Richmark Holdings has found a way to help educate the under privileged children of Tembisa, South Africa

It joined in an initiative to aid the Sunrise Combined College taken on by Chatz Charity and is giving the young children of Tembisa new opportunities to study in a safe and comfortable environment. Since 2005, the Sunrise Combined College has been operating as a privately run school. It was established in response to the overcrowded conditions and extremely long waiting lists that were prevalent in the government funded schools. That effort to reinforce the school is being strengthened this year with the additional aid and support given by Richmark Holdings.

Helping Children Learn

It is no secret that it can be difficult for even the brightest child to learn in a substandard learning environment. By offering more services and making the school classrooms larger, Richmark Holdings, in joint partnership with Chatz Charity, are hoping to make a difference. Limited funds allowed for minimal improvements when Sunrise Combined College went private in 2005. The problem of overcrowded classrooms was still a major issue in the school that was built of cheap corrugated sheets of iron. In 2012, the situation began to look up when the Chatz Charity constructed new classroom walls out of wood and ordered new blackboards for each room. The same year, after noticing that many of the young children were arriving at school hungry, a kitchen area was installed. By the end of 2012, the five-member staff in the onsite kitchen was already handing out food to some 560 children. The healthy meals consist of hotdogs, rice, sandwiches and mince. In addition, they made juices enriched with vitamins available. From 10:30 each morning, children begin to line up to receive their meal, which turned out to be the only time some of the children ate each day. The charity took it one step further by putting up a roofed area outdoors where the children could eat their meals. It installed playground equipment on the outdoors play area and is in the midst of planning a library. After noticing that there were many young children waiting in the schoolyard for two to three hours at a time, a plan is underway to build an after school care centre where the young ones can be protected from the harsh weather conditions. 

Richmark Holdings Supports Creative Entrepreneurs

Richmark Holdings was founded in 2000 as a venture capital company focussing on helping talented entrepreneurs in South Africa. It helped them build innovative businesses that could sustain long-term growth by taking an active part in making decisions. After many years of helping start-ups reach their full potential, Richmark Holdings switched paths and now concentrates most of their efforts on established businesses with at least two years of good operating records. With its new and concentrated efforts on more established companies, Richmark still holds true to its original goal of helping develop the South African economy through empowering people with jobs and funding that strengthens new ventures.