This web site summarises the work of a small charity that provides free tuition lessons for schoolchildren in the area of Knysna, Republic of South Africa.

Principles

• Helping poor children: South Africa - and the Knysna area in particular - has seen substantial economic growth in the last 5 years. However there is still wide income disparity and genuine need in terms of what some children can afford in terms of education.
• Focus on tuition: No charitable effort can be all things to all people. We focus only on extra tuition lessons - over and above any regular schooling.
• Zero administrative overhead: There is no diversion of funds to pay for administration of the charity. Those who help with organisation give their time for free.
• Free at the point of need: There is no charge to the schoolchildren who attend the lessons.
• Teachers remuneration: Teachers who provide the lessons are paid in full for their time - at a rate that matches their best alternative e.g. hourly rates for private tuition to richer children.
• Teaching materials: Reasonable expenses associated with tuition (stationery, calculators etc.) are covered in full.
• Trust: Teachers are not expected to go out of pocket for their work. They receive cash advances from the bank account set up in Knysna. The balance on this account typically never exceeds US$1000-US$2000. Sponsors top up the account as required.
• Accountability: Teachers are asked to keep simple records of expenditure. This is not intended to be demanding - we want them teaching, not doing bureaucratic chores. However sponsors have to be reasonably satisfied that the money is well spent.
• Small scale: We believe 'small is beautiful' and giving money in this way provides excellent direct benefit where it is really needed. Not much money goes a very long way.

Practice

At this time the charity suports just one Mathematics teacher - Michael Dragner. Michael is 50 years old, completed a four-year Teacher's Diploma after secondary schooling and has lived in Knysna all his life. He has a full-time position teaching Mathematics at Bay College, Plettenberg Bay. He is keen to give something back in his personal time to children who can not afford their own private tuition.

2007 Financial accounts for FLKS: . Summary of 2007 operations and plans for 2008: .

More details of our simple record-keeping here

Help

If you would like more details on the work of this charity, please contact me (Frank Vipond) via email. More about me personally at www.frankvipond.com and my company at www.prosperoassociates.com. I am currently the major sponsor.

If you would like to donate, please mail a cheque made payable to FLKS.ORG to Box 125, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1LD, United Kingdom. Any contribution you can make - financial or otherwise - would be very welcome. All donations are personally acknowledged (e.g. for tax deduction) and accountable through our annual audit and direct explanation of what has happened to the funds e.g. copies of our bank statements highlighting where your donation has ended up.