Another Leap Forward

Since 2018 Maitland has sponsored five learners annually, seeing them through to Matric in LEAP, a leading learning organisation which aims to give young South Africans the academic and life skills they need to become future leaders.

To put the important subjects of maths and science in perspective, in 2015 South Africa ranked last in the world according to a World Economic Forum report. A 2020 survey by Trends in International Maths and Science Study (TIMMS) found that there had been slight improvement although Grade 5 and Grade 9 maths and science learners continued to score poorly on the international scale, failing to achieve a low benchmark rating overall – and unfortunately Grade 9 science proficiency still ranked lowest in the world.

This is why initiatives such as LEAP are so vitally needed in South Africa and why all stakeholders in both the public and private sectors need to plough resources into maths and science.

John Gilmour, a visionary and experienced teacher and Founder and Executive Director of LEAP, opened the first school in 2004 in the township of Langa, Cape Town. There are now six schools in townships around the country.

LEAP students enter LEAP in Grade 8 with poor numeracy skills and an average reading age of eight years. LEAP schools have extended school days (nine hours), Saturday classes and holiday programmes with the aim of enabling students to pass matric and progress to university and ultimately have successful careers. The organisation has a staggering average of 93% Grade 12 pass rate with more than 70% of graduates pursuing tertiary studies.

Maitland’s support

Maitland is involved with two LEAP schools, in the Cape Town townships of Langa and Crossroads. We cover all the costs for five learners annually, including study aids such as text books, science kits, study guides and writing books. We provide each student with a cellphone and data when needed and every year we also host career talks with the matric students.

The LEAP 2 school in Crossroads recently had a serious burglary. We stepped in and provided the school with 50 desktop computers, stationery and furniture.

Taking our LEAP support an important step further, at the end of 2021, we agreed on an additional way to support our sponsees by assigning two mentors to each student. We had had success with a long-standing mentorship initiative within our internship programme, and it seemed logical and relatively easy to extend this to LEAP. Each of our five students have now accordingly been assigned a junior and senior mentor. Junior mentors are younger Maitland staff and check in on the students weekly. The senior mentors are Maitland staff who have many years of working experience and provide advice and support to our students.

The emotional connection made between mentor and mentee is such that a few mentors who have left Maitland have asked to continue mentoring the student they have come to know. Feedback from the students and mentors has been extremely gratifying.

Sikelelwa Mwezo, Maitland Finance Administrator and one of our junior LEAP mentors, said: “In my own understanding mentoring is giving a helping hand or being there for someone, meaning that I like to put myself in that age and ask myself when I was at that age what is it that I would have liked to hear. I would wish that I had someone that I would have asked questions about the way of life. I am not saying that I know everything but being a mentor allows me the opportunity to have an impact on someone’s life. It also allows me the opportunity to learn – I learn from my mentees in as much as they may learn from me.

We encourage other corporates to support LEAP.