Masihambisane Community Development Programme

It has been part of the vision of Grace College to have an active Outreach Programme that makes a real difference in the greater Hilton area.masihambisane Masihambisane, Zulu for "Let us walk together" is currently hosted by Grace College and involves a number of outreach initiatives and is growing from strength to strength.

In broad terms this structured programme has three objectives:

  • To provide formal training and through an ongoing process of interaction, encouragement for principals and teachers from schools in the urban and rural communities within the vicinity of Hilton.

  • To utilise school pupils, privileged enough to have access to an international education system, to be directly involved in interacting weekly with fellow pupils, from disadvantaged communities, in their classrooms to share subject topics and assist in motivating new friends they make along the way.

  • Introducing students into the formal bridging program hosted by Grace College. This "bridging program", which takes a year to complete, assists learners to close the gap between the education they have received and the standard required at high school.

This programme includes the following elements:

  1. Seminars for Principals of government schools in the Lions River and Mooi River Circuits, to encourage, inspire and "walk together" as we seek to upgrade education in the Midlands.  Seminars for principals are arranged each term, each with a relevant topic for discussion. The seminars are well attended by local principals and are adding value to the lives of those dedicated to leading their respective schools.  At the request of the Principals, future seminars are planned, Governing Body members, assisting them in the policy-making decisions required at that level. Grace College Outreach

  2. Workshops for Teachers are scheduled each term.  Our staff members donate their time to "walk together" with educators in their same subject fields, assisting in lesson planning and innovative classroom presentation.

  3. Each grade/class in Grace College also "adopts" an Outreach Project and in the past year assistance has been given to the Musawenkosi Pre-Primary School in Mphophomeni, to the uMngeni Aids Centre and to the uMngeni Hospital for the Mentally and Physically Disabled.

  4. Leap Year
    Established in 2004, the LEAP year programme has been operating with steady growth and progress for the last four years. This programme was created by the fact that many pupils, primarily from previously disadvantaged schools entering the high school environment found themselves battling to keep up with their peers from Grade 8.  We have noted two factors that contribute to this. The first, sadly, is that standards at some of these previously disadvantaged schools leave something to be desired, which means that learners are given inflated ideas of their ability and face a very cruel shock when they come up against those from better schools.  Secondly, there can be no doubt that many of them are having to work to put food on the table, mainly because HIV/AIDS has removed the bread-winner, and as a result education often takes a back seat in their priorities.

  5. Grace College will host the 1st Annual Masihambisane Soccer Festival in August 2008. The festival will bring soccer teams from the local Hilton and the local rural schools together for a day of interaction and good soccer. The school will also allow local rural schools regular use of the sports facilities available on site.