On 22 October, the Anna Foundation celebrated its 20th birthday at Neethlingshof Wine Estate, marking two decades of giving rural children access to education, sport and life skills through its 3R’s Programme: Reading, Running and Right-ing.
The celebration included an interactive exhibition of the 3R’s Programme, where guests could experience some of the games children use to learn literacy and numeracy through play.
Founder Anna Brom’s commitment to rural education has roots in her own childhood.
“I grew up in a farming community. As a child, we often had farm workers coming to the property, and I would play with their children on the gravel road. At 5 o’clock my mum would call me in for bath time and dinner, but I noticed my friends were never called in. They just kept playing outside,” Brom said.
“As I grew older, I realised many of these children had no warm bath to go home to, no cooked meal or parent waiting for them. That sense of unfairness stayed with me and planted the first seed of the Anna Foundation,” she added.
In 2005, during her teaching practical at a farm school in Mpumalanga, Brom saw the many challenges faced by rural children in the classroom.
“There were 360 children in the school, overcrowded classes, no resources and most learners were Zulu-speaking even though lessons were taught in English. Many children were left behind with no support,” she said.
Brom started a small remedial group to help teach the children to read in English. “I gathered a few books from friends and family and brought them to school – my ‘library-in-a-box’. A 13-year-old boy named Bafana was my first student. Because I believed in him and gave him the time, he learnt to read,” she recalled.
The initiative quickly grew, and after receiving new books from Exclusive Books in Johannesburg, Brom also started a running group.
“Bafana was my first and most committed runner. Soon the group grew too large, so I made a rule: if you wanted to join my running group, you had to read two books from my library-in-a-box,” explains Brom.
The reading and running programmes evolved into the 3R’s Programme, which now supports all 21 after-schools. The programme combines academic support with physical activity and life skills development while also upskilling and employing more than 50 women from rural communities as facilitators.
Marike Pieterse, Senior Education Project Manager, spoke about small-group learning. “Children learn when lessons feel like play. Our reading and maths boxes use games to make complex concepts fun. It’s playing disguised as learning.”
Fa-Eez Abrahams, Sport Project Manager, highlighted cycling. “Thanks to our partnership with the Absa Cape Epic and donations like 49 bikes from the Ironman Foundation, cycling has opened a whole new world for our children. Seeing a child pedal for the first time and gain confidence, that is what it is about.”
Chryston Julius, General Project Manager, spoke about the value of outings and events in broadening children’s horizons: “Visiting a theatre, joining a fun run or cheering at a big cycling race is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is about belonging, exploring new places and seeing their world expand.”
Brom said these experiences are central to the Foundation’s mission. “Our events and outings create moments children never forget. They build confidence, spark curiosity and show children they are capable and they are seen. Teaching children to believe in themselves changes everything.”
• The Anna Foundation relies on donations to keep its programmes running.
To support or get involved, visit www.annafoundation.com or email info@annafoundation.com.