Although focused on providing quality primary education in South Africa in partnership with the Provincial Departments of Education , developing partnerships with international organisations is leading to activity elsewhere in Africa. Working through Operation Lifeline Sudan, with UNICEF and the SPLM, OLSET is helping with the provision of education for refugees returning to Southern Sudan. Elsewhere, in Nigeria, OLSET is working with partners to pilot a programme for educational outreach to the large nomadic population in that country.

Click here for the projects that we are involved in

BROADENING and DEEPENING our PARTNERSHIPS

Gordon Naidoo,
Executive Director,
OLSET

Moving forward from the landmark of our 10th anniversary late last year, OLSET ontinues to go from strength to strength, and with support from Britain’s Department for International Development, activities continue to expand within those core provinces where OLSET operates in South Africa. The impact of OLSET’s Radio Learning Programme, and its universal appeal is, however, also being demonstrated in the interest being expressed from educationalists in other parts of Africa. In response to requests from various agencies, OLSET is currently involved with initiatives in Sudan, Malawi and Nigeria as well as the Teachers in Action collaboration with the BBC which reaches out to a global audience. These new South-South developments are important. Not only do they broaden, strengthen and deepen the value of existing partnerships with international partners such as DFID, the British Council and BBC, but they also support the identification of African solutions to African challenges. OLSET is not only demonstrating how to reach out to the most needy children in some of South Africa’s most isolated schools, but a wide range of educationalists are also coming into contact with a quality teaching and learning programme that is relevant to the context of education in most parts of the African continent. In this newsletter the focus on these new international partnerships, along with updates on some of our activities in South Africa, provides a flavour of OLSET’s current work. This is enhanced and given added impact through some of the images used in this issue. George Hallett, the internationally acclaimed South African photographer has provided many of the photos that appear on these pages. These not only bring to life the impact that OLSET is having in schools around the country but shows us something more about the range of environments and social contexts being served. In his travels to capture these images George visited schools in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. This was his first visit to many of these areas in recent years and certainly his first experience of OLSET’s work at the grassroots level. Reflecting on his journey George noted the energy and motivation of those involved in the Radio Learning Programme, not only the OLSET Coordinators but the teachers and children as well. We are sure you will agree that this comes through clearly in some of the images that appear in this issue.