The Redhill Foundation was conceived in 2004 and is a fund built on giving gifted children from underprivileged communities the opportunity to attend the prestigious private school on a fully-funded bursary.
Trustee member Gillian Saunders said that the foundation was set up in order to give children the opportunity to attend Redhill School and help them build their confidence. She also said that the fund allowed pupils on already existing bursaries to attend school events such as international tours in order to gain the full experience of the school, giving them a well-rounded involvement in every facet of Redhill.
Saunders added that the foundation was the school’s way of identifying the children’s talents and giving them the edge in succeeding in related fields.
The event was attended by proud teachers and parents who support the school reaching out to underprivileged children.
Art and design teacher Kelsey Smith said, “We are very excited about the foundation because the kids are able to experience an incredible environment here at Redhill. The school is a caring environment with qualified teachers, and will give them the confidence to succeed.”
Parent, Ajay Kanjee said, “The foundation is a very progressive idea which will give children from all around the opportunity to come to Redhill.”
Madonsela expressed gratitude towards the school for the initiative. She said, “Nelson Mandela said that ‘education is the most powerful weapon you can use to bring change to the world’, and this initiative is one of many in Africa which shows us that you don’t have to be a billionaire to make a change.”
Madonsela applauded the trustees involved in the establishment of the foundation, and the school’s ability to stick to their motto of giving every child the ‘freedom to build’ through a quality education.