Qhilika High School Update

Hi Guys, please find bellow an update from our sister school Qhilika High School in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.

What GOLD events have been held by the school in the last three months?

In the last term the peer educators at the school organised an abstinence march. The peer
educators spoke in front of the whole school and explained the importance of abstinence as
a method to prevent HIV/AIDS. They aimed to inform learners that even if the were sexually
active, they should be aware about the issue and use protection.

Throughout the year the peer educators also regularly meet with local police to talk
about crime prevention around the school. They have built up a good relationship with
the police and have a monitoring scheme whereby the police regularly patrol the school.

Furthermore, in June the peer educators at Qhilika participated in a Schools 4 Schools
Holiday workshop. The day was fun for everyone involved. The aim of the workshop was to
equip the peer educators with the tools and ability to run community upliftment events at
their schools. The Schools 4 Schools South Africa team took them through Public Speaking
and Campaigning sessions. They also engaged in creative activities which they could use in
future community upliftment events.

How has the GOLD program impacted the Peer educators at the school?

The peer educators at Qhilika have become great carers for the other students at the
school. Recently the GOLD facilitator and some peer educators worked together to support
a grade 8 learners experiencing some troubles. Some senior peer educators recognised
that this grade 8 boy was going to school on an empty stomach. The peer educators went
home with this boy on an occasion and discovered he was living in a small shack with
his grandmother who was living off a single pension. The peer educators organised food
parcels for the boy and his grandmother. They also took him to the city to orgnaise a birth
certificate for him, so he could apply for an ID book which is a perquisite to complete the
year 12 matriculate. Now, thanks to the peer educators, this young boy is in a much better
position.

How has the GOLD program benefitted the school as a whole this year?

During the 2010 World Cup, all learners received a 6 weeks school holiday. This was
problematic for the many orphans at the school, and learners with dysfunctional families
who couldn't provide for them over this long holiday. The GOLD peer educators and
facilitators organised a camp for these learners, where there would be councillors
and social workers present, as well as fun and games! The camp was not just for the
Qhilika peer educators, but learners from other nearby GOLD schools attended too.

The veggie patch that the GOLD peer educators have been working on is also benefitting
the whole school. The idea is that the veggie patch will eventually be used to start a soup
kitchen to feed the many orphans at the school during break time.

The GOLD program is also benefitting the wider school community. Some of the peer
educators at Qhilika live a long way away from the school in rural areas. Over the last
few months they have been travelling to their home town on weekends to deliver GOLD
lessons with youth in their communities. The peer educators are amazingly dedicated and so
passionate about helping youth in need.