Starting out as Little Sparklers Educare with just three students in 2005, Hope Schools, as it is now known, has continued to grow and expand over the years and introduced their first Grade 10 class in January.
“We currently have six Grade 10 students and I’m hoping to take this group all the way to matric,” said acting principal, Alan Staples.
Staples runs the college on a voluntary basis, and is the chair of the Hope Schools board and also teaches Grade 10 mathematics and physical science.
Other Grade 10 subjects on offer at the school include life sciences, business studies, English, Afrikaans and life orientation.
“We previously just stopped at Grade 9. We had actually already told our Grade 9s last year that they needed to find a new school because we didn’t have the funds to have an extra class, but with generous donations from an overseas donor we’ve managed to have a Grade 10 class and much more,” said Staples.
Last year, Staples made connections with a German donor, who offered to sponsor over R4m for the refurbishment of old buildings and construction of new ones.
The school, which is situated in Wilsonia on a 14ha site donated by Johnson & Johnson, will soon have a large skills centre, where various trades such as welding, needlework, beadwork, brick laying and more will be taught.
“We want our kids to be exposed to as much as possible here, and not everyone is academically strong. These kids need to be employed or have the skills to make their own livelihoods after school, so we’ve designed a whole new school block where valuable skills will be taught,” said Staples.
Currently under construction, the new centre will open next month. Also in the pipeline are a 1,000 seater hall and separate buildings for the college, which is run out of the old Johnson & Johnson building and preparatory school buildings on the premises.
“It’s really been a story of miracles from beginning to end, and we are so grateful to everyone who has played a part in the development of this school. We hope to see it grow even more to cater for 500 students,” said Staples.
The school was founded with the goal of educating children who were affected or infected with HIV/Aids, and this is still the school’s main function.
However, not every pupil at the school is HIV positive or has been affected by it.
“We want these children, who have been affected by Aids, not to be stigmatised, and they deserve a place where they can learn freely and build their characters and self esteem, and even though many of them have to spend full days at a clinic to receive their antiretroviral medication, we still have 97% attendance,” said Staples.
Apart from daily classes, the pupils are transported to and from school every day and are also given two meals a day and sandwiches to take home.
Most of the students come from Buffalo Flats, Reeston, Scenery Park and Amalinda Forest areas.
“Many of them come from difficult backgrounds, so we aim to make coming to school as great as we can for them.
“We also have a full time counsellor who assists with any trauma or difficulties the learners may be going through,” said Staples.
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