Learners from Anna Foundation's Groot Constantia after-school class busy with their artworks.
In honour of Mandela Day, children from rural Western Cape communities have turned everyday objects into striking artworks of South Africa’s iconic leader, Nelson Mandela. Their artworks are now helping raise funds to sustain the after-school programmes they attend.
Launched by the Anna Foundation, a charity organisation that runs after-school projects in rural areas across the Western Cape, Art4Charity.net showcases original artworks created by children from the Foundation’s 22 rural after-schools and sells them as meaningful corporate or personal gifts.
“This year, we decided to showcase the incredible talent of our rural learners through Art4Charity, and in the process sell these artworks to raise funds that directly support the after-school projects. Every artwork sold means financial support for our programmes, enabling us to reach even more rural communities in the Western Cape,” says Anna Brom, director of the Anna Foundation.
Each piece is handmade by the young artists who have grown up far from museums or art classrooms, yet their work bursts with colour and creativity.
“These children did not just rely on traditional art supplies,” says Brom, who started the Foundation after witnessing the education crisis in rural communities first-hand. “They let their creativity flow, using whatever they could find – old newspapers, sand, even 5-cent coins. What others throw away, they turned into masterpieces,” adds Brom.
Over 840 learners are currently enrolled in the Anna Foundation’s projects in the Boland, Elgin, Langeberg and Rawsonville, and for the past few years, the Foundation has had an art competition to motivate the learners to work together and get creative.
This year, the artwork from the Graham Beck after-school project won the Nelson Mandela Day Art Competition, with the artworks from Hazendal after-school and Leipzig after-school placing second and third.
Left: Hazendal after-school project's artwork. Right: Leipzig after-school project's artwork, decorated with a painted border and a quote by Nelson Mandela.
“We used a variety of materials like oats, lentil mix, rice and even noodles to symbolise how Nelson Mandela helped sustain and unite the nation. All the children played a part in creating the artwork, and I am so proud of them,” said Maria Snyders, facilitator of the Graham Beck after-school group that produced the winning artwork.
Most of the learners the Anna Foundation serves come from farming communities where access to after-school support, sport and extramural activities are severely limited. This is where the Foundation’s unique 3R’s model – Reading, Running and Right-ing – comes in, blending education, physical development and life skills into daily support.
A recent study released by the University of Pretoria found that 81% of Grade 4 learners struggle to read with comprehension at age 10, making the role of after-schools even more crucial than ever.
“Literacy levels are even lower in rural areas due to factors like overcrowded classrooms and limited access to resources. This makes the work of the Anna Foundation crucial in providing quality after-school programmes to support these communities,” states Marike Pieterse, senior education project manager at the Anna Foundation.