On a dry, winter’s morning, Lerato [not her real name] steps out of her shack-home, in the Alaska Informal Settlement in Mamelodi East. She shares the typical tin home with her mom and siblings. Their small yard is swept clean and they have an outside, pit toilet.

She navigates her way through the settlement, passing informal traders, selling their wares from the dusty sidewalks, she walks along the dirty stream, known as the ‘Pampers River’ from the fact that it is used as dumping place for household rubbish and disposable diapers. Many of her school friends must cross this filthy stream, which dries up in winter to no more than a muddy, stagnant and toxic culvert, reeking of human waste. In summer, when the rains come, it often floods and swells to swallow up any structures and homes built on its banks.

Settlements like these, are notoriously under-serviced, but what is not as obvious as the uncollected waste, potholes and illegal electrical connections, is the hidden dangers facing children traversing these streets on foot, between home and school. Nowhere else on earth, are children and women in as much danger of sexual crimes and femicide as in South Africa and the shacks offer no real shelter from robbers and rapists.

She reaches the Viva Village and falls in line behind her friends, to get screened for Covid, before she enters. All Public schools have been closed as a result of the pandemic and the Viva Village Independent School is exempt from the closures, along with all private schools. The school is one of very few, serving underprivileged learners and its aim to correct inequality in education, is now more relevant than ever, as only more affluent learners can continue their education during the closures.

Having a quality, private education, within an informal settlement, is unheard of in South Africa. The school utilizes converted shipping containers as classrooms, employ highly qualified and motivated educators teaching an augmented South African CAPS curriculum. The educational program focuses on language, the sciences and mathematics and adds Computer Science, music and the Arts.

In December 2019, Lerato had the opportunity to travel to Europe as part of the Viva Children’s Choir, charming and inspiring audiences from Hamburg in the North of Germany, to Lake Constance in the very south, and across to Winterswijk in Holland.

The Viva Village is a unique Service Hub known for pragmatic partnerships with other organisations and institutions using its facilities from where a diverse palette of services is provided. Not many other centers operate like in this manner, but the Viva Foundation welcomes other institutions and organisations in order to fill all service gaps. This is a vital approach to service provision, as there is no other center in this sprawling community and the Viva Foundation strives to facilitate a holistic approach to community development.

The partnership philosophy of the Viva Foundation is a 3-way collaboration in development, namely the Benefactor enabling all the services through funding and making available the resources needed, the Beneficiary, partnering and working toward self-empowerment and with Viva as the link between these two, as the service provider. This 3-way partnership is very evident and effective in the school. Individuals are able to provide a monthly sponsorship to cover between 30 and 40% of the cost of education, the Viva Foundation also raises other funds from partners, such as the Add Hope campaign and other corporations that cover the CAPEX of the school and Parents are required to pay at least a quarter, or a third of the cost. Parents who are unable to pay their full share, are able to apply for full scholarships, or offer to volunteer at the school, where possible.

Viva is all about IMPACT – we know our benefactors are people who want to see change in the world. They want to see an end to inequality and injustice and want to see the most vulnerable of our society, climb out of the pit of poverty. We want to bring such a funder, together with a beneficiary, who is committed to take the outstretched hand and maximize every opportunity toward self-empowerment. Therefore, I call on everyone watching this, to get on board with Viva and increase this impact. Help us to keep this unique center going, help us ensure that children like Lerato, get every possible opportunity life has to offer and help us to get interventions like this one, to every informal settlement in South Africa!