the Natal Park waste team to collect the waste.

This term Trafalgar maintenance team has done work in Injoloba, Bruntville, Esiphethwini, Dargle, Corry Lynne, Shea O’Connor, Silindele and Jabula. ECD

*Trafalgar Maintenance Team at Crystal Springs*

6. EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS:

Grow ECD Partner; Supporting Teachers; Meerkat App Training Scheduling Visits; Grow Kits:

Over the past year, in our wider community CPT has become involved with 7 ECD Centres. Our implement- ing partner GROW ECD conducted a number of support workshops for teachers and principals. The aim was to ensure all ECD owners understood the requirements of managing a legally compliant and effective ECD centre. A practitioner from the Department of Social Development in the ECD division ran a workshop ensuring that the necessary due diligence was in place and that the centres had the correct procedural practices in place. On Wednesday, 20 August 2025, we hosted a GROW ECD workshop aimed at supporting our ECD teachers with the GROW Meerkat app.

During the session, teachers were guided on how to download the learning materials and were assigned a task to complete an online training course before the next session, with the training date still to be confirmed. The GROW ECD team also plans to return next month to provide training for ECD principals on fundraising strategies for their centres. Presently, Kim and Ayanda Gwamanda are working on scheduling visits to the ECD sites to monitor the teachers use of GROW kits

*GROWECD Kit set up in Khulakahle Centre*

*Teacher’s Capacity Building Workshop With Grow* ECD

7. BOY’S SERVICE:

Special Projects; Clearing alien plants; Solar Powered borehole; Veggie gardens Mandela Day

All houses have supported their partner schools and service programmes have been going well.

Special projects to mention from the last month:

Reserve work was undertaken with boys clearing alien plants.
ABSA handover of veggie garden and Solar powered borehole. The boys thoroughly engaged, and it was an honour to be part of such a special event.
Veggie gardens at partner schools: Khazimula and new ECD centre at Mooi River – boys took compost, prepared, and planted. Duncan took the remaining plants from his hydroponics project to the Mooi River based ECD. Next half-term the focus will be on the ECD centre at Nottingham Road
TJ (as part of Rector’s project) pooled together funds to buy a new photocopy machine for Sindi Zuma tutoring school in the Lidgetton community to assist with the needs of their after-school homework tutoring programme.
Conversations had with me with Mike Flockhart of Sports Tec to scope the training of boys who intend to assist with sports practice to ensure it is always valuable (for both). We are looking for a time for this.

The boys prepared warm soup for 9 of our partner primary schools as a Mandela Day initiative. This was then delivered by the CPT team along with some bread, butter, jam and peanut butter and was enjoyed by the children on a cold winter morning.

*Michaelhouse Boys set up for ABSA Event*

*Michaelhouse Boys Plant Veggies at Bruntville*

*Service Boys prep for Mandela Day Soup*

8. ABSA PARTNERSHIP

Successful Completion; Solar powered borehole; Pioneering Social Enterprise; ABSA Bank; Two of our Partner Schools.

The Michaelhouse Community Partnerships Trust is thrilled to announce the successful completion of a transformative project: the installation of a solar-powered borehole system and sustainable garden setups at two of our 16 partner schools – Bruntville Primary and Eminyezaneni Senior Secondary School. This initiative was made possible through the generous support of ABSA Bank and the innovative expertise of Kusini Water. Kusini Water, a pioneering social enterprise, develops water treatment systems using nanotechnology and macadamia nut shells. Their mission is to deliver clean, safe drinking water to rural, peri-urban, and informal communities across Africa. This year, their treatment system has been imple- mented in two of our partner schools.

What Each School Received

12 wooden garden planters.
1,000 seedlings (carrots, spinach, and tomatoes).
Fresh compost for planting.
Gardening tools (including gloves and watering cans).
A Silar Powered Borehole.

On August 6th and 7th, the two schools gathered for the official handover ceremonies. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and gratitude as representatives from ABSA, Kusini Water, the Michaelhouse Community Partnerships Trust, Michaelhouse boys, and local leaders joined in the festivities: cutting a celebratory cake and delivering speeches of appreciation. Poems, dancing and choir singing concluded an exceptional day. This initiative is about more than just clean water and fresh vegetables – it’s about hope, sustainability, and self-reliance. With solar power, safe water, and flourishing gardens, these schools are now better equipped to teach, nurture, and inspire their learners. In addition to saving on water and electricity costs- making the schools more functional as places of learning.

9. SPORT

Annual Sports Tournament

Every year, something extraordinary happens courtesy of Michaelhouse when our playing fields are opened to our 16 community ‘footprint’ schools, bringing together around 500+ eager learners in a day filled with energy, sportsmanship, vibrancy and sheer joy. Our schools have little in the way of sporting or coaching fa- cilities, and minimal opportunity for those with interest or talent to express themselves, so this annual event is eagerly anticipated and is a celebration of hope, pride, unity, and shared possibility. From the moment the first whistle blows, the playing fields buzz with activity, with all players resplendent in their school colours.

This festival is one among MCPT’s three annual flagship competitions—alongside the Arts and Choir events – each designed to bring out the creativity, talents, and leadership in learners across our 16 ‘footprint’ schools. MCPT is all about strengthening education in our local community. By offering programs that build leadership, enhance learning, upgrade school infrastructure, and improve learning outcomes. Our aim is to restore these schools as vibrant places of learning – places where any learner can imagine, believe, and achieve. In this regard our annual sport festival is especially important thanks to the dedicated efforts of MCPT’s staff, trustees, volunteers, and supporters – a day for the Michaelhouse community to celebrate.

*Soccer teams go head-to-head for the 2025 Tournament*

*Lions River Primary Netball Team Takes all*

10. CONCLUSION

As can be seen from the above quarterly report, our work and our contribution to the upliftment of our 16 footprint schools and 7 ECD Centres as functional places of learning is comprehensive and far-reach- ing. For you our stakeholders, we hope to enjoy your continued support, and we hope you will spread the word of the valuable work we are doing, so that our community engagement grows and progresses. Your donations are achieving impact and changing the lives of thousands of children in the KZN Midlands.

Thank you!