March 2025

At the Bitou 10 Foundation, we are dedicated to addressing the pressing educational challenges in our community and empowering learners with the skills and knowledge needed for both their immediate success and long-term growth. As President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted in his address at the 2025 Basic Education Sector Lekgotla, the future of South Africa depends on strengthening the foundations of education, particularly in the early years, to ensure that every learner has the opportunity to thrive.

Our projects are designed to tackle key shortcomings in the current education system and directly benefit learners in the Bitou area, providing them with essential literacy and numeracy skills that will serve as building blocks for lifelong learning.

Unlocking Literacy & Language Potential

Our Literacy Development programs are transforming how learners engage with reading and language. Through trained volunteers, we’re providing Grade 2 and 3 learners at Phakamisani Primary and Kwanokuthula Primary with English reading support to help them smoothly transition from isiXhosa to English.

In addition, our TIME program is offering after-school Afrikaans literacy support to Grade R and 1 learners at Formosa, Kranshoek, and Wittedrift Primaries—building essential reading and writing skills with confidence!

Igniting Passion for Learning

Learning should be exciting! Our Bitou Spelling Stars competition, engaging Grade 1-9 students across Bitou in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa, encourages friendly competition and boosts language skills.

We're also creating vibrant school libraries at Kranshoek Primary, giving students access to more books and fostering a lifelong love of reading.

Strengthening Mathematical Foundations

Math can be fun and exciting! With our Mathematics Resource Project, we’re supplying Grade 2 teachers with resource kits to enhance learning and help young minds understand math concepts in a hands-on way. This initiative is helping seven Bitou primary schools set their students up for future success.

Building Life Skills for a Bright Future

It’s not just about academics! Our exciting new Life Skills Project that launches this year will be providing High School learners, parents, and teachers with aptitude tools and career guidance information, aimed at assisting the learners in their decision making regarding subject choices and career paths.

Embracing Technology in Education

Another key focus of his address was that "Globalisation, open knowledge flows and advancing technology are rapidly changing the world of work." At the Bitou 10 Foundation, we are embracing these changes through our Technology for Teaching Project. This initiative provides e-learning platforms in language, mathematics, and physical science at primary and high school levels, helping students improve their academic performance and digital literacy.

By offering language, math, and science resources through e-learning, we are equipping our learners with the digital tools they need to succeed in an ever-evolving world. Technology is not just a complement but a crucial part of modern education, and we are ensuring that our learners are ready to excel in the digital age.

Our President emphasised what we at Bitou 10 Foundation know so well, which is that foundational education—especially in literacy and numeracy—is the key to transforming South Africa’s future. We are proud to be part of this transformation, focusing on practical, targeted interventions that benefit our learners both now and in the years to come. Through the dedication of our volunteers, teachers, and partners, we are creating opportunities for our youth to succeed and reach their full potential.