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Teens Sept 05 |
Easter 05
| South Africa
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Confirmation 07
Sylvia Eastman's South Africa
In 2006,
Sylvia Eastman spent 7 months in South Africa as a volunteer teacher at
the primary school in Kurland Village, teaching English and Math to over
50 6th graders. A gifted teacher, Sylvia saw opportunities to help
additional villagers, teaching at a "Safe House" for abused children
three days a week, and providing English classes for Adults in the
evening. Below are her pictures and thoughts. Click on the links or
the pictures for more detail.
Kurland Village |
The Children of the Village
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Higher
Education Scholarship
Kurland Village
Kurland Village, the small village where I
taught in South Africa, is a very poor community nestled between the
Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma Mountains in one of the most beautiful
regions of the world. The village has some 3,500 inhabitants with jobs
for only about 100. Housing is rude shacks of scrap timber and
somewhat more substantial brick or concrete houses. All of the houses
are small with no indoor plumbing, but some do have electricity. 
Children of Kurland Village
The children are, for the most part, clean
and healthy. Most appear to be
reasonably well fed. Most seem happy, though some are troubled. Those
who are very bright and eager learners have little hope of a
future, as they are unable to afford to leave the village or seek higher
education.
Kurland Village Higher Education
Scholarship
In considering how I might help the
village, and especially its children, I sought the advice of a number of
people for an idea I had. My idea was to offer a scholarship for
higher education that would make it possible for a qualified student
to seek training beyond what the public school provided. This
"scholarship" would need to provide not only for tuition and books; it
would need to provide living expenses as well. Scholarship recipients
would be asked to return to the village for a year or more of service
and to act as role models for the other children of the village.
To further this idea, I established a
non-profit organization in South Africa to administer the funds,
if and when I could raise money for the
project. The non-profit has a qualified, five-member Board of Directors
in Kurland Village consisting of the primary school principal, the local
Anglican vicar, the Outreach Director of the Community Center, a teacher
at the school and a young paramedic from the village clinic.
This is where you come in.
I am seeking tax-deductible donations
to this project. A one-time donation would be greatly
appreciated. But long-term commitments are what is really needed - say
a pledge of a certain amount each year for the next five years. Or
ten. Or whatever works for you.
Tax-deductible donations may be made to
St. Vincent de Paul Church/South Africa Higher Education Fund.
Checks should be mailed to:
South Africa Higher Education Fund
Sylvia Eastman
5821 Halwyn Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21212-3712
I am grateful to you for your support of this project.
Sylvia
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