The Khanyisela Scholarship Mission

The mission of the Khanyisela Scholarship Program is to provide children at St. Vincent Children’s Home the same educational opportunities afforded to children of more advantageous backgrounds.  The program recognizes the economic and educational disparities that exist in South Africa, and the need for both financial assistance and personal support to overcome these disparities.

About Us

The Khanyisela Scholarship Program was started in January 2010 by Rachel Beggs and Anne Whiting.  The two formerly volunteered in Mariannhill, the missionary community in South Africa where St. Vincent Children’s Home is located.  They saw first-hand the high academic potential and desire that children at St. Vincent’s possessed to pursue careers such as teachers, doctors, or lawyers, and knew the need for solid foundational learning to create opportunities for their futures.  They also knew that without support, none of these children would have the financial or social means to access the education needed to fulfill their potential.   To affirm the potential that each child at St. Vincent’s holds, Rachel and Anne created the Khanyisela Scholarship Program.

The Khanyisela Scholarship Program . . .

• Provides for the students at St Vincent’s to attend a good quality primary or secondary educational institution, or for at least one student per year to attend a South African university, technical college, or trade school.
• Supports the pursuit of education through both financial assistance and mentoring.
• Improves the educational expectations of future generations of St. Vincent Children’s Home.
• Addresses South Africa’s “brain drain” and encourages the retention of skills and knowledge within South Africa.

The Khanyisela Scholarship Program collaborates with the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood to carry out its mission and objectives.