Vocational Service

1. Vocational Service For more than 12 years the club supported one scholar at ST  ENDA'S SECONDARY SCHOOL, HILLBROW with a scholarship from Grade 10 to Matric. Further support has been provided in form of books, personal computers, participation at seminars and youth workshops. In order to further support the students after matric the Pilot project REBECCA-TERTIARY EDUCATION was activated in 2004. Rebecca has achieved multiple distinctions every year and is now completing her course of studies on Optometry at the University of Johannesburg. Since launching Rebecca on her course of studies, the Club has aided other students in a variety of way with bursaries, loans, and logistical support (housing, food, transportation), so that they also might pursue post-high school studies. One of our Club’s previous bursary students is now teaching maths and sciences at Silver Oaks Secondary School, Eldorado Park. Experience has shown that a budget of R70.000 to R 170.000 is required for a small number of candidates with varied requirements. A single university student can run as high as R45.000p.a. International Service and Youth Exchange The International Service Committee runs the following programmes on behalf of the Club: Hosts a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from abroad while he or she is studying for a Master’s degree at a local university. Sponsors a suitable candidate for the award of an Ambassadorial Scholarship for study abroad. Sponsors a local high school-level Rotary Exchange student who spends a year abroad. In return the Club hosts a student from abroad for a year. (Depends on the receipt of suitable applications. Costs borne by the students’ families.) Sponsors a short-term (six week) family-to-family exchange between a learner at a local school and an incoming student from abroad. (Costs borne by students’ families.) Liaises with the Rotaract Club of Johannesburg (a service club for young people aged 18 -30 years) which the Rotary Club sponsors jointly with the Rotary Club of Johannesburg. Sponsors a learner from St Enda’s School to attend the bi-annual RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) camp. • Community Service • Johannesburg North Central has engaged in numerous service projects in the Gauteng area over the years, from on-going feeding schemes to once-off contributions to various organizations and charities. Currently, our major focus is on assisting an HIV/AIDS project, known as Maforonation Home-based Care Centre, at Ethwathwa, Benoni. • Maforonation is run by a local woman, known generally as Mama Connie. She started the project in a tiny house, which included a day care centre for 40 toddlers who are AIDS orphans in foster care, a small office and a room for the volunteers who provide support for child-headed households in the neighborhood. • To provide more suitable accommodations, our Club helped Mama Connie obtain some unused prefabricated metal classrooms on the grounds of a nearby primary school, place them on new concrete platforms to create an enclosed safe play space for the toddlers. Since this, we have fenced in the area, obtained a container from the Book Project and moved it onto site, and are on the list for an additional container. The Club also helps with additional needs of the project: books, shelving, refurbishing the units, and Christmas presents for the children. • (see pictures above).