Community Life

Finally, imagine that you have the HIV virus. You can't afford to pay the fees for college, and because of your illness finding work is almost impossible.

That’s the reality for many young people in South Africa.

But students from Barking will be helping to make their lives a little better by putting pen to paper. The pupils from Eastbury School are going to become penpals with orphaned South African students. Every Monday morning at 10 they’ll sit down and write letters to their pals thousands of miles away.

The project was started after Eastbury School was visited by South African delegates for Arts and Culture. The delegates came to the borough in May to learn about the fashion industry and got to see some of school's talented youngsters.

A student at the Gateway School

It all stems from a scheme run by Barking based not-for-profit company Fashion Enter, which has set up a fashion school in South Africa. But unlike any other school or university, the Gateway School of Fashion pays its students to attend, thus reaching out to young people that may not have otherwise had the chance to follow their dream.

Sandy Roberts helps run the school, and told me about some of the challenges the youngsters face:

"We discovered that there were some of our students who had not eaten... and just [were] very hungry, so we then stepped up our programme, and now we are feeding them every morning.

And if they are ill we have a nursing sister on site who will... care for them and advise them as to what to do for their ailment"

I spoke to one of the South African penpals, Prudence, and she told me why she is looking forward getting writing:

A student's design

“I think it'll be a great opportunity for me to actually get to know other people from different countries, and it'll be a good thing for because I'll get to know stuff like what’s in fashion over there… and teach them what’s in fashion here.”

And it’s not just the young people in South Africa who benefit:

“I get to explore other countries and what other people feel and other people’s opinions… and it gives me the chance to make new friends”.

To listen to my interviews with the South African youngsters, Eastbury students, or to hear Sandy speaking about the work she does, click on one of the links on the top right hand corner of this page.