2013-03-01 — /travelprnews.com/ — The Hlabekisa community in Mpumalanga (a rural community 20km or 12 miles from the world renowned Kruger National Park) is celebrating the opening of the Anton Bilton High School, thanks to the Africa Foundation,&Beyond’s social development partner, and through the generous donation of &Beyond guests Lisa and Anton Bilton. Government representatives, Africa Foundation staff, as well as community members and leaders will be celebrating the successful completion of the project on 01st March 2013.
In an extraordinary example of conservation benefitting local communities, &Beyond guests Lisa and Anton were on safari at &BeyondNgala Tented Camp in August 2012 when they were first exposed to the luxury experiential travel company’s core ethic of “Care of the land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the people”. Completely buying into this model of sustainable tourism, the couple engaged with Africa Foundation to establish the most pressing needs identified by the local community, resulting in a generous donation towards the building of the High School. Their donation covered the full costs of the building, including facilities such as 5 classrooms (covering grade 8, 9 and 10), 10 ablutions, an administration block, fencing to provide security, borehole, ultimately leading to the enrolment of 390 children and 9 teachers employed by 09th January 2013.
“This is the first complete high school project ever to be carried out by Africa Foundation in a record three months. It epitomized the power and value of partnership excellence (between community, government and the private sector). It also reflected the absolute quality of Africa Foundation and &Beyond’s relationships with local communities and government. Anton’s appreciation, understanding and support of the&Beyond model also reinforced the uniqueness and validity of the partnerships we have in place,” says Dave Millard, Africa Foundation CEO.
The community of Hlabekisa (situated 20km or 12 miles from the world renowned Kruger National Park and &Beyond Ngala Private Game Reserve) has a population of approximately 4 400 people and is characterised by a high rate of unemployment, illiteracy and poverty. The need for a high school was crucial to the community and its children, as they were walking close to fourteen kilometres (nine miles) a day to attend secondary school in the neighbouring Hlavukani community. Africa Foundation (known for its model of community ownership and empowerment) was approached by the village’s Community Development Forum to engage with them and discuss the development of the initiatives in this community.
The Department of Education showed strong support for the project, endorsing the proposal with the promise to provide teachers and salaries.
The Tribal authority allocated the more than five hectares of land necessary to build the new high school and sports fields, whilst the community contribution included the clearing of the land, supplying water for the building construction and also ensuring electrical connectivity, which will be provided and funded by the local government.
The hugely positive outcome of this project will result in the elimination of threats and risks to children walking long distances through the bush, as well as boosting higher levels of education and pass rates through increased attendance, skills development and transfer of knowledge. It is also expected to promote the creation of permanent jobs and increase participation by parents in high school education, to name but a few benefits, giving the Hlabekisa community and its 4 400 people a brighter and more positive future for generations to come.
ISSUED BY: media@andBeyond.com
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&Beyond is one of the world’s leading luxury experiential travel companies, designing personalised luxury safaris in 16 African countries, as well as India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The company also owns and operates 32 extraordinary lodges and camps in Africa and India’s wilderness high spots. Established in 1991, &Beyond takes exceptional care of its guests in order to make a difference; its commitment to sustainable responsible travel and community empowerment is world renowned.
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ABOUT AFRICA FOUNDATION
Founded in 1992 to support &Beyond’s commitment to conservation and communities, Africa Foundation has built up a highly successful track record in empowering and enriching the lives of communities living adjacent to &Beyond’s safari lodges; specifically in the areas of healthcare, education and enterprise development. It is a registered trust, tax exempt and non-profit organisation, supported by its partners&Beyond , Africa Foundation UK, Africa Foundation USA, lodge guests and donors. To find out how you can personally contribute to similar projects, please visit our website at www.africafoundation.org.za.