Michaelhouse-Impact Report-2023 (for Jan-Dec 2022)

FABs Fund: funding extras for boys in need

Financially Assisted Boys, or FABs, is an initiative which has evolved over the past five years to assist boys attending Michaelhouse with those extra bits and pieces that they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Things which allow them to maximize their potential and take full advantage of their years at the school. In essence, the FABS Fund ‘fills in the gaps’.

There are boys at Michaelhouse who despite being on significant financial aid and/or scholarships are still not able to afford basic things like a tennis racket, rugby boots, uniforms, tours, or a visit to the tuck shop. Some live in difficult circumstances which have necessitated the school preparing food parcels to take home for the holidays so they return to us well-nourished. Benefits of the fund, which are practically implemented by incredibly dedicated Michaelhouse staff members, even saw to the provision of very granular necessities like data and airtime for boys in need to be in a position to engage effectively with remote learning during Covid lockdown in 2020. The R197,015 generously donated in 2022 has allowed the Rector to quickly and discreetly fund: kit for three boys for C Block Journey; monthly tuck shop allowance of R200 for a number of boys; learning support lessons; extra san and pharmacy charges; extra charges for clubs and societies; technical drawing equipment; extra transport charges; university applications: and uniform charges. If you are interested in contributing to the FABs Fund, see details on Page 40. How has the FABs Fund changed lives? Watch Aphiwe Mthalane (Farfield, 2016) talk about the impact the FABs fund had on him

Sports Fund: funding sports extras for boys

The Sports fund was founded in 2022 by Old Boy & Past Parent, Des Sacco (Baines, 1958), to assist any deserving boy attending Michaelhouse with sports-related extras that they would otherwise not be able to afford. Things such as tennis rackets, rugby boots, domestic tours, etc. This includes those boys in between who may not

begun to enable boys to maximize their sporting potential. This has included partial funding for two boys on a recent hockey tour to Bloemfontein as well as sports equipment for a number of boys which has included rugby boots for the upcoming 2023 season. Having only been established in late 2022, the full impact of this fund will be seen as we progress into 2023 and beyond. If you are interested in contributing to the Sport Fund, see details on Page 40. necessarily come from disadvantaged backgrounds, but whose parents do not have the funds to purchase sports equipment or give their son opportunities such as going on a once in a lifetime sports tour. Where they are deserving, we feel that boys in these categories of need should not be forgotten.

What impact has the Sports Fund had?

Having a fund to draw on to provide these - often expensive items - the R175,100 of donations have

Watch Old Boys: Zuko Kubukeli and Cameron McIntosh talk about the potential of the sports fund

16