Expectant excitement filled the air on the morning of Saturday 11 June as more than 60 people joined together at the Vrygrond Community Library for the official launch of The Sozo Educentre. Those present included learners from grade 8 to 11 and their parents as well as a number of community leaders, volunteer tutors and even a local councilwoman.
The Sozo Foundation, in partnership with the Vrygrond Community Library, has been able to set up a space in Vrygrond where learners from the community are offered extra tutoring and academic assistance in math and literacy three afternoons a week. This safe and suitable environment where learners are able to do homework and revision also provides an opportunity for the learners to interact with alternative role models and mentors who can assist in their holistic development. Volunteers give freely of their time and knowledge in order to help the learners to succeed in their studies. The Sozo Educentre plans to offer computer literacy courses and training to committed learners in the near future.
The Sozo Educentre tutoring program was ceremoniously launched on Saturday by Caleb Makore, the project coordinator, and Lizzie Everson, the Librarian at the Vrygrond Library to illustrate the partnership between the two establishments. “The Educentre has been running for four weeks now and we are very pleased with the response and impact it is having on the community”, says Anton Cuyler, the project director of The Sozo Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation which was started in March this year and is already successfully implementing a few other community projects in the area.