"SAEP@Sinethemba"

Sinethemba High School,
Philippi Township, 
Cape Town

OVERVIEW OF 
SAEP INVOLVEMENT AT SINETHEMBA HIGH

In 1999, SAEP began a programme of environmental education and action at Sinethemba Senior Secondary School in Philippi, Cape Town's poorest township. Over a three year period, this programme grew to include a wide range of academic support and enrichment projects in the physical sciences and mathematics and English, as well as enrichment programmes in art and architecture.  These projects were staffed by volunteers from abroad, including students and recent graduates of outstanding educational institutions from the US and the UK, and a senior practicing architect from France.

The English Language Support Programme was especially successful, and resulted in a National Debating Championship during the school's first year of interscholastic competition, an outstanding collection of student poetry ("We are All Poets"), and establishment for the first time of a student newspaper ("Nazo Mfundi").   The students also participated in a number of SAEP environmental excursions and weekend outings, including visits to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens and the West Coast National Park.  All these activities and excursions are described in the pages you may access just below.

SAEP's funding for its internship programme and work at Sinethemba ran out at the end of 2001, so SAEP @ Sinethemba was not active in 2002.  The school administration and students, however, are eager to have SAEP back in 2003, so we have developed a proposal to continue SAEP's activities at Sinethemba and to provide two recent graduates, Bulelani Futshane and Luzuko Hina (the two National Debate Champions), a "gap year" in which they can help Sinethemba build its debating and public speaking programmes while at the same time acquiring additional skills and maturity before entering university in 2004.

SAEP is also undertaking a review and evaluation of its programmes at Sinethemba to enable it not only to improve its efforts at the school, but also to identify factors that could be of value to other organisations seeking to develop academic support and enrichment projects at township high schools. This process will build upon a preliminary evaluation undetaken in 2000.

Telegraph to the Sky
Of all the poems we have read and heard at SAEP, none has
left a greater impression or expresses better the spirit of hope --
and the need for support-- in the new South Africa 
than Sandile Dikeni's "Telegraph to the Sky."
"Stay with me..."

Your support in helping SAEP continue its important work at Sinethemba and other township high schools is urgently needed!  For further information, please contact Norton Tennille, Executive Director, at saep@worldonline.co.za 
Tel/Fax 27+21+685-3431

SAEP @ Sinethemba Programme Highlights 1999-2001:

Academic Support and Enrichment

Science and Mathematics          Botanical Research            Art           Architecture   

English Language Project            Poetry            Debating

Environmental Excursions

Weekend Camp at Rondevlei                  Weekend Retreat to Sandevlei

West Coast National Park                     Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Environmental Improvement/Community Development

Philippi Wetland Cleanup  

Philippi Waste Management: Khulani Basebenzi Community Project

Civic Education Course for Students and Community Members

SAEP @ Sinethemba Plans for 2003:
Funding needed!