Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our College, our passion.

Born in a shipping container 17 years ago, the vision and passion of Chris Smith is manifested in this institution you see around you. From the humble beginnings of the first group of 4 learners in that container in Pinelands we now educate 160 learners in this beautiful building.

Our roots go back to the days of residential based child care with Cape Town Lads Hostel Association (known as Teen Centre) in Rosebank and St Johns Hostel Association in Tamboerskloof. By the early 90’s both organizations, who had probably each been operational for around 40 years, were facing imminent closure due, naturally, to funding constraints. If memory serves me correctly we received government funding of about R 450 per month per child at that time (and that was for full residential care). The writing was on the wall. The two committees fortunately had the mutual vision to embrace change and to combine the two organizations under one body, Cape Youth Care, now known as The Cape Youth Care Foundation.

We now face a cost per learner of R 17,300 per annum of which The Cape Youth Care Foundation funds 50%, other funders 40% and parents 10%. But this college would still not function without, yes, its passionate team of 11 teachers and support staff, led so admirably by Mark Solomon with the support of the foundation’s general manager Niel Van Niekerk.

If I look at our trustees, Max Maxwel-Hafen, Brett Williams and David Wightman we have accumulated around 100 years of association with child care. Why? I commenced my association with Teen Centre some 30 years ago as a greenhorn accounting articles clerk. Chris Smith, first a principal at St Johns and then at Teen Centre until his retirement, dedicated 35 years of his life to child care. Max was himself a boy at St Johns and remains actively involved in BEST to this day, again, WHY?

Because we and, indeed, every person present here, recognize that Education is THE foundation of our community, our society and our country. We as parents, educators, business owners, government have a fundamental duty to play whatever small part we can in the sound education of our young people.

Yes, it is a cliché that the youth are our future but it remains a fundamental fact. We all do our best to feed our children, provide them with a roof over their heads and to provide a caring family environment, but if we do not ensure their education, we leave them powerless and disempowered.

A recent video commentary by the DG Murray Trust, a philanthropic organization that has supported Cape Youth Care over the years, asks the question “What will bring about the next real change in South Africa?” This is a powerful question. Their answer is simple, invest in the young people of South Africa. The challenge to every adult South African is to have a direct positive affect on at least one vulnerable child, vulnerable as far as her home circumstances, her personal development or her education. They conclude that this is where the next real change will come from and I must agree.

That is what the BEST College is about.

CHAIRMAN CAPE YOUTH CARE FOUNDATION

I would like to quote BEST College Vision statement: To embrace and manage change, to uphold high standards, to educate within a safe, caring environment, learners who are age-inappropriate, who have fallen behind, who cannot attend mainstream schools, to realize their full potential, up to a GETC (we are now looking to extend our program to grade 10-12 CAPS curriculum).

That is my passion and that is the passion of the supporters of the BEST College.

MR ARNO ERASMUS
CHAIRMAN CAPE YOUTH CARE FOUNDATION