Every year learners from two schools – Haugaland VidergĂĄende Skole in Haugesund and Oddemarka Junior School in Kristiansand ,Norway raise funds by working one day of the year and donating these funds to a project called Action South Africa.
The funds raised are managed by a committee of Wynberg Rotary led by PP Are Hovstad for the benefit of 5 primary schools and 2 secondary schools in the Grassy Park, Lotus River and Zeekoevlei communities. In this year alone the Norwegian Committee gave out bursaries to the value of R940Â 000!
During the past week 4 Learners and 2 teachers of Haugaland Videregående Skole from Haugesund in Norway visited Cape Town as part of project Action South Africa.
The group was hosted by the Rotary Club of Wynberg and shown the impact that their school’s donations have made over the years and where their financial support is being used.
Kjetil Sturtzel a teacher at Haugasand said “Seeing how the money is spent, first-hand, makes you reflect more upon how much these schools are able to do with the limited resources they have.”
On Wednesday 18 October a Bursary evening was held at Fairmount Secondary School where a representation of the 700 learners received their bursaries which was made possible by the funds donated by the two Norwegian schools.
The Cape schools who benefit are 5 primary schools: De Duine, Lotus River, Montagu’s Gift, Perivale and Stephen Road Primary and 2 Secondary Schools: Fairmount Secondary and Zeekoevlei High Schools. These bursaries are awarded to children of impoverished families in order to assist them with finances to get through the school year.
Over the last 18 years, the project has donated over 6 million Rand. The impact of the donations are beginning to bear fruit as the first recipients of  bursaries in the early 2000s are qualifying with a  tertiary qualification  and achieving distinctions and getting employed by  top companies in Cape Town
PP Are Hovstad said what makes the project so successful is “Strict management, where every cent goes to the intended recipients. That gives the donors confidence that no waste of money is involved. They also have a very good relationship with the 7 principals and the NLC.
But the main reason for the sustainability is the annual visits by representatives from the Norwegian schools, where they can see the need for assistance as well as passing on their enthusiasm to their fellow students and teachers.”
