Thanks to the support of all those who sponsored riders on the three Waterberg Trust Challenge Rides and through other donations, TWT has been able to help a number of projects and individuals in the Waterberg:
Lapalala Wilderness School – Education in Conservation project
TWT has given a grant for 125 teenagers from Vaalwater aged 12-17 and their teachers to attend a residential course at Lapalala Wilderness School where they learn about nature conservation. TWT supporters visited the puils being sponsored in January 2017:
Waterberg Welfare Society – Education and Welfare projects
The Waterberg Trust continues to finance education programmes run at the Waterberg Welfare Society. One initiative is to ensure that local children in need attend school, providing shoes and uniforms for about twenty pupils a year.
The Waterberg Trust also enables the Waterberg Welfare Society to run a Learner Support Programme: a study club for secondary school students with well-qualified mentors including a Maths tutor.
Here pupils graduating from primary schools, where lessons are given in SeSotho, can improve on their language studies and computer skills so they can make the most of their secondary education, which is taught in English. WWS report that all pupils attending steadily improve by a grade at school.
Waterberg Welfare Society – Education and Healthcare
TWT riders raised enough money in 2015 to sponsor the training of a nurse from Vaalwater. TWT supporters met a number of candidates who expressed a keen interest in being considered for the scheme.
Lethabo Kids Club – Education and Welfare projects
A grant has been made to Letabo Kids Club that has been run in the township of Leseding by Marilyn Cook for the last sixteen years.
TWT supports their ‘Back to School Project’ – ensuring each child has a place in school.
Marilyn has been able to buy uniforms, or partial uniforms for 80 children – there are still some in need but we are getting there! TWT supporters visited the project in March 2016 and January 2017, bringing sports kit with them.
Marilyn says,’Most of the requests are for school shoes,’ so she takes the children shopping to have them fitted.
Kids Club is attended by 200-600 children each week and is an important point of contact with those in need. A group of young volunteers from Leseding help with the project.
Milk and peanut butter sandwiches are given out to the numerous children who come to hear Bible stories and take part in activities from the age of two and upwards.
The Northern Education Trust – Education Support projects
A grant was awarded to help with the university fees for an outstanding student called Donum Mandizvidza whose mother sadly died. She had been a teacher at the local secondary school. Donum is currently studying for a degree in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics at Pretoria University.
“I am driven and upon finishing my undergraduate I want to pursue my Postgraduate degree in Financial Mathematics while writing my board certification exams from ASSA (Actuarial Society of South Africa) and CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) institute.”
Boschdraai Primary School
Donations of books and stationary were brought out by TWT riders in 2015 for Boshchdraai Primary School and Creche. TWT supporters visited the school in 2017 and hope to find gap-year students to help teach English at this state primary school, which is short-staffed with only two teachers for up to 90 puipls.
Save The Waterberg Rhino – Conservation project
Thanks to those who sponsored Sam Whitbread and his friends on their Rickshaw Run through India, TWT was able to send £1,000 to Save The Waterberg Rhino for the purchase of much needed equipment for the anti-poaching unit and local Police Force.
TWT is now helping Save The Waterberg Rhino to install a high-tech security initative to help guard wilderness areas from the threat of poaching.
The Waterberg is home to the third highest population of rhino in the world and is under huge pressure from international poaching syndicates.
-TWT Riders observing white rhino in January 2017-
