Beaufort West Study Trust Inaugural Ball

We are planning an Inaugural Ball for Friday, 27 September 2013. Invitations to follow.

Here's the layout of our Pamphlet. Hope you like it.

BWST

Your Child Our Future!

Application Screening Process

                                                                                                  

BEAUFORT WEST STUDY TRUST

POLICY DOCUMENT

SCREENING PROCESS IN RESPECT OF BURSARY APPLICATIONS.

1         Prescribed application forms (5) are issued to each of the four high schools in Beaufort West, on or before 1 August annually. The forms are to be completed by the learner, the class teacher (relevant section of the form), the parent or guardian of the learner. Each school principal shortlists three (3) learners and thereafter hands them over to ‘The Secretariat’ of the Trust at the local Beaufort West Municipality on or before 31 October. Bursary allocations are conditionally granted for one (1) year only. Successful applicants may however re-apply, adhering to the same procedure.

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2         An ad hoc Committee of at least three (3) locally based trustees is so constituted to peruse and undertake the first level of screening of the applications.

3         The criteria are level of indigence (poverty) coupled with the academic level of competence  of each candidate. Moreover, for the sake absolute clarity, the range of income permissible for

indigent bursar families is reflected on the application form and should be strictly adhered to.

The criterion for academic performance is ‘above average’.

    

4         A maximum of three (3) suitable learners per school is short-listed for further

      consideration by the ad hoc Committee of the chairperson of the Board of 

       Trustees.

5     All these completed prescribed forms, with recommendations, are transmitted to the  chairperson who sets up an Ad hoc Committee

           for evaluations consisting of three (3) trustees.

A member of the Evaluations Committee peruses the relevant documentation

and structures a measurement tool in accordance with the measurement criteria of the prescribed application form. He/she provides feedback for the ad hoc Committee’s consideration.

6         The outcomes of these applications are evaluated by the Evaluations

Committee and thereafter communicated to the Board of Trustees together with letters of approval or disapproval, contingent upon the availability of requisite funds.

7         The payment of the first bursary instalment (50%) of any successful applicant

occurs upon receipt of the final exam results (matriculation) and proof of registration as a fulltime student at an accredited tertiary institution. For this to be prudently managed we require the account number of the tertiary institution for a direct deposit.

8         Any subsequent bursary payment (50%) occurs when we receive a successful first

Semester-exam result.

9     THE TIME-FRAME AS SPECIFIED PRECLUDES LATE APPLICATIONS.

THEY (TIME—FRAMES) MUST BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO SO AS

TO AVOID ANY DISPUTED APPLICATIONS.

BUSINESS PLAN

INTRODUCTION:

The Beaufort West Study Trust is a public benefit organization, registered as PBO 930029271 in accordance with its exemption from taxation from donations received and/or allocations made. The Trust was established in October 1999 and registered in terms of Act 57 of 1988 on 25 April 2008.

It is governed by a BOARD of TRUSTEES, which executes its fiduciary mandate in the best interests of indigent matriculants with educational merit for undergraduate studies at tertiary institutions and, the donor agencies.

THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

October 1999, the advent of the FOUNDERS, under the leadership of mr MSJ Louw, retired high school principal, establish the Beaufort West Study Trust.

The Beaufort West public took to the idea immediately but failed to take initial ownership when its time was due.

Beaufort West is the victim of a perennial stream of early school leavers who end up standing watch in the endless unemployment queues. The source of the problem is endemic poverty. Successful matriculants are caught up in the dire lack of opportunities to further their academic abilities and vocational skills.

Through its tertiary bursary scheme the Trust endeavours to enhance the educational emancipation of a poor community in a state of distress.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Beaufort West is a familiar, dusty, rural oasis in the poverty-stricken Great Karoo. It lies approximately halfway in-between Cape Town and Johannesburg, the city of gold, on the main road and rail arterial of industrialisation.

The arid rocky soil of the town and the die-hard vegetation makes it conducive to sheep and wool farming.  The recent discovery of viable uranium deposits will ultimately introduce industrialisation and environmental challenges to the equilibrium of the Karoo. The demographic profile of the town is as follows:

RURAL POPULATION –     37 090

                FEMALES       –     19 792

                MALES          –      17 208

                UNDER 18 YRS – 14 888

The town is characterised by extremely high levels of unemployment (probably above 40%) as evidenced by the manifestation of an extremely high incidence of school dropouts, teenage prostitution, alcohol and drug dependence and teenage criminality. These occur and re-occur as generational phenomena. Until and unless these vicious cycles of poverty are challenged, such phenomena would increase their stranglehold on communities under siege.

The urban-rural social and economic disparities are singularly enormous as amplified by Mamphela Ramphele and Francis Wilson in their seminal research ‘UPROOTING POVERTY – The SA Challenge’ – 1989. The rich and poor dichotomy is even worse in terms of race.

The infamous investigative television documentary named ‘SPECAL ASSIGNMENT – TRUCK STOP (2007), as broadcast by the SABC, produced shocking evidence of a solicitous relationship among highway truckers hibernating overnight in the town while acting the part of sexual predators of minors as young as 13 years. These teenage prostitutes are lured with income and promises of steady relationships with the predators.

We are of the view that educational incentives with social inducements towards the amelioration of poverty are indispensable in the battle for the soul of the nation.

That is why we, as a registered legal entity, have embarked on the cause of the provision of bursaries to reach the unreachable, the ‘poorest of the poor’, with educational merit. Thus, we embraced among others, medical and engineering students as outstanding bursars.

Our Bursary Scheme was initiated in 2007 with the following undergraduates having been assisted since then:

                   2007 – 3

                    2008 – 9

                    2009 – 13

                    2010 – 8

                 2011 – 4

                  2012 – 9

                  2013 – 6

                TOTAL: 52

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

TO SOLICIT REQUISITE FUNDING TO CARRY OUT THE MANDATE.

TO EMPLOY SUCH FUNDS SOLELY FOR THE BENEFIT OF INDIGENT, ACADEMICALLY SOUND UNDERGRADUATES.

MODUS OPERANDI:

APPLICATIONS FOR BURSARIES ARE FROM MATRICULANTS OF ALL FOUR HIGH SCHOOLS.

APPLICATIONS ARE SCREENED AND EVALUATED BY THE AD HOC COMMITTEE.

A MEASUREMENT TOOLKIT IS UTILISED TO MEASURE LEVELS OF POVERTY & ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE.

TARGET POPULATION:

Extremely poor yet academically sound matriculation candidates are shortlisted.

The matriculant population of the BEAUFORT WEST HIGH SCHOOLS.

Collaboration with GRANDWEST CASINO and RURAL EDUCATION ACCESS PROGRAM

In respect of facilitating a limited number of bursaries form their pool.

We do not discriminate on the basis of colour or creed, gender or class.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

The Board of Trustees currently consists of four members. It has no full- or part-time employees so as to , as a matter of priority, ensure that the bursars get the full benefit of its income.  Only the Trustee responsible for Fundraising & PR receives R 1000.00 per month as an Honorarium towards his expenses as incurred. All four Trustees are former residents of Beaufort West. It is an honour for us to plough something back in the community where we were brought up.

THE APPLICATION FOR A GRANT:

An annual MAYORAL GOLF DAY as established since 2006 raises funds on behalf of the Trust for the benefit of our Bursary Scheme. The average annual income amounts to R 65 000.00.

The mayoral staff and amateur golfers of THE BEAUFORT WEST GOLF CLUB are responsible for the operational activities of the day.

The impact of this income, coupled with subscriptions and donations are the backbone of our financial situation while additional sources of funding would enable us towards gaining a more realistic funding base.

The highly lamentable incidence of school dropouts provides the primary source of vast skills shortages, unemployment and under-employment.

Access to educational opportunities is an inalienable, basic human right as enshrined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

We sincerely believe that educational and social inducements towards the education, training and youth leadership advancement of the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ are imperative. In the spirit of ‘ubuntu’ we rise to our challenge to fulfil our AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.

However, your invaluable contribution towards a highly deserving cause will be indispensable to us.

We make a plea for your generous enabling financial support.

EDWARD TOMAS ORR

TRUSTEE (FUNDRAISING & PR)