Johannesburg Girls’ Preparatory School has stood in Berea for 138 years – the oldest school in the city, and a pillar of hope for generations of young girls. Today, more than 1 050 learners from Grade R to Grade 7 walk through its gates, many from families living below the breadline, where school fees are a struggle and opportunities are scarce.
Yet inside those red-brick walls, there’s a big, bold dream: to give every girl a world-class education and the digital skills to match it. That’s why Principal Mr Chauke reached out for help to “revive” the school’s computer lab – a vital space that had fallen behind the demands of a digital world.“We believe in educating and empowering the girl child to become future leaders in our country.”
Hot Cares was deeply moved by the school’s mission to provide “a safe and nurturing environment” and to empower every learner, regardless of background, with the knowledge, skills and ethics for responsible citizenship. With so many parents unable to pay school fees and no additional subsidy for those losses, the school has very few avenues to fund major projects like a modern computer lab.
This Hot Cares Christmas, we wanted to help change that.
Thanks to the generosity of our Hot Cares community and our friends at Alpha Group, Johannesburg Girls’ Prep is taking a giant leap into the future. Hot Cares is donating 40 brand-new chairs to equip the lab, while Alpha Group is sponsoring 26 laptops – turning an under-resourced room into an exciting, functional digital learning hub for the girls.
The excitement was palpable around Johannesburg Girls’ Preparatory School when we visited.
(From left) Shona and Lloyd Madurai from HOT 1027, Principal RE Chauke, Antonio and Nicole Iozzo from Alpha Group, Carmen Rocha, Giulia Leslie and Patrick Hayworth from HOT 1027.