In the spirit of Nelson Mandela’s legacy and the Grand Circle commitment to meaningful community involvement, on July 25th OAT associates from the Cape Town office volunteered at the Firgrove Primary School.

On the day of our visit, each associate from our office dedicated 67 minutes to support a teacher in their classroom. This hands-on involvement provided valuable assistance to the educators. The presence of our team helped lighten the load for teachers and gave learners additional attention and encouragement during lessons.

 

In addition to our time, we prepared and served a lunch for all the learners, consisting of a hot dog and juice, which brought immense joy to the children and created a moment of celebration and care in their day.

 

Furthermore, we are proud to confirm that the GCF donation was officially handed over to the school. These funds are to be used exclusively to support the temporary employment of qualified, previously retrenched educators for 67 school days. This funding will enable the school to place one additional educator per day in classrooms, thereby directly addressing the challenge of overcrowding and ensuring that learners continue to receive the quality education they deserve. With the current class size of 33 students, having a teachers aide will reduce the ratio to 23 students per teacher, allowing more individualized attention.

 

The photographs taken on the day reflect the warmth, gratitude, and joy shared between our team, the learners, and the teachers. These images capture the essence of what Mandela Day stands for: unity, compassion, and action.

We are confident that this project will positively impact both the educators and learners over the coming months. The additional classroom support made possible through the donated funds will not only reduce teacher fatigue but also enhance the learning experience for students through more focused attention and better classroom management.

Thank you for supporting our vision and helping us bring real change into the classroom. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” We are proud to have contributed to this change, and we remain committed to building up our communities through education and active citizenship.