Partners for Possibility, a non-profit organisation which partners school principals with business leaders, has partnered with wealth management company Citadel to encourage more people to get involved.
The organisation was founded by Louise van Rhyn in 2010 and she was the first businesswoman to partner with a school principal in an effort to help improve the school’s education outcome. Currently, there are 725 businesspeople partnered up with principals around the country.
Citadel’s head of philanthropy and former Springbok rugby play Jean de Villiers said, “Working with people and having a platform where you can impact people and make a difference, a considerable difference, we might be able to provide hope and most importantly we might be able to create an opportunity for someone.
“We can do something about it and create the future we want or we can put our heads in the sand, but it won’t change anything. That is what we want to tell each and every one, it’s our responsibility. If you want change, then what are you doing about it? I absolutely love this country and if you love it as well then we need to do something.”
Van Rhyn added that there were incredible business leaders with an abundance of skills in the country and she wanted to find a way to use them as a resource. The schools which get involved in the partnership are very under-resourced and don’t have access to accountants or admin assistants, for example.
Van Rhyn said while many business people have access to management and leadership training, school principals do not. “It’s not just about money, it’s about having a skill and using that skill to make an impact.”
Pat Dlamini, a businesswoman who has partnered with a principal shared her experience. “I thought I must go there to share what I know but for me, it has become a home, it is a true community. The first month we had answers and solutions for everything and then I had to slow down and start fresh. As much as I have imparted skills to them, I have learned so much.”
Details: Partners for Possibility: 011 259 4031
Share your thoughts on Partners for Possibility on the Sandton Chronicle Facebook page.
Also read:
