?Three2Six? programme

Marists of the Southern Africa province are offering education in South Africa to around 275 children from neighbouring countries who have been turned away from schools due to their illegal status.

The programme ‘Three2Six,’ which was set up by the Sacred Heart College in Johannesburg in 2008, teaches numeracy and literacy to children aged five to 13.

The teachers, refugees themselves, offer the children three hour daily lessons in existing host school facilities, with the hope of eventually reintegrating the children in schools.

“These children are not only able to integrate academically into mainstream schools, but they leave us with confidence, energy and a deep desire to contribute to their communities,” said development coordinator Rebecca Bromhead on the website of Irish-based charity, Misean Cara.

Three2Six provides safe transport, uniforms, textbooks and a daily meal for each child.

Since 2010, the project also offers a yearly 10-day holiday programme in August which teaches children reading practice and mathematics revision as well as games, sports, science, arts and computer sessions.

Three2Six is planning to start tracking the progress of students by seeing how they cope academically and psycho-socially after they integrate into schools with a resilience scale it will develop, inspired by the KIPP GRIT scale.