In 2023 our Social Entrepreneurship Clubs used the funds they raised to complete the following projects, to add value to their school communities:

• The Centenary Secondary club renovated the Girls and Boys changing rooms.
• The Sastri College club bought exam stationery packs for 50 learners who couldn't afford them.
• The Bechet High club renovated the school sports ground and did outreach work at the local children's home
• The Durban Girls Secondary club renovated and repainted the toilets as well the kitchen for the Hospitality Department, and some needed items for the kitchen were purchased.
• The Hunt Road Secondary club bought chairs for the school.

Some comments from project stakeholders:

“These learners will forever be grateful, Hunt Road Secondary is blessed having you, your dedication can easily be read in your eyes, on behalf of the maths department, thank you. Thank you Andiswa, for your dedication. It builds the learners’ confidence very much” - A subject head

“Hi B, I just received a message from my grade 11 learner, she was thanking me and the project on how we helped her improve her marks. I am happy to see that we are making great impact on these learners, from 43% first term, 53% second term and 71% on her trials. It's an honour being part of this project, thank you.” - A tutor

“Good morning everyone, yesterday I took grade 10 for accounting, I was asking them how they wrote their accounting exam, and which topics they found challenging. And Miss A Mqadi (subject head) indicated that their academic performance has improved, most learners did very well, she also indicated that the highest obtained 85%, of which is excellent.” - A tutor

“I just received a screenshot from one of my students showing me they got 94.66% for accounting paper one, automatically the student has passed accounting without even writing the second paper. It’s good to be part of this project and adding value to students' academics.” - A tutor

“As we draw close to the end of the year I would like to express my gratitude to Berenice and her team of tutors for their hard work, commitment and endurance in supporting Centenary learners. Our learners, and staff are always so boxed-in in academia that creativity and hence productivity is vastly compromised. The projects for revamping the girls and boys change rooms give our learners a sense of satisfaction that they can tangibly see in front of their eyes. We need more of these projects to uplift our learners mentally. Perhaps we can look at growing vegetables next year. If so, please count me in. May the Almighty reward you abundantly for making a difference in our children's lives.” - Ms Khan

“Poverty, inequality and exclusion are hallmarks of our society. In order for the rights of all children to be realised, it is important that this gap be removed. And this is exactly what the DUT Engagement Program did with our learners. You bridged this gap and gave them a sense of belonging. When children feel a sense of belonging, they develop confidence and self-identity. We thank the DUT team for giving our learners this opportunity and hope that we can go bigger in 2024.” - Ms Munira

“Beautiful event, thank you Berenice & her DUT team for giving our kids such a wonderful opportunity. Appreciate all you do for our schools.” - Ms Singh

“Thank you to all, for giving our children these lovely opportunities and for social cohesion. Your great efforts are highly appreciated, Congratulations to all.” - Mr Mthethwa

“I appreciate the opportunity the DUT Career Day has given me. It opened my eyes on post school destinations. It even made me question my approach to apply for university and made me aware of the requirements to get into university. It opened doors I didn’t know were available for me, it gave me an opportunity with Bridge, the organization that will assist me with applying at university. As a commerce learner I appreciated the entrepreneurship presentation, it was my favourite. This was a fruitful event, and I would recommend it to those that are still confused about transitioning from high school to tertiary institutions. I give it a 10 out of 10.” - Siphelo Ndlovu

“The Career Day held by DUT was a very enlightening experience. The first presentation by Mr Mgenge was my personal favourite as it gave me a direction on where and how to start my journey as an entrepreneur. His testimony on his journey gave me courage that if I am confident and passionate about my business and have a clear vision for it, it can go to extents I cannot imagine. The Bridge group presentation was very informative - in most cases we do not have enough knowledge about tertiary institutions, how to apply, and what courses to take. It was very helpful and generous of the Bridge group to teach us about their services and actually show us videos of the people who have received their assistance, which gives us more trust and assurance. The TLT group was not only educational but also fun. The presentations had a very welcoming aura which made us feel free to participate in all their activities throughout. They really gave us a chance to do some introspection on ourselves, to be honest about our characters and who we visualise ourselves to be in the near future. Wherever we felt there were gaps or flaws, we could change them to become the best version of ourselves. The last presentation by Mr Alex Mdletshe was also informative about all the courses offered by DUT. The DUT Alumni gives us a positive attitude towards DUT as an institution. All in all, the career day was inspirational, motivational, and eye opening. We are really grateful for such an experience” - Velele Cibane

“Congratulations to all winners of the Super Chefs competition. A special thanks goes to the organisers of the competition. What an awesome opportunity for our learners to showcase their talents. To the educators who develop their skills and guide them we say thank you and well done to each one of you. Parents who support their children we applaud you, your support of your child is invaluable. Don’t stop, keep it up, God bless you.” - Mrs Young

“Dearest Berenice thank you so much for all the work you do in our engagement program. You are a superstar to the moon and beyond. I am so uplifted personally and professionally right now and feel my work has merit beyond just academics and the classroom. The most powerful influence on a child happens when a teacher operates with morale at the highest level. This then makes its way into minds, hearts, souls, and spirits of hundreds of learners that pass through our classroom on a daily basis. Your well wishes and support is so greatly appreciated because no one can accomplish all that you do without passion in your heart, drive, determination, and abundant blessings from above. Thank you once again.” - Harsheela Pillay

Project Impact

In our annual surveys, project partners have consistently indicated the significant contribution that the project is making to academic progress as well as the development of entrepreneurial and values-based leadership skills.
At our partner schools, they are extremely grateful for the DUT School Engagement Programme as it effectively and consistently fills in the educational gaps outlined below: In particular:

1. The DUT programme provides free tuition to learners in the gateway subjects in grades 10, 11 and 12. This provides much needed extra tuition and revision for the learners in an effective manner that is coordinated by our school teachers. This effectively means that the DUT tutors and our schoolteachers are working together to provide the best academic support for our learners (who otherwise would not be able to afford this). We are also happy to report that our learner achievement in these subjects has improved steadily and our bachelor passes are improving (specific statistics can be made available).
2. The DUT programme provides in-depth and personal exposure to tertiary programmes. This close association allows learners greater access to information about their chosen career fields
3. The DUT programme strengthens our aim of holistic education. While academics are important, social and entrepreneurial skills are also important. The peace club embraces divergent learner interests and explores mechanisms of peaceful coexistence. The social entrepreneurial club is more specific in its aim of financial education and independence. In the previous year, this club raised funds and established a peace garden on our school premises.
4. Opportunities to showcase learner talents are always welcomed at schools. Public schools like ours are hard pressed to organize such events. The DUT programme successfully hosted a sports tournament and a talent show. The keen interest and participation by our learners indicated that the learners thoroughly enjoy.

What makes the DUT programme a good fit for our schools is that their educational philosophy is value-based. They go beyond technical academic skills and extend their activities to enhance the holistic development of the learner. In broad terms, they assist in empowering the youth with value -based development - something our future will need. Examples of these are punctuality (of the DUT team) and the learners, commitment, dedication and passion for improvement, reliability, and consistency (classes during exam period etc.) and integrity (mutual respect).

The DUT school engagement programme has proved to be a valuable and essential partner to us as a public school. It is an excellent example of public-private partnership where the funds are effectively used to empower a generation of young adults. It is making a significant contribution to education in particular, and to the development of this country in general.”

Appreciation letters from project stakeholders

Click here for the letter.

The DUT School Engagement Project is positively impacting around 2500 lives each year through the 7 project pillars. This report serves as a testament to the dedicated support and efforts of our funders, partners, the DUT community, school management teams, tutors and learners. Our commitment to achieving our project goals remains unwavering, and we look forward to your continued support in our journey of research, innovation, and community engagement.