Based in Athlone, Cape Town, the school caters for children who come from families that fall below the poverty line and neighbourhoods where poverty, violence, HIV/AIDS, unemployment, substance abuse and gangsterism are rife.
The school aims to create an environment that actively nourishes the potential of young people by developing healthy, educated empowered individuals who will in turn contribute to the promotion of functional homes and stable communities.
Since its establishment in 2002, the school has already produced high flyers including 16 year old Sandiswe Dingane who has represented South Africa in the junior world fencing championship and Zola Maphila who is part of the Engen Incubator project for career development in engineering. The project is an exclusive hub for the top 50 learners from Cape Town schools who show aptitude and academic dedication.
The school has more than doubled its student intake since 2002 and today accommodates 650 pupils, including the schools first ever matric class. "It's a very exciting year," says spokesperson Sharon Williams. "We have 31 children who will be writing the matric exams and we believe that they will be ready."
Williams says that the teachers at Christel House are extremely dedicated to the success of their matrics, even offering their own homes as alternative study spaces for the pupils.
"The teachers are very aware that some of the children are living in one room shacks where they simply won't have private time to study. So teachers are offering their own houses as spaces where they can study and prepare for the exams," she says.
Christel House forms part of an international network of schools
founded by Christel DeHaan, co-founder of Resort Condominiums
International (RCI), one of the largest vacation exchange providers in
the world.
DeHaan sold RCI in 1996 for a reported US$375 million, before embarking
on phase of her life that would be centred around helping others, as
informed by her own philosophy: "the more we have, the more we need to
share."
Since 1998 five Christel Houses have been established around the world, with campuses in India, Venezuela, Mexico and the USA.
Christel House South Africa currently operates from facilities rented from churches in the area but will soon be moving to a new, bigger facility of their own in Ottery. The R32 million campus has been made possible by funding from DeHaan herself. The school must now raise a final R7 million to complete the new school.
To find out more about the school, visit www.sa.christelhouse.org and the Christel House SA blog.
