- Community Development ·
Sponsor a Child to Attend School in South Africa
Funding Children aged 2 – 18 to be able to attend school and get an education in Africa. It costs from just £40 a month for a child aged 2 – 5 years to attend school, £120 a month for a child from aged 5- 11 years
- South Africa
- hello@actionchange.org
Project Summary
Project Challenge
Project Solution
Impact
Reports
Project Summary
We are ending the educational divide in South Africa by moving children from the streets and overcrowded state schools into our high-quality classrooms. While many families survive on just 250 a month, our scholarships provide a 20:1 student-teacher ratio, nutritious daily meals, and a private-school standard of learning in their community from 40. We give children from the most vulnerable backgrounds a fair start, ensuring they are on the same track as the country’s most privileged students.
Project Challenge
In South Africa, the gap between rich and poor is seen most in the classroom. Vulnerable children are often left on the streets while parents work, or they are lost in government schools with 60 students to one teacher. These children are fighting a cycle of poverty with no bridge to a better life. Without quality intervention, they fall behind the private-sector standard, missing out on the specialised attention and nutrition required to truly thrive and compete.
Project Solution
Our school is the bridge. We offer a 20:1 learning ratio that mirrors private education, covering everything from Science and Sports to multiple languages. For children aged 2-5, our Kindergarten provides a safe haven with early development and three daily meals for 40 a month. For older students, our Primary scholarships ensure access to a top-tier curriculum for 120 a month. Sponsor a child monthly or give a one-off gift to fund vital uniforms, stationery, and food supplies.
Impact
Your scholarship investment levels the playing field. By providing a seat in a high-quality classroom, you are giving a child from a poverty-stricken community the same start as the most privileged students. This isn’t just a school place; it is a shield against the streets and a weapon against poverty. You are empowering a new generation of confident, educated leaders who now have the academic excellence and physical health to build a bright, successful future for themselves.
Reports
Project Report | Mar 9, 2026
Education is such a special gift
By Tyrone Bennett | Educational Programs Lead South Africa
Our Latest Child Sponsored At Age 5
Hello to our wonderful community of supporters,
I wanted to reach out and share some news from our school in Africa. Following on from our last update, we are still seeing the incredible long-term impact that your support has on these students. We are so proud to share that 100% of our graduates from our early childhood center successfully secure places in primary school. This is a huge win because it means the foundation we are building together is actually working and it’s giving these kids the momentum they need to stay in school and out of the poverty cycle.
However, as we celebrate those successes, we are also facing a big challenge. Right now, we have 28 children on our waiting list who are desperate to start their journey with us. Their families come to us constantly, hoping for a scholarship because they know that without one, their children will remain stuck in a circle of unemployment and hardship.
We really want to welcome these 28 new faces, but we need your help to make it happen. Out of this group, 16 children are between the ages of 2 and 5. For these little ones, a scholarship is just £40 a month. That £40 is honestly life-changing. It gets them off the dangerous streets where they are at risk of injury or being recruited by local gangs, and into a safe space with educational play, therapy sessions, and a school uniform that makes them feel like they truly belong.
Just think about that for a second. For the price of a small trip to your local shop, one 2-year-old gets a safe place to learn, a uniform, and 40 nutritious meals a month (two every single school day). It’s such a small amount for us, but it is everything to them.
For the older children in primary school, the cost is £120 a month. This covers a bit more, including the science equipment and resources they need for a full curriculum that prepares them for the real world. These kids are so passionate and dedicated; they just need someone to open the door for them.
Setting up a monthly donation is the best way to guarantee a child’s place throughout the year, or an annual gift of £480 for a younger child or £1,440 for a primary student covers their entire education for the year.
Thank you for being such a massive part of this mission and for helping us change these futures, one child at a time. Our photo today is of our most recent girl sponsored today by a special monthly donor we know we can do it!
Thank You
_________________________________________________
Story of Romeo
By Trina | Teacher and Centre Manager
Scholarship Student Romeo
Welcome Supporters, Donors and Valued Fundraisers,
This report, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of updating you on the entire program, we want to share the story of just one child—Romeo—whose life has taken a hopeful new direction, thanks to your support.
At just 2 years old, Romeo was often found playing barefoot outside his family’s small shack on the dusty streets of the township. His mother, loving and determined, was spending her days searching for any work she could find—but without formal skills, her options were very limited. The family survives on a small government grant, and school would have remained a distant dream.
But then you stepped in.
Because of your donations, Romeo received a scholarship of just $30/month, which allowed him to attend a local educare centre. There, he is building early childhood development skills, learning through structured play, and receiving daily meals—critical for his health, growth, and readiness for primary school.
When Romeo turns 5, his scholarship will increase to $250/month to cover primary school tuition. This not only includes a quality education in a class of no more than 30 children per teacher, but also meals, uniforms, and supplies—support his family would never be able to afford alone.
Without this support, Romeo would likely attend an overcrowded government school with up to 80 children per class and minimal individual attention. Children like him, under those conditions, often drop out after just a few weeks—pulled back into the poverty cycle that’s so hard to escape.
But Romeo has a chance, and that’s because of you.
“When I saw him in his uniform for the first time, I cried. I didn’t think this would be possible for us. Thank you for making my child feel seen and valued,”
– Romeo’s Mom
We truly value your support. This program is making real change, but to make it sustainable, we need help in the form of monthly donations—even small ones. We understand it’s a big ask, but any amount you choose to give can go directly towards covering a child’s monthly scholarship.
Together, we are not just funding education—we are opening doors, restoring dignity, and helping rewrite futures.
With sincere thanks,
Teacher Trina
We are ending the educational divide in South Africa by moving children from the streets and overcrowded state schools into our high-quality classrooms. While many families survive on just 250 a month, our scholarships provide a 20:1 student-teacher ratio, nutritious daily meals, and a private-school standard of learning in their community from 40. We give children from the most vulnerable backgrounds a fair start, ensuring they are on the same track as the country’s most privileged students.
In South Africa, the gap between rich and poor is seen most in the classroom. Vulnerable children are often left on the streets while parents work, or they are lost in government schools with 60 students to one teacher. These children are fighting a cycle of poverty with no bridge to a better life. Without quality intervention, they fall behind the private-sector standard, missing out on the specialised attention and nutrition required to truly thrive and compete.
Our school is the bridge. We offer a 20:1 learning ratio that mirrors private education, covering everything from Science and Sports to multiple languages. For children aged 2-5, our Kindergarten provides a safe haven with early development and three daily meals for 40 a month. For older students, our Primary scholarships ensure access to a top-tier curriculum for 120 a month. Sponsor a child monthly or give a one-off gift to fund vital uniforms, stationery, and food supplies.
Your scholarship investment levels the playing field. By providing a seat in a high-quality classroom, you are giving a child from a poverty-stricken community the same start as the most privileged students. This isn’t just a school place; it is a shield against the streets and a weapon against poverty. You are empowering a new generation of confident, educated leaders who now have the academic excellence and physical health to build a bright, successful future for themselves.
Project Report | Mar 9, 2026
Education is such a special gift
By Tyrone Bennett | Educational Programs Lead South Africa
Our Latest Child Sponsored At Age 5
Hello to our wonderful community of supporters,
I wanted to reach out and share some news from our school in Africa. Following on from our last update, we are still seeing the incredible long-term impact that your support has on these students. We are so proud to share that 100% of our graduates from our early childhood center successfully secure places in primary school. This is a huge win because it means the foundation we are building together is actually working and it’s giving these kids the momentum they need to stay in school and out of the poverty cycle.
However, as we celebrate those successes, we are also facing a big challenge. Right now, we have 28 children on our waiting list who are desperate to start their journey with us. Their families come to us constantly, hoping for a scholarship because they know that without one, their children will remain stuck in a circle of unemployment and hardship.
We really want to welcome these 28 new faces, but we need your help to make it happen. Out of this group, 16 children are between the ages of 2 and 5. For these little ones, a scholarship is just £40 a month. That £40 is honestly life-changing. It gets them off the dangerous streets where they are at risk of injury or being recruited by local gangs, and into a safe space with educational play, therapy sessions, and a school uniform that makes them feel like they truly belong.
Just think about that for a second. For the price of a small trip to your local shop, one 2-year-old gets a safe place to learn, a uniform, and 40 nutritious meals a month (two every single school day). It’s such a small amount for us, but it is everything to them.
For the older children in primary school, the cost is £120 a month. This covers a bit more, including the science equipment and resources they need for a full curriculum that prepares them for the real world. These kids are so passionate and dedicated; they just need someone to open the door for them.
Setting up a monthly donation is the best way to guarantee a child’s place throughout the year, or an annual gift of £480 for a younger child or £1,440 for a primary student covers their entire education for the year.
Thank you for being such a massive part of this mission and for helping us change these futures, one child at a time. Our photo today is of our most recent girl sponsored today by a special monthly donor we know we can do it!
Thank You
_________________________________________________
Story of Romeo
By Trina | Teacher and Centre Manager
Scholarship Student Romeo
Welcome Supporters, Donors and Valued Fundraisers,
This report, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of updating you on the entire program, we want to share the story of just one child—Romeo—whose life has taken a hopeful new direction, thanks to your support.
At just 2 years old, Romeo was often found playing barefoot outside his family’s small shack on the dusty streets of the township. His mother, loving and determined, was spending her days searching for any work she could find—but without formal skills, her options were very limited. The family survives on a small government grant, and school would have remained a distant dream.
But then you stepped in.
Because of your donations, Romeo received a scholarship of just $30/month, which allowed him to attend a local educare centre. There, he is building early childhood development skills, learning through structured play, and receiving daily meals—critical for his health, growth, and readiness for primary school.
When Romeo turns 5, his scholarship will increase to $250/month to cover primary school tuition. This not only includes a quality education in a class of no more than 30 children per teacher, but also meals, uniforms, and supplies—support his family would never be able to afford alone.
Without this support, Romeo would likely attend an overcrowded government school with up to 80 children per class and minimal individual attention. Children like him, under those conditions, often drop out after just a few weeks—pulled back into the poverty cycle that’s so hard to escape.
But Romeo has a chance, and that’s because of you.
“When I saw him in his uniform for the first time, I cried. I didn’t think this would be possible for us. Thank you for making my child feel seen and valued,”
– Romeo’s Mom
We truly value your support. This program is making real change, but to make it sustainable, we need help in the form of monthly donations—even small ones. We understand it’s a big ask, but any amount you choose to give can go directly towards covering a child’s monthly scholarship.
Together, we are not just funding education—we are opening doors, restoring dignity, and helping rewrite futures.
With sincere thanks,
Teacher Trina
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