WHAT WE DO
WALKING THE JOURNEY FROM SCHOLAR TO PROFESSIONAL
By ensuring a holistic approach to maths, science and language skills, our programmes are designed to successfully transition our youth from high school to university level and beyond. In combining educational opportunities with skills development and mentoring, our goal is to change the lives of our youth both personally and professionally, giving them the tools, confidence and knowledge, they need to transform their economic outcomes.
HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMMES

Star Schools
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Star Schools
Star Schools is an educational services provider with a proven track record of success in the supplementary education field, offering tuition and educational materials to selected learners.
The Star Schools programme focuses on Grade 10, 11 and 12 learners from under-resourced schools across South Africa, and is designed to help them achieve their potential in their final matriculation examinations and thus gain entry to higher education within the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. The Trust is proud to be associated with Star Schools, and looks forward to continuing its partnership for the benefit of our young people, and the bright future they so richly deserve.

STELLENBOSCH U-PREP
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STELLENBOSCH U-PREP
U-Prep is a focused first opportunity university preparation programme, targeting Grade 11 and 12 learners from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.
With an emphasis on integrated supplementary tuition, U-Prep offers classes in mathematics and physical sciences, preparing gifted learners from disadvantaged communities for university admission by improving their educational experience through quality support.
Through its partnership with U-Prep, the Trust is able to support the mainstream national school curriculum with an additional focus on career and foundational assistance, giving learners the opportunity to make informed programme and career choices, as well as processing university and bursary applications.
Thanks to this shared commitment, U-Prep will continue in its mission to support university preparation for the benefit of gifted young minds and their futures – an endeavour truly inspiring to us all.

RHODES UNIVERSITY NINE-TENTHS
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RHODES UNIVERSITY NINE-TENTHS
The Nine Tenths programme mentors Grade 10 to 12 high school learners in Makhanda, helping to support them through high school and prepare them for university entrance.
Guided by Rhodes University student volunteers, the aim of the mentoring programme is to help learners attain the academic results they need to enable them to successfully apply for tertiary study at Rhodes University.
Having seen the Nine Tenths programme as a new opportunity to help alleviate the education crisis in the Eastern Cape, the Trust formally began its partnership with the initiative in 2020.
Since the inception of the programme, the number of learners from disadvantaged schools being accepted at tertiary institutions has increased from 10 in 2011 to approximately 100 in 2021. What a statistic like this proves is just how significantly a programme like Nine Tenths can help to transform the education sector, addressing the challenges of the past while helping learners to make a meaningful, lasting contribution to our society.
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Trust takes pride in walking a long journey with its beneficiaries, most of whom we have known since Grade 10! With this bond comes a sense of responsibility towards our learners, and shared pride in their successes and accomplishments. For this reason, our scholarship programme is designed to be as comprehensive as possible, covering tuition, accommodation, meals, a stipend and learning resources (textbooks and a laptop) to enable our beneficiaries to study online and improve their research capabilities.
More than this, our intimate understanding of the complexities of academic studies enables us to offer relevant student support, mentoring and guiding our beneficiaries to give them the best possible chance of realising their dreams.
Supported fields of study
Given the Trust’s beginnings as an organisation founded by the energy sector, specifically oil and petrochemicals, we remain committed to growing and developing talent aligned to the in-demand skills and qualifications of this evolving sector and beyond.
As such, we support STEM disciplines and encourage our high school learners to excel in these areas and English to improve their chances of entering university. Our current scholarship partner universities include WITS, UJ, UP and UFH, with funding given to beneficiaries studying commerce and STEM subjects, including science, engineering (chemical, mechanical and technical), technology and mathematical sciences.

PARTNER UNIVERSITIES
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PARTNER UNIVERSITIES
The Trust is proud to partner with UJ, UP and WITS in supporting our students through their undergraduate studies. Students at our partner universities are at various levels of study ranging from first year to masters’ degrees, in fields such as commerce and STEM-based disciplines.

UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE
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UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE
We support students pursuing postgraduate studies in mathematics, applied mathematics, computer science, statistics and applied statistics at the University of Fort Hare. With a shared passion for education, the bond between the Trust and the university is one founded on excellence, empowerment, and an acknowledgement of the vital role that qualified graduates play in moving our country forward.

NTHUSE FOUNDATION
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NTHUSE FOUNDATION
In partnership with the Trust, the Nthuse Foundation helps students with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds obtain tertiary qualifications. Founded in 2011, the programme first began with 5 students; today it is helping to realise the dreams of 70 students from Cape Town and Gauteng.
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

ORTSA
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ORTSA
The ORT SA initiative is dedicated to empowering young people through IT skills training and certification. With a shared vision and a strong belief in the same values, the Trust began its partnership with ORT SA in 2019, helping to advance the growth of young people in South Africa to enable them to reach their full potential and contribute to the economic development of their communities.
To date, 188 youths have been trained and certified on Cisco IT Essentials, with ORT SA subsequently seeking job placement opportunities for them in conjunction with the YES initiative. Not only is the ORT SA programme one that values education, it is one that offers practical solutions to help alleviate unemployment in South Africa.

SAMBT & TRIBE IMPACT CONSULTING
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SAMBT & TRIBE IMPACT CONSULTING
SAMBT and Tribe Impact Consulting focus on the successful integration of young adults with disabilities into mainstream society and employment in the open labour market. In this way, people with disabilities are able to gain independence and participate meaningfully in the economy. We further support our partner universities with their own disability units, enabling them to better accommodate students with disabilities.
Tribe Impact Consulting
As part of its commitment to investing in education and employment for people living with disabilities, the Trust is proud to partner with Tribe Impact Consulting – an organisation that focuses on the integration and up-skilling of intellectually disabled and learning-challenged young adults into mainstream economic activities Upon the beneficiaries’ successful completion of theoretical training and job sampling, Tribe Impact Consulting seeks to find permanent employment for them.
Through its support of Tribe Impact Consulting, the Trust hopes to further education, development and employment for those living with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential, live their dreams, and make a meaningful contribution to their communities.
SA Mobility for the Blind
SA Mobility for the Blind Trust (SAMBT) provides independence training for children, youth and adults who are blind or partially sighted. To those with disabilities, independence training is key to their basic well-being, and their growth and development as confident, productive members of society.
In partnership with SAMBT, the Trust aims to ensure access to basic services through the provision of independence training to young South who are blind or partially sighted, giving them increased opportunities for success, and hope for the future.
Small steps towards a brighter future
High school programmes, university scholarships, tertiary qualifications and job placements – each one of these represents a small step in the journey of life. At the Trust, we see our role as helping and guiding our beneficiaries along each of these steps towards not just their chosen careers, but their ultimate goals for the future – for themselves, their families and their communities as a whole.
Ordinary steps, extraordinary outcomes!
Our Students
Thanks to the tenacity of our students and the additional support that programmes like ours provide, many of our students are now studying for formal qualifications at tertiary institutions, with still more successfully enrolled in our skills development programmes.