It took one question to change the course of Renier Coetzee’s life: “How can I help?" While volunteering with churches and children’s programmes, he saw the difficulties kids faced in the Cape Flats, from violence to inequality. After asking what role he could play, Coetzee gave up his intended career of becoming an actuary and decided to teach instead. “I believed I could make a bigger difference through this work,” Coetzee says. By offering holistic education to kids in Mitchells Plain, he’s unlocking their strength.
“Every child in this country has the potential to make a difference,” Coetzee says. “But many of them are held back by the lack of opportunities.” In 2012, he founded the Trinity Children’s Centre to confront this issue. The pre- and primary school offers kids a space to learn, develop, and belong. In small classes, they receive more focused help. Coetzee also works to be contextual, providing literature that learners can recognise themselves in. “We try to generate our own material that’s really relevant to the lives of the children and what they experience,” Coetzee says. Completely self-funded, he relies on donations and sponsorships for individuals to attend.
With dedicated teachers alongside him, Coetzee is enabling kids to grow up to be independent and confident adults. “Investing in a child’s future takes a lot of work, but that work is absolutely worthwhile,” he says. The school began with only a preschool class, and has added a grade every year. By 2021, Coetzee hopes to support children to the end of Grade 7 – covering the formative years that are key to a child’s development. Coetzee is laying the foundations for future changemakers. These kids may one day question how they can help, and the answer could have a lasting impact.
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