In Navigating a better future
A New Year, A New Era
We have always said we wanted to create something sustainable, something that would make a difference, something that was driven by the community.
Today, we have taken a huge step forward on the way to doing just that. Today, we announce our partnership with initiAID.
Nowadays, there are so many different charities, doing so much valuable work for so many different causes. After months of talking and working together, both initiAID and The Compass Trust board members agreed that we would be able to make more of an impact if we worked together.
InitiAID Partnership
The Compass Trust has been built on partnership and people coming together. Since it’s birth, TCT has contacted many organisations in the area to try and establish different partnerships. In January 2016, initial conversations with a German Non-Profit Organisation called initiAID took place. initiAID runs a computer lab, with the support of University of Cape Town and University of Pforzheim (Germany), in Vrygrond/ Capricorn a township adjacent to Lavender Hill. As a shortage of skills and computer literacy remains a major crisis in South Africa’s work environment the Computer Lab is equipped with 20 computers to provide comprehensive IT support for professional and personal life.
Striving to be an IT competence center, the Lab offers members of the community to can engage in courses, training and volunteering. The vision of this project is to give opportunities to community members to develop themselves by using IT. It provides computer lessons to young people, accounting classes to adults, CV assistance and much more.
The goals of initiAID are identical to that of The Compass Trust, sustainable impact, transparency, long term relationships and thereby breaking the cycle of unemployment and poverty. After a few meetings and some productive discussions, it was decided that 5 of their board members would join The Compass Trust board of trustees and initiAID would merge with The Compass Trust in South Africa. With more than 60 members in Germany, mainly students of Pforzheim University, they will help us to manage, fund and further develop our projects. The computer lab is now a project of The Compass Trust, delivered in partnership with initiAID. Better Together.
In February 2015, The Compass Trust was merely an idea. As of December 2016, we have 15 children who will have access to better quality education at high quality institutions. We have provided over R30,000 of sports equipment to an under resourced school in Lavender Hill. We have gained an international following of over 1,100 people. We have a computer lab helping those who want a better future.
Our Heritage
We are still proudly South African. Jamie, TCT board member, grew up in Mitchell’s Plain and went to Muizenberg High School, where 6 of our scholarship children will be attending. Jamie drives both our computer lab and scholarship projects on the ground. The maintenance and delivery of projects in the computer lab are also driven by a local community member. Mathili Zwane, another one of our board members, is also from South Africa.
The Compass Trust board consists of 2 South African passports, 2 German passports, an Austrian passport, a British passport and a Spanish passport. Better Together.
We have done a lot in 18 months, but we have so much more we need to do to make a sustainable impact. We want to ensure we have the funding to continue to allow children to benefit from scholarships to not only high school, but then on to university. We want to make sure our computer lab is offering any assistance the people of Capricorn and Lavender Hill need. We want to expand our sports program to not only sports equipment, but to also provide a sports field to these communities that deserve opportunity.
The Compass Trust wants to continue to provide the tools to help people living in poverty navigate the way to a brighter future. Together.
We will continue to update all our supporters as much as possible about the progression of the scholarship children and the computer lab. With a lot of hard work and focus, 2017 could be a vital year in ensuring we are making the largest positive impact possible.
We have relied on the support of individuals who have a passion to make a difference. To those people who have supported us, whether through their words, ambassadorships, or donations we want to say a massive thank you for your continued support.
On behalf of everyone involved with The Compass Trust, I want to wish you all a very Happy New Year!
Here’s a video with a little more information!
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Always good and love to all,
Matt