Lilydale becomes another learning hub

The Good Work Foundation (GWF) with its partners, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Sabi Sand Pfunanani Trust (SSPT), the Lillydale Literacy Project and the All Heart Fund, recently launched the Lillydale Digital Learning Campus, the foundation’s fourth digital learning campus, as part of the Hazyview Cluster.

Once fully operational, the Hazyview Cluster will provide access to digital learning programmes for more than 26 000 youth and learners.

Working closely with the Mpumalanga Department of Education, the Hazyview Cluster already supports digital learning for more than 22 schools, supporting the urgent task of leveraging technology to create wonderfilled learning.

Other than education technology supporting improvements in English and maths, students are already coding, programming robots, and creating their own blogs. The digital learning campuses also offer year-long programmes for young adults.

In an area where youth unemployment is as high as 65 per cent, 75 per cent of GWF’s 2017 alumni have sought out full-time jobs, internships, or positions at South African universities.

Adv Ngoake Ramadhlodi, the first premier of Limpopo and a former South African national minister, called the new digital learning campus “a sterling contribution to the future of our country”.

Kate Groch, GWF chief executive, mentioned the unprecedented collaborative support that the foundation has received from the lodges within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve. At Lillydale Digital Learning Campus, Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve is the primary funding partner and, with the support of the Albert Wessels Trust, the Sabi Sabi executive management team has worked tirelessly over the past three years with GWF to see this project come to life.

The same can be said about community collaboration. From Hlomani High School, to the Mpumalanga Department of Education, the Sabi Sand Pfunanani Trust, the local community structures, and the Lillydale Literacy Project, there has been an enormous amount of support from the community.

During the launch, the campus partners also had the opportunity to pay their respects to the late Sam Nzima, who passed away earlier this year. Nzima, made famous by his photo of Hector Pieterson, was born and raised in Lillydale.

In honour of Nzima, Hlengiwe Nkuna, a GWF alumni, created a painting celebrating his photography. The painting was presented to the Nzima family and will be permanently displayed at the Lillydale campus. “As we celebrate the launch of this worldclass learning space today,” said Groch, “I remind you of the Martin Luther King quote: ‘Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase’.”

GWF now operates four digital learning campuses, each made up of academies that deliver basic literacy and career training to school-aged and adult learners. Open learning academies focus on English literacy, maths literacy, digital literacy, conservation and life skills for school-aged learners.

Bridging academies provide vocational skills courses and digital literacy tuition to adult students. In all areas, and collaborating with strategic partners, GWF focuses on delivering digital curriculums, state-of-theart facilities and expert tuition.