SOZO EDUCENTRE FUNDING PROPOSAL

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Unsafe Space in the Community

There is currently no high-school and no youth Education

facility in the Vrygrond community and with very high levels

of gangsterism, crime and violence this community offers no

safe space for youth to further their academic development.

Overcrowded Space at School

Local schools are under immense pressure, with classrooms

hosting 50 to 60 learners. Gang violence creates a constant

sense of fear and unease in and around schools.

Vulnerable Space at Home

A common factor in Vrygrond homes is overcrowding, which leaves limited physical space for learners to

do their school work. They are often exposed to substance, physical, sexual and emotional abuse and

neglect is common within many homes. Essentially, compounded with these challenges, many young

people often have limited exposure to academic and educational resources with few opportunities to

break out of the cycles of substance abuse, gangsterism, teenage pregnancy, and unemployment.

THE VISION – WHAT WE SEE IN THE FUTURE

A generation of young leaders who inspire positive change in their communities.

THE MISSION – WHAT WE DO

The Sozo Educentre, provides a safe space for high school learners (between the ages of 13 – 18 years) to

be equipped and empowered within their own community so as to achieve their full potential. After-

school tutoring and academic assistance is offered three days a week to young people at a central

accessible venue, the Vrygrond Community Library. The program provides alternative role models who

are committed as mentors to help grow and develop every individual to be able to take responsibility of

their own dreams through commitment, perseverance, shared learning, giving back and fun. Our mission

is to see every child finish high school successfully and to assist each learner with an opportunity of

further education that will lead to a dignified job.

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CURRENT SERVICES – HOW WE DO IT

To assist learners in their holistic development the Sozo Educentre has identified seven core service

delivery strategies as illustrated in the following diagram:

All prospective candidates are required to fill in an application form with parental consent and an

interview with both the candidate and parents/guardians is conducted prior to enrolment. Once

accepted, the Sozo Educentre requires a termly, minimum of a 75% attendance rate.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

The Sozo Educentre strives to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative approaches to measure the

impact of the project. These are collated and analysed and used to inform planning. Detailed monitoring

TUTORING Providing 70 high school

learners with a safe space for after school tutoring

and academic assistance 4 days a week for 2 hours

MATHS & SCIENCE DEVELOPMENT Super Saturdays -

specialised maths & science tutors who

offer support to each grade

COMPUTER LITERACY Fully functional resource centre for skills training,

school projects and academic programs

CAREER INSPIRING INITIATIVES

Three aspects: Excursions, short courses, and career guidance with the aim to inspire career aspirations

MENTORSHIP Grade Mentor for each grade to assess needs, build relationships and communicate back to the project manager

PSYCHO-SOCIAL INTERVENTION

Social Worker produces learner profiles, conducts home visits, and provides therapeutic intervention whilst networking with

schools and parents

NUTRITION Providing a freshly

prepared wholesome meal for every learner during

each tutoring session

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and evaluation plans, logframes with impact indicators are available. Our Educentre Theory of Change

Model can be seen below. In combination with the internal monitoring and evaluation, the Sozo

Foundation recently received the Viva Quality Mark at Foundations Level (www.viva.org) which is an

external audit and verification process to show the commitment to best practice and transparency.

EDUCENTRE RESULTS

OVERALL PASS RATE 2012 2013

Total number of learners 40 44

Total Pass rate 85% 97.5%

OVERALL ATTENDANCE RATE 2012 2013 2014

Total average attendance rate 61% 80% 93%

SUSTAINABILITY

In terms of financial sustainability, the Foundation is funded by a wide range of donors who not only

provide monetary support but also capacity building. The project has a number of individual donors and

other community stakeholders who provide a large resource of volunteers, donations in kind and a

platform to promote fund-raising events. In addition, the Foundation’s sources of funding range from

Trusts, corporate donors, foreign and local churches and local business. The Foundation has successfully

run major annual fund-raising events. This not only brings in a great source of funding but also markets

the organisation. Many of the learners at the Educentre are sponsored on a monthly basis, through our

“TAG - Transform A Generation” giving programme.

MATHS RESULTS

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CAPACITY BUILDING

The Sozo Foundation views equipping, training and development of staff, learners and their parents as

vital to the work we do. To empower the learners we encourage them to participate in writing the code of

conduct for Educentre behaviour and discipline. We have learner representatives per grade, nominated

by their peer, who attend meetings with the project manager to discuss issues and relay information to

their grades. The learners themselves develop skills in leadership and planning through coordinating their

own year-end prize giving. We build capacity with the learners through various workshops, including

toastmasters (public speaking) and 6 hats thinking workshops. The parents of the learners are

empowered and equipped through parent meetings with the Project Manager and social worker, where

they are able to assist in their children’s various academic and career needs. The parents are also the first

in the community to be offered places in our various life-skills courses, including health and hygiene, fire

and safety, relationship building, money management and also on our Eden project organic garden

vegetable training courses. The staff at the Sozo Foundation have numerous opportunities for growth and

development, through on-site courses and also independent institutional training. Over the years we have

trained all staff on time management skills, project management and budgeting. Various staff members

have vocational training certificates in administration, gardening skills, bookkeeping and social work

training.

FUTURE GROWTH - Sozo Educentre building project - 2015

Vision

To establish the first ever Youth Education Centre in the history of the Vrygrond community

This facility will enable the Sozo Educentre to expand its current service delivery from 45 to 140

high school learners

The facility will make room for five grade specific classrooms, each with its own computer centre

and multi-learning style design to create a conducive learning environment.

The new building will host the Sozo Foundation offices and a new “Lifeskills” centre as part of the

Sozo Lifeskills program

Progress to date

Estimated building project cost R2.4m. - Funding secured to date R2.2m.

Aiming for completion by April 2015

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SOZO EDUCENTRE BUDGET 2015/16

TOTAL COSTS R 1,207,625

FUNDING SHORTFALL at February 2015 R 421,625

OVERVIEW

Academic assistance, Homework supervision and specialised tutoring

Currently working with 70 learners increasing to 100 learners during 2015

7000 meals provided and foodpacks for outings

40 Networked computer centre

Professional Family support - Social Worker providing family intervention

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SOZO EDUCENTRE PROJECT EXPENDITURE 2015-2016 ZAR TOTAL

HUMAN RESOURCE EXPENDITURE 380,400

SALARIES 350,400

PERFORMANCE BONUS 19,000

STAFF DEVELOPMENT 11,000

CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 44,000

COMPUTERS 8,000

EQUIPMENT 24,000

FURNITURE 12,000

PROJECT EXPENDITURE 310,500

CATERING 36,000

MARKETING 5,000

MATERIALS 24,000

REWARDS & PRIZES 10,000

TRANSPORT 20,000

EXCURSIONS (ENTRANCE FEE) 24,000

TUTORS AND MENTORS 191,500

GENERAL OPERATING EXPENDITURE 87,200

COMMUNICATION (TELEPHONE, INTERNET) 15,000

PRINTING, STATIONERY & POSTAGE 10,000

CLEANING (EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS) 5,000

GIFTS 3,000

NETWORKING 2,000

BUILDING MAINTENANCE 5,000

UTILITIES (WATER, ELECTRICITY) 8,400

INSURANCE 10,000

SECURITY 12,000

VENUE HIRE 12,000

VEHICLE EXPENSES (PETROL, MAINTENANCE) 3,000

FEES (LEGAL, AUDIT, BANKING) 1,800

SUB TOTAL 822,100

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION CONTRIBUTION (15%) 123,315

CONTINGENCY FUND (10%) 82,210

TOTAL EXPENDITURE 1,027,625

INCOME/FUNDING APPROVED 2015 606,000

THE LEARNING TRUST 180,000

NATIONAL LOTTERY 256,000

SPZA 50,000

NEDBANK PRIVATE WEALTH FOUNDATION 100,000

INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS 20,000

SHORTFALL AT FEBRUARY 2015 421,625

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