“As a South African actively witnessing the challenges and outcomes of a society ravaged by poverty and unemployment, I feel compelled to not be a bystander. Raising a child under these circumstances dramatically heightens the vulnerability to the likelihood of a poor adult outcome,” said Andre Shearer, CEO and co-founder of Cape Classics.
“The IEF has been established to dramatically improve educational opportunities for the most vulnerable children living in the South African Winelands, by training and certifying teachers to world-class Montessori standards. We want to offer that to as many children as we possibly can, so they may realise their dreams and make a better life for themselves and their families.”
Since securing 501(c)(3) status, the IEF has invested in establishing the Indaba Montessori Institute outside Stellenbosch, creating curriculum for teacher training, refurbishing the training observation classroom, and upgrading the gardens and building surrounds to meet Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) standards. The curriculum for the first AMI 0-3 teacher training class will occur in the Spring of 2017 in Stellenbosch.
A portion of all global sales of Cape Classics’ own Indaba Wines brand goes towards realising this mission, but the majority of support is anticipated to be through fundraising and private donations. Cape Classics has already received incredible support from its business partners - including Fedway Associates, Inc., Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, M.S. Walker, The Heights Hospitality Group, Cherbec Advancement Foundation - as well as notable benefactors such as The Bernard G. Segal Foundation.
“There is significant opportunity to positively impact the quality of care that children, particularly at-risk children, receive,” commented Doug Shaw, Senior Vice President, M.S. Walker, Inc. “Education initiatives, such as the Indaba Education Fund, is a means to escape poverty and poor socio-economic circumstance and step into a new life.
Shearer said the IEF was a very serious, yet exciting undertaking in a world fraught with many seemingly insurmountable hurdles, irresolvable conflicts, and often clouded or non-existent hope.
“Early Childhood Development is a beacon of light in all of that darkness, and an opportunity for us to create a positive education beginning for so many,” he said. “Our long term goal is to have an impact over 25-100 years that will truly be able to change a global paradigm. We want to offer as many children as we can, the chance to write a different, and happy ending to their stories.”
Indaba Wines are imported into the USA by Cape Classics (New York, NY) but are also available at selected restaurants and lodges in Southern Africa. For more information visit www.indabaeducationfund.org, www.capeclassics.com or contact Emma Giglio at emmag@capeclassics.com.