Opening up the world for a new generation of rural South Africans
In 2005 Kate Groch and I built a preschool in the remote South African town of Philippolis, with nothing more than a building manual, a faulty water pipe and a small beat-up car.
As we arrived at the building site on day one, I turned to my former teacher and said “Great Kate, so where’s the team?” And I’ll never forget her reply: “We’re it, Boyd.”
We have come a long way since building that first preschool. Kate founded the Good Work Foundation, its mission to revolutionize education in rural South Africa. Since then, thousands of individuals from around the world have rallied a tribe that is supporting the cause. Good Work Foundation has leap-frogged tradition, focusing on digital, English, environmental and creative literacy. The GWF is bringing innovative technology and curricula, from mobile inquiry-based learning environments, to digital whiteboards and Math on iPads, to underserved schools.
You can join the tribe bringing wonder-filled learning to rural South African youth.
Scroll through to learn more about the journey of this remarkable organisation:
2003 – 2005
The first Future Nature trips to the small town of Philippolis start
1997 – 1998
Kate “Teach” Groch travels with the Varty Family around Africa – distance learning conceptualises
2005 – 2006
The pre-school in Bergmanshoogte in Philippolis is built with the help of Future Nature volunteers.
2006 – 2007
Good Work Foundation is formalised. The Varty’s move back to Londolozi. Gogo Mo starts the Londolozi Digital Learning Centre focusing on adult literacy and English. Kate does the FGASA training.
2007 – 2008
GWF thrives at Londolozi. Community interventions commence at Sam Nzime, Happy Homes and Babati, as well as Eric and Maggie’s pre-schools
2009 – 2010
GWF moves adult learning to Madlala high School in Justicia village. ICDL courses, and English, are offered with one laptop and 30 licences. The first computer centre is set up.
2010 – 2011
Conversations around a formal digital literacy centre concept commence with Kate, Dave Varty, Solly & Simpiwe Solomons, Madia van der Walt, Colin Govender and T-Systems. T-Systems gift Good Work Foundation with the initial investment to turn the old dusty banana-packing shed into a world class digital literacy centre.
2012
Building of Hazyview Digital Learning Campus commences. The centre opens in August 2012.
The foundation has set up six digital learning campuses and helps over seven thousand of rural learners per week to become digitally literate, from toddlers all the way up to grandparents. Kate and I are at our most proud when we see a “Gogo” (the Zulu word for grandmother) and her grandchild in the same class, both learning to plug into the world on Google.
Good Work Foundation believes in a future where rural African people are confident participants of the fourth industrial revolution. They are agents of change seamlessly plugged in to local communities and global networks. Together with those who are reimagining education with us, GWF will continue to create innovative digital learning campuses, responsive programs and demand-led social enterprises, all working together to create an accessible, opportunity-packed world for our next generation of rural Africans.
Our goal is for each regional cluster of campuses to deliver wonder-filled 21st century learning opportunities to rural and marginalized communities. Each cluster will be 80% self-funded, 100% community-powered and 75% women-led.
The world is changing fast and the future will not exclude us. In fact, the future needs us.
I would urge you to visit the Good Work Foundation website, join the tribe and find a way to contribute to this incredible organisation which is impacting the lives of over 26500 rural school children every single year. To make a secure online donation please click on the button below.