Atamelang Primary school is a government school in Soweto, South Africa that suffered from a lack of infrastructure, parental involvement, and funding prior to receiving support from Partners for Possibility (PfP). Through PfP's program pairing the school's principal with a business mentor, Atamelang saw improvements like more students in uniform, a school vegetable garden providing meals, and training for its school governing body. The principal credits their mentor Chris Maiketso for professional and personal inspiration. Local leaders praise PfP for collaborating across sectors to improve education quality and access for all South African students.

1. ATAMELANG PRIMARY LIVE CURIOUS… Issue #
Atamelang
Primary
live
Curious…
ATAMELANG IS BASED INNALEDI, SOWETO 2 APRIL2016
Atamelang Primary school is a
government public school that
is based in Soweto, Naledi
Township. This school like any
other government school
suffered a great deal when it
comes to infrastructure such as
sport equipment. Among other
things learners from this school
did not have uniform, parents
were not actively involved in
their children’s education and
the school lacked funds to
cooperate well. Mr Andrew
Ratshefola Principal at the
school stressed that prior to PfP
intervention on the school the
“school suffered
dysfunctionality, lack of parents
involvement was the core
problem because when parents
are not active or involved. We
normally have problem with the
children’s behavior, physical
appearance and homework”.
Atamelang is one of the many
schools nationwide to be
adopted by Partners for
Possibility; this initiative is about
ensuring that all South Africans
get quality education at grass-
roots level, hence the emphasis
on Primary Schools. The
organisation believes that the
principal is the change leader in
the school, when the principal is
motivated and empowered so
will the school and every
member from the parents, SGB
and learners. To ensure
strategic partnership PfP
allocates a business leader to
the school principal in which the
two discuss issues and
challenges facing the school as
well as sustainable to solve
them.
“COLLABORATIVE EFFORT”
by MAHADI LESIAMO

2. ATAMELANG PRIMARY LIVE CURIOUS… | Issue # 2
“I have learnt a lot from Chris my
business partner both on a
professional and personal level,
his values and principles such as
having a strong sense of family
inspired me a lot”
Atamelang Primary was allocated
Chris Maiketso as a business
leader. Although Chris is no
longer part of the programme
because he no longer works for
Monash, his dedication and
support proved that South African
schools are in need of leaders like
him. Chris holds a BEd (Honours)
in Adult Education from Wits as
well as BA (Health, Social and
Service) Applied Psychology from
UNISA. Chris’s values include
children, Education Human Rights
and Social services. During his
journey with the Atamelang school
a lot of strategic changes was
notable, Andrew the principal
speaks very Highly of him, “I have
learnt a lot form Chris my
business partner both on a
professional and personal level,
his values and principles such as
having a strong sense of family
inspired me a lot” .Although
academically the school was
performing well even prior to PfP
intervention, Atamelang is now in
a good shape. Among other things
the school now have 70% of the
learners wearing their full school
uniform thanks to parental
involvement. The school now
have it’s own vegetable garden in
which the learners receive a meal
daily through feeding scheme.
Another significant change in the
school’s management committee
is the SGB training which was
implemented, this training gave
rise to issues such as learning
how to manage the school’s funds
appropriately. As a result of this
the school has attracted different
sponsorship such as Dulux,
Sports Trust and San Franscisco
University.. Among other things
the school have 30 llearners
participating in the school patrol
leadership programme.

3. ATAMELANG PRIMARY LIVE CURIOUS… | Issue # 3
Results on PfP
intervention at
Atamelang Primary:
Collaboration is key
“It is only when we work together
that changes and challenges
needed in our societies can be
achieved”- Panyaza Lesufi
COLLABORATION
Leadership=
Scholar patrols
Sustainability
=Food
Garden and
Recycling
Community
involvement
=5 Churches
using school
Relationship
building=
Parents, SGB

4. ATAMELANG PRIMARY LIVE CURIOUS… | Issue # 4
To celebrate the success and
changes in the education
system for participating
schools, Partners for Possibility
held various celebrations in
Sandton and Pretoria. The 2
March event saw honourables
such as MEC Education
Gauteng Mr Panyaza Lesufi.
The MEC was invited in order
to witness the sustainable
innovative change that the
organization was doing within
different Gauteng schools. The
organization believes in
strategic collaboration in which
different sectors work together
to ensure quality education for
all in South Africa. MEC
Panyaza Lesufi applauded PfP
as an organization to say that
throughout his life he had
dreamed of a world in which
children get better education so
that they can become better
individuals in their own space.
The MEC addressed issues
such as poverty by
acknowledging the fact that it is
real, though it is not an excuse.
Emphasizing on the
importance of quality education
for all the MEC was quoted
saying “I’m one person who
believes that social problems
cannot be solved through
social grants, but through
education, the only way to
defeat poverty is when you
make education available to all
South Africans”, furthermore
Mr Lesufi stated that the event
demonstrated that. The MEC
also raised an important issue
of inequality especially within
our education system “Our
education system is like an
Irish coffee, black at
The bottom white on top with
sprinkles of chocolate: until we
change that to South African
coffee we are not going to
succeed”. Moreover the MEC
stressed that we do not need a
coffee that is going to separate
us but we need one that binds
us together. Therefore he
applauded initiatives like that of
PfP and encouraged school
principals, business partners
and businesses to become part
of this great venture.
If you would like to be
part of this initiative
kindly visit our website
on http://pfp4sa.org/ for
more information.
MEC Education Gauteng
Panyaza Lesufi with Principals
from various schools.
PfP Event: 2 March 2016

5. ATAMELANG PRIMARY LIVE CURIOUS… Issue #
Sources consulted:
Mr Andrew Ratshefola
Chris Maiketso LinkedIn Page
PfP Website http://pfp4sa.org/

6. ATAMELANG PRIMARY LIVE CURIOUS… | Issue # 6