By Amy Stokes | Founder, President and CEO
November is the most nerve-wracking time of the year for Infinite Family's Net Buddies as they wrap up their year-end exams. It is also when we begin to reflect on the progress our teens have made during the school year. With thanks in our hearts, we know it is the generous support of our precious donors and sponsors that carries them through, with strength and smiles.
Picture the scene last week when 15-year old Lwando* bounded excitedly into our Alexandra LaunchPad after his year-end Grade 9 Math exam. He’s new to our Infinite Family program, only joining in January this year, and when Program Director Zoleka Petse got him to calm down enough to speak clearly, he beamed that the test was ‘good’ and ‘he was sure he’d done well’.
Click here to let him tell you all about it.
While Lwando’s success was no surprise to us, it is a very new feeling for him. This is a critical time in his high school journey as Grade 9 is an exit point for many teens, who are allowed (and often pressured by their families) to drop out of school after these final exams. An astonishing 60% take that option in order to find work and support their families.
In communities where the majority of adults are un- or under-employed, ‘alternative’ means of making money are rife. When students are not in school, they must constantly navigate the temptations of streetside gambling (impromptu dice tables are on every corner), inducements to join a gang, and other situations that can pull on the insecurities of bored teens. Click here to see a slice of township life that highlights exactly why your support for Infinite Family's LaunchPads is so important. With negative influences at every turn, it takes all of us to keep our teens on track toward the stability and security that a job provides.
Thanks to the support and encouragement from his weekly video calls with Jeremy, his mentor in New York, Lwando will be back in January to start Grade 10 and to continue building a better future for himself. He currently sees himself pursuing a career in IT just like Jeremy!
Stats show that students who stay in school until the end of Grade 12 have 5 times more earning power than those who drop out earlier. We are deeply grateful for your commitment to our Infinite Family that keeps our teens in school and prepares them to succeed!
* Note: Photos and quotes are all real Infinite Family Net Buddies. For their safety, we change the names and images to protect the identities of minor-aged teens.
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