Ukuthanda/South Africa

Since their stay of several years in South Africa, friends of a member of the founding family have been supporting a South African boy who attends a high school in Johannesburg by making his school stay financially possible. For this purpose, together with friends in Germany, they have founded the non-profit association Ukuthanda e.V., which organizes the financial help for the boy. With the help of our foundation, the work of the association will be expanded.

 

Ukuthanda/Bothlale/Südafrika

BOTHLALE

We supported 16-year-old Bothlale with an annual scholarship. We also provide this support through the charity Ukuthanda e.V. https://www.ukuthanda.de. Bothlale is now in Year 8 at McAuley House High School in Johannesburg. At the end of her 7th school year, she received several awards for her good academic performance. She would like to become a doctor or a lawyer one day and is working very hard towards this goal.

Bothlale expresses her heartfelt thanks for the decision to support her in her school career. In a letter, she explains how difficult the COVID-19 period and home-schooling were for her, as she had no way of attending lessons online. She also missed her classmates. Now that she is back at school, she hopes that many things will become easier. Thanks to the financial support, she will be able to use better transport options to get to school more reliably and take part in extracurricular activities. In South Africa, this kind of extra-curricular learning is extremely important. She, too, has big plans for this school year: she wants to remain in the top 10 pupils and join even more extracurricular clubs to learn as much as possible. She is very much looking forward to working with her new laptop. Meanwhile, by the end of the 2025 school year, Bothlale had passed her A-levels – and with distinction! Our warmest congratulations will accompany her on her future journey!

Robyn is a very ambitious and talented pupil

In Novembre 2002 she introduced herself to us as such:

"My name is Robyn, I am 14 years old and I go to McAuley House School. If I had to describe myself I would say I'm optimistic, unique, creative and I have a healthy balance between my school and social life. I do believe there's move to me than meets the eye and that I have a significant purpose and unlocked potential that is yet to be discovered. 
From a young age I was always viewed as brilliant and bright. I always received astounding marks, I participated in numerous competitions ruch as maths Olympiads and spelling bees, and I was viewed as a loader and someone who knew the answers to everything. All of those things have shaped me and formed part of who I've become today because I would not have been able to do it without hard work and perseverence. Even though those characteristics are the first things to be seen when I am observed, I do have underlying passions that make me feel bruly alive. My passion for art is a way to escape the everyday realities and it forces me to truly be in the present. I also enjoy drama because it is a platform for me to express myself, it is a way my voice can be heard. Drama unleashes the depens of emotions I hide away. Other than my love for the arts I enjoy bonding with friends and family because it teaches me to appreciate the people I have in my life. I am a big believer in living in the present and I always remember a quote by coreta kent, and she says "life is a succession of moments to live each one is to succeed. 
when I think about where I envision myself in five years time, I would say it would be studying towards becoming an orthopedic surgeon as it gives me a way to help people and make a difference in their lives. I wish to become someone who inspires friends, family and even strangers to become anything they wish to be by me becoming an orthopedic surgeon. I would also like people to adopt life values when I motivate them to become the best version of themselves. I am so blessed to be presented with the gife of life. I work towards making everyday the greatest day of my life and I am so grateful to be able to share who I am with the world. Thank you for reading and thank you for the opportunity to broaden my perspective of the world, myself and who I aspire to become."

Meanwhile, Robyn has also passed her A-levels at the end of the 2025 school year – and as top of her year with special honours! She can be very proud of that