Call 01306 744 656 or
Call 01306 744 656 or
We set up the foundation not only to provide a good academic education for disadvantaged children but also life skills and job readiness…
In isiZulu, the word khula means to grow, and that was our vision when my husband David Rattray and I set out to found the David Rattray Foundation, now known as KHULA Education.
In the local communities of Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana, 60% of the families live below the poverty line, so acknowledging this, in 2007 we decided to do our part. Aside from employing local staff at our lodge, Fugitives’ Drift, we set up the foundation in the hope of contributing what we could, not only to provide a good academic education for disadvantaged children but also life skills and job readiness – a programme helping final year students apply for tertiary study and prepping them for life after school.
In the foundation’s embryonic stages, the project supported local infrastructure through repairing school buildings as well as constructing classrooms and libraries. Upon witnessing the work first-hand, guests who visited us at the lodge, as well as family friends, began to contribute to the cause which allowed us to finish the building work and focus on the education itself.
Today KHULA supports 21 schools, 6,000 children and 200 teachers. The results speak for themselves. Despite having limited to no exposure to English when they started pre-school, 80% of KHULA’s preschoolers were fluent by the end of their two years. After they graduate, the students consistently rank in the top 20% of the grade when they graduate from primary school. These statistics alone demonstrate how much the foundation has influenced the lives of the school youth in the KwaZulu-Natal province.
At Fugitives’ Lodge the cost of your stay incudes a charitable contribution split between KHULA and Fugitives’ Drift Game Reserve. This helps ensure the development of schools as well as the sustainability of the surrounding environment and wildlife.
Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Laura, who's travelled extensively in South Africa. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - ex banker who can show you the hottest foodie spots in Cape Town, the award-winning young sommelier who can introduce you to Stellenbosch's finest wines and the walking safari ranger who can guide you to the best game.
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