Old Mutual Foundation And Partners Support Matrics With 21 Acts Of Goodness Again

Old Mutual Foundation and partners support Matrics with 21 Acts of Goodness again

Last year, to mark its 21st anniversary, the Old Mutual Foundation supported the Matric Class of 2020. The aim was to counteract the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their education and loss in learning and teaching time. The Old Mutual Foundation’s partners included loveLife, Imbumba Foundation, Mpumalanga Department of Education, Brand South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Foundation and celebrity Enablers with a message of support from the Deputy Minister of Education.

This year the 21Acts of Goodness initiative is back with a bang and even more determined than before to make a significant difference. The programme is now partnering with the Woza Matrics programme of the Department of Basic Education, and integrates the Second Chance Matric Programme. With the last 50 days of the countdown to the matric exams fast approaching, the focus will again be on helping the learners to meet their study needs at home and at school.

Even without the constraints of the pandemic and the recent social unrest, the matric year is always a challenging one, filled with pressure, late night cramming and uncertainty about the future. Despite the best efforts of teachers and learners to maintain online teaching and learning, the pandemic has caused immense disruption, anxiety and loss. Added to that are the further challenges of vandalised schools during the social unrest.

Like last year, our hearts go out to the thousands of matriculants who are having to negotiate this major life event under the most difficult and stressful of circumstances.

Empowering our most vulnerable communities is part of our purpose and Old Mutual cares deeply about the youth of South Africa. Education is therefore one of the Foundation’s key focus areas. We are committed to focusing our efforts and resources on achieving inclusive prosperity through education and skills development.

The 21 Acts of Goodness drive of 2021 began last week in four high schools in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in Nongoma and uThukela hosted by Inkosi Zulu/uNdlunkulu the Deputy Chairperson of the KZN Provincial House of Traditional Leaders. Apart from study materials and assistance, the 160 matric learners of the four schools received food parcels, dignity packs and psychosocial and motivational support.  

This week the Old Mutual Foundation and its partners were in Gauteng, in an informal settlement in Benoni called Etwatwa, visiting B.B. Myataza High School, graced by the presence of the MEC for Education in Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi and the new Chairperson of the OM Foundation, Dr. Linda Ncube-Nkomo. The 200 matric learners received study materials and dignity packs and goodie packs donated by Big Save.

We still have more activations lined up in Mpumalanga with the MEC for Education and in the Free State linked to Mental Wellness Day and the UN International Day of the Girl Child and close-off in Limpopo. 

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