Our Causes / Education & Training / Optimus Foundation / Overview
Optimus Foundation
Mission Statement
The Optimus Foundation is a non-profit organisation which strives to be an active agent in the fight against illiteracy and unemployment in South Africa. We strive to provide education, practical and life skills to underprivileged individuals in order that they might become value adding citizens and active participants in our economy.
Executive Summary
Optimus provides services in the Education and Training sector. The organisation has been in existence since 1976 and has a good track record in administering and facilitating Adult Basic and Further Education. The Foundation aims to combat poverty and unemployment through job creation and income generating projects. To date Optimus has provided adult education and skills training to more than 17000 disadvantaged adults and out of school youth who have had little or no formal schooling or who have been unable to complete their schooling.
The Foundation currently administers three adult centres located in the Randburg, Fourways and Florida Park suburbs. The areas are accessible to students in terms of time, location and cost. The centres are administered by a small management team who operate from a central office in Bryanston. Part time motivated and competent educators facilitate the basic and further education programmes- Literacy to Grade 12.
In addition to the academic programmes Optimus offers skills training programmes which are aimed at transferring practical skills such as sewing, computers, beadwork, fabric painting etc which will assist learners to generate an income. Optimus intends playing an active role in the fight against HIV/ Aids not only by promoting HIV education at the centres, but by partnering communities in training care-givers and administering the distribution of food parcels.
Mother, daughter and aunt study together in the same class.
It is unusual to have a mother, daughter and aunt study together in the same class, but during 2006 Dianne Bennett, her daughter Stacey, and Sister Judith studied together at our Florida Adult Centre. Dianne and Stacey completed the last 3 subjects of their Matric and Judith started her 1st 3 subjects.
10/05/2006
A Story of Creativity and Hope
Choice Nduna is a 37 year old mother of one child, and is currently expecting another shortly. Choice lives in the Kya-Sands informal settlement (without any source of electricity). She is not formally employed and has attended our sewing courses to learn to produce items to sell and earn a living.
10/05/2006
A Story of Determination and Perseverance
Faith Mpuzi is currently a domestic worker in Weltevreden Park. Faith studied her Matric with Optimus during 2004 and 2005 and passed with very good results. Faith has had numerous issues to overcome in life but her determination, perseverance and hard work were the characteristics that assisted in her achievement of these results.
15/07/2005
Containers become classrooms in the informal settlement of Zevenfontein
860 Million Adults World-Wide Are Illiterate; 2.9 Million Adults In Sa Have Received No Formal Schooling, And Would Make No Sense Of Either Caption ! Thanks to the tireless work of Brighton Mudau of Zevenfontein, and adult education centre has been established in the township which is home to some 16000 people
