More Learners and New Classroom

We recently received a newsletter from our friends at FLY. Here is a review of the work they are doing in their community with assistance from AIAIA and others. Fly 2The ability to grow with our learners throughout their high school tenure is golden to us. It is with this in mind that we decided to build extra classroom capacity (expenditure of R 180k) towards the end of 2014. This capacity enabled us to add a fourth class to FLY’s offering. As we prepare for our Grade 11 class graduating to Grade 12 and taking on a new Grade 8 class in 2016, additional classroom capacity is required, which is already in process (expenditure of R 200k). We have been fortunate to be able to invest in extra classroom capacity, which in aggregate amounts to capital expenditure of c. R 380k, thanks to a successful 2014 fundraising gala dinner which was co-sponsored by Old Mutual and Afena Capital, through which FLY was able to raise funds from our generous supporters (corporates and individuals) who attended the dinner.

In addition we were able to rely on financial support received from Arms in Arm in Africa (AIAIA), a 501(c)3, which are our long term standing donors and continue to support our organisation. We were introduced to AIAIA by our partners, J.L. Zwane, from whose premises FLY operates.

We were also fortunate to receive additional financial support from Edrington Group in this regard, which we were introduced to by Sindiswa Calana, a former FLY Steering Committee member. The Edrington representative, as it turns out, actually grew up in Gugulethu, which is where J.L. Zwane (and FLY) is based, so our story resonated that much more with him. We express our heartfelt gratitude to all these great organizations and our many supporters whom have supported FLY for many years. I know our learners are hugely appreciative of your generosity. In conclusion, it has been a very good year for FLY where there was a lot of focus on bedding down key projects whilst growing our learner and tutor base. We are ready for 2016 and look forward to a successful year for our learners particularly our 2015 Grade 11’s who will now be in Grade 12. I would like to thank my colleagues, in their capacity as fellow FLY tutors and Steering Committee members, for their devotion, dedication and commitment. I know we would be serving those who are less privileged regardless of FLY’s existence, and as such, I feel proud and fortunate that we are able to come together to bring to life what is known as Fun Learning for Youth, as a matter of preferred choice. Cheers to our FLY!