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News
On 5 October 2009, two new members joined our board. Sandra Van Roy and Marc Crommen will enthousiastically support a new iThemba-project.
A new project? Yes: iThemba has expanded its initial aim (limited to South Africa) to organising, developing and supporting durable and high-quality educational projects in the whole of Africa. iThemba will – as before – be supporting projects aimed at developing disadvantaged groups, young and old, especially – although not exclusively – in rural areas. These projects will as much as possible involve the local population in the realisation of the projects and make an appeal to their own responsibility to making the projects a success.
Following this broadening of its scope, the board of iThemba has unanimously decided to support the BARAA PRIMARY SCHOOL project in Arusha, Tanzania. The primary school counts about 1400 pupils, but can hardly provide the basic needs to ensure these pupils a solid education and lacks basic sanitary provisions. Some of iThemba’s board members had visited the school beforehand to evaluate the project and report back to the full board, and the first initiatives to start up important and radical changes have already been undertaken. One generous sponsor has already donated 11.000 school books…
At the same time, iThemba will remain faithful to its first project. At the Vlakteplaas-school in De Rust, South Africa the basic needs and infrastructure have been provided, but the school will continuously need financial support for its operation. iThemba has built up some financial reserves which will be allocated to the Vlakteplaas-project with great care.