The Spirit Foundation Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme
The Spirit Foundation Early Childhood Development (ECD) Programme ended 2025 on a high note, celebrating the graduation of 73 of our 4- to 5-year-old learners from ECD into Grade R, the beginning of their primary school journey. The ECD graduation is one of the very first academic milestones a child and their loved ones proudly celebrate. For our learners at the Spirit Foundation ECD Programme, we strive to ensure that graduating from ECD is the first of more such achievements to come.
2025 saw the beginning of new and impactful partnership between the Spirit Foundation ECD Programme and Bonnievale Primary School. As part of the Spirit Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting the lifelong success of our ECD learners through education by way of the Milestones 2 Mastery programme, Bonnievale Primary School has committed to being the official partner school of the Spirit Foundation ECD Programme. This partnership secures primary school placement for our ECD graduates each year and forms the second rung of the Spirit Foundation Education Programme education ladder which sees a learner receive support and mentorship from as young as six-months-old through to matric.
Spirit Foundation Scholarship Programme
It is with gratitude that we start the 2026 year with a sense of pride and success. Q4 in 2025 ended with events that stole all our hearts. The Spirit Foundation Scholarship Programme awarded 30 new scholarships to the class of 2030, welcoming them into the family.
Principals from Zwaanswyk High, Groote Schuur High School and Cape Academy of Maths, Science and Technology represented their schools with pride and appreciation for the support provided by the Spirit Foundation to the scholars. Megan Goliath presented a moving (quite literarily) speech about positive, visionary and validation thinking through her expertise of movement. She had everyone out of their seats moving to the beat. The matric class of 2025 celebrated their final exam moment with a lunch at Marco’s Place and got everyone up and celebrating to the African beat.
The Spirit Foundation Scholarship Programme has grown from strength to strength over the year, boasting 150 scholarships from grades 8-12. The academic focus for the Foundation is around offering quality education to scholars and inspiring them to strive towards excellence. We place some focus on STEM subjects and critical thinking to ensure our scholars are ready for the future world of work.
Results in 2025 have been nothing short of brilliant. Scholars such as Merdine Sangambote-Boka in grade 10, at Cape Academy of Math Science and Technology, receiving 100% for IT, Schalk Du Toit at Paul Roos and Morgan Jackson at Claremont High School in Grade 11, achieving over 90% aggregate throughout the year.
28 grade 12s wrote the National Senior Certificate examinations in November and December and one scholar wrote the Independent Examination Board examination. Throughout the year the class of 2025 have shown nothing but remarkable results with an aggregate of 85% in Q3 and 71% in Q4. 27/29 took pure mathematics, with a class average of 70% and 23/29 took physical sciences achieving an average of 65%. With a 100% bachelor’s pass rate 2025 the scholars kept up with the standard set by the Foundation, supporting them for future success in tertiary education. We are proud of all their achievements and their astounding 62 distinctions in total. Three scholars achieved an A aggregate, Manasse Vangu-Mampasi, Ayesha Vuta and Nuraan Dawood.
The scholarship programme would not be possible without the loyal commitment of donors. Within the Spirit Invest group we would like to take the opportunity to thank the following staff members for their committed donations over the year: Johan Taute, Lauren Hean, Wessel Rossouw, Michael Feinberg, Margaret Botha, Leigh Le Riche, Tiaan Meyer, Mathew Pellat, Wendy De Sousa, Conrad Clifford, Janelle Reddy, Stuart McMurtrie, Sidney McKinnon, Tim Hughes, Mariza Langenberg and Frezel van Rensburg.
If you would like to contribute, get involved in the work we do at Spirit Foundation, please reach out. For as little as R420 per month you could support the education of a young child through the Spirit Foundation Education support pipeline
Make Your Woolies Shopping Count!
You and Woolworths can now make a difference to the Spirit Education Foundation. Its easy and doesn’t cost you.
We all now have the opportunity to make a difference to the Spirit Education Foundation by simply logging onto the Woolworths app, clicking on the Woolworths MyDifference programme and selecting the Spirit Education Foundation as your selected cause. So, every time you scan your Rewards or MySchool card at Woolworths, our very own Spirit Education Foundation is the beneficiary. It couldn’t be easier. Here are the steps below:
- In the Woolworths app, navigate to 'Loyalty' and select the following:
- 'Causes'
- 'Choose my own'
- 'Continue'
- 'Find a cause'
- Search 'Spirit Education Foundation'
- "Add cause'
And you’re good to go and will be making your own contribution to our beloved Spirit Education Foundation.
