Giving rural youth a chance

South Africa does have a Catholic university, but it’s not the only area of tertiary education that the Church is involved in. CLAIRE MATHIESON learns more.

A pre-work drive was recently held for final-year REAP students in Gauteng. REAP is the bishops outreach programme for rural youths.

The Rural Education Access Programme (REAP) is making a huge difference in the lives of those young people who are on the periphery of our society, according to national youth chaplain Fr Sammy Mabusela CSS, who also serves as the chaplain to Catholic university students.

The purpose of REAP, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conferences tertiary education outreach programme, is to offer talented and motivated young South Africans from poor rural areas the chance to study at high-quality tertiary institutions and provide them with the support and guidance they need to graduate, sustain themselves and become the leaders of tomorrow.

The Church, by being missionary in nature, reaches and is established in places that are not easily accessible. The Church realised that there are many academically gifted young people, who are financially disadvantaged, said Fr Mabusela.

The Church is involved in this programme because of her care for the poor, and also her recognition that education is an important driver of development for the individual, for the family and for the community, said Bishop Frank de Gouveia of Oudtshoorn, the liaison bishop for REAP.

This is the second term that Bishop de Gouveia has worked with REAP. Coming from a largely rural diocese, the bishop has a good understanding of the challenges facing youth outside metropolitan areas.

The Church, with networks that stretch into the most remote regions of the community, offers REAP as the essential means of reaching our target groups, the bishop told The Southern Cross.

Fr Mabusela added that access to universities was often hindered by administrative tasks far more difficult in rural areas.

The difficulty, mostly, is accessibility to some of the very deep rural communities, in terms of transport and time. All these affect the process in a negative way, he explained.

The work of REAP is important because rural youth suffer a particular disadvantage on account of the scarcity of information and resources in their areas, with the result that participation rates in higher education are far lower than for the population as a whole, Fr Mabusela said.

It is our task to identify the potential in young people and facilitate their access to higher education, and also to provide the student support which is so critical to their success.

University education makes a huge difference in employment opportunities. The unemployment rate is very high in South Africa, particularly in the 20-35 age group, whereas over 90% of graduates are employed, Bishop de Gouveia noted.

As Church communities we can encourage young people to take their education seriously and remain in the education system for as long as they can. REAP seeks to do this for young people in rural areas.

Bishop de Gouveia said another often forgotten factor is the fact that rural students coming to the big centres find it difficult to cope with the challenges of urban life.

If a student is enrolled in the REAP programme they have monthly meetings with their REAP student adviser who monitors and encourages [the students] not only in their academic activities, but often assists them with personal and social problems as well.

A student enrolled in REAP will be assisted to secure a position in a tertiary institute, will be allocated either a full-cost bursary or be helped with a loan to cover registration, books, living expenses, travel costs, technical equipment and health care.

In addition, the REAP student will attend a programme of workshops designed to develop social and academic skills and receive peer mentoring and group support.

As a chaplain, I think education is important for everyone, and everyone deserves to have access to education, so that our youth may be adequately prepared for the challenges of our millennium, to be future developers of our society and the world economically, politically and socially, said Fr Mabusela.

We also need to strike the right balance, we cannot be biased and concentrate only on those who are in urban areas because it is easy then we would be unjust to the hidden cream of our society. REAP is a solution to this, he said.

In 2011, REAP had a total of 406 students on the programme of whom 48% were female. Some 53% of these students passed all their courses at the end of the year, a further 24% passed a majority of courses including their major, and another 2% were completing in-service training.

Qualifications obtained include those in the field of arts and the humanities, the built environment, commerce, engineering, health, medicine, law and science as well as management.

Most dioceses have volunteer regional representatives who assist REAP with recruitment. Since becoming involved with REAP in 2011, I have met many of these volunteers and have been impressed by their enthusiasm and dedication, said Bishop de Gouveia.

Many of [the volunteers] have been involved in REAP since its inception in 2001. Some of them give up many hours journeying with the young people in their communities, providing career guidance and encouragement and assisting them in applying to REAP, he said.

The bishop said education is a priority for the Church in Southern Africa today. The vision statement Community in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace stated the Church’s intention to use its long experience in education to promote the ongoing development of schooling and education in Southern Africa so that all young people may be given the opportunity to reach their God-given potential.

At a recent meeting of the diocesan pastoral council in Oudtshoorn, this was chosen as a priority for the coming year. All parish pastoral councils are being encouraged to discuss how this vision can be implemented in their communities, Bishop de Gouveia said.

Many young people in rural areas cannot visualise themselves as university students and so go looking for a job as soon as they leave school. They are often forced to do this because of poverty and the need to help their families. But the truth is that they stand a better chance of being employed if they receive tertiary education, he said.

Fr Mabusela hopes those who were helped by the project to realise their dreams will give back to REAP to ensure that it continues to make the difference it has been making and to have a ripple effect.

He marvelled at the difference REAP has made.

It is incredible how many lives have been touched and changed positively by REAP. The programme reminds me of the dishwashing liquid television advert, which says that a little goes a long way and indeed, REAP, with its shoestring budget, has gone a long way. And we pray that it continues.