The Wentworth Education Trust (WET) recently celebrated 20 years of giving back to the Wentworth community. The Trustees of WET include 10 school principals, two Engen representatives and local Councilor Aubrey Snyman. Teachers, governing bodies, NGO’s, their auditors and the general public were all welcomed to the recent 2017 WET Annual General Meeting to mark the auspicious occasion of their 20th anniversary.
WET was first created in June 1997 by Engen for the purpose of receiving donor funds for educational and training purposes aimed at benefiting schools in the Wentworth area. Speaking on behalf of the Wentworth Community, local schools, school governing bodies and fellow trustees at the AGM, WET Chairperson John Olivier extended thanks to Engen for having the foresight in establishing WET 20 years ago.
“This pioneering and unprecedented initiative in the Wentworth community has benefitted 10 public schools with much needed funds generated through the interest on their investment,” says Olivier.
“Engen needs to be commended for their on-going support as well as the role they have played in the management of the trust. All trustees can be proud of their blemish free management of the trust since its inception,” he adds.
WET provides some relief to Wentworth schools who operate on a shoe-string budgets.
“The trustees release between R100 000 – R200 000 per year and these funds are then distributed to 10 schools in the area,” says Paul Makhanya, Engen Stakeholder Liaison Specialist. “Over the 2017 financial year the trustees have agreed to distribute R150 000.”
Fairvale Secondary, which is a venue for an Engen Maths and Science School (EMSS), is one of 10 schools that benefit.
EMSS is a national initiative that addresses key skills shortages in the engineering and technical fields by providing after hours Maths and Science education to learners who show an advanced aptitude in the subjects. An example of excellence emanating from Fairvale Secondary is Kerisha Lutchmia who was the third best performing EMSS matriculant nationally in 2016. Kerisha is now studying actuarial science at the University of Cape Town.
Engen’s Corporate Social Investment Manager, Mntu Nduvane says the future of our country rests in the quality of education that we provide our youth, which is why Engen is actively involved in making a positive difference.
“Engen is proud to have founded the WET and we hope that the funds generated will continue to make a difference to schools in the Wentworth area,” says Nduvane.
The ten schools in the Wentworth area that benefit include:
- Wentworth Primary
- Wentworth Secondary
- Austerville Primary
- Durban East Primary
- Umbilo Secondary
- Collingwood Primary
- Fairvale Secondary
- St Raphael’s Primary
- Gardenia Primary
- Assegai Primary