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Alan and Hilary Davies have
donated £40,000 successfully doing their bit to 'make
poverty history' in Africa by taking what is already good
and making it better. The Davies' believe that targeted
funding to improve communication within Africa, through such
international languages as English, is the key to
empowerment. In October, they are funding a 'Centre of
Excellence' for the teaching of English, at Masibambane
College, a school in the Orange Farm township south of
Soweto, the poorest and fastest growing squatter camp in
South Africa. Targeted funding has already benefited 130
student teachers at the University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, and 80 teachers of the deaf, following
training at Fulton School in KwaZulu-Natal.
A recent Save the Children report 'One in Two' states that
'to break Africa's cycle of poverty, there must be an
unprecedented level of investment in this generation of
children'. This is pulled sharply into focus when you
consider that more than half the population of Africa are
children. It is exactly through the kind of targeted work
that the Cheshire couple are doing, that will make this
vision become a reality in Africa.
Masibambane is a Zulu word that embraces the idea of holding
hands and building together. Many of the school buildings
have been funded by the City of Vienna, but more needs to be
done in guiding the school to achieve a high standard in
reading and spelling English. Darryl Geffen, the headmaster
of Masibambane College said, 'This gift will make a
tremendous difference to the school. We have lots of
different national languages and I know that the teaching of
THRASS will make a significant difference to the learning of
English in the region. As a country we have some major
issues to tackle, including poverty and Aids. I believe
that, if South Africa is to grow and deal with these issues,
our children must be able to confidently communicate with
the rest of the world.'
The Davies' have been working together, over several years,
to help thousands of children and adults worldwide to read,
write and spell in English using a programme called THRASS
(Teaching Handwriting Reading And Spelling Skills). Alan, a
chartered educational psychologist and associate fellow of
the British Psychological Society, is recognised as a world
expert in the teaching of English phonics.
The Davies' Three-Point Plan
For G8 leaders, the Davies's three-point plan is simple:
1. Work with schools/universities where the teaching of
English has a high priority.
2. Improve the quality of teaching in English by improving
teacher subject knowledge.
3. Create 'Centres of Excellence' so that the staff can
reach out and make a difference in the wider community.
Further
information
UK:
Mike Meade, Media Director, THRASS UK 01829 741413 Mob: 07970
151 738 mikemeade@thrass.co.uk
AFRICA:
Chris Griffiths, International Development, THRASS UK +30 266
203 1207 chrisgriffiths@thrass.co.uk
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