At Rustenburg Girls’ High School (RGHS) in Cape Town, creating greater access to opportunity has become central to our thinking. For 132 years, the school has focused on developing young women who go on to thrive in universities and professions, such as Rhodes Scholarship winner Justine Crook-Monsieur, who studies astrophysics at Oxford, and Gabriella Roodt, who has been offered a scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City. Other examples include Lisa Brice, an internationally acclaimed contemporary artist; Mila Guerrini, Stellenbosch Rector’s Award winner for academic excellence in Medicine; swimmer Daniella Solkow, Athlete of the Year at the USA’s Delta State University; social entrepreneur and UN advocate Hlubi Mboya, who is known for her work in youth empowerment, gender equality, and education across Africa; and Dr Tumeka Matshoba-Ramuedzisi (PhD, CA(SA)).

Yet one reality confronts us every year. RGHS has many talented and deserving learners whose families are not able to carry the full cost of school fees.

Many academically strong learners simply cannot access the environments that would allow them to flourish. The implications extend beyond education. When talent cannot find opportunity, economies and communities lose future innovators and leaders.

For international readers, it is important to understand the context. Rustenburg is a public school that charges fees to sustain its programmes and facilities, but it also relies on bursaries and philanthropic support to ensure that talented students from less privileged backgrounds can attend. The result is a learning environment where students from very different communities learn alongside one another with equal opportunity.

Scaling this philosophy is exactly what RGHS seeks to achieve.

Realising this vision requires partnerships with organisations and individuals who believe that education remains one of the most powerful drivers of social progress.

Around the world, entrepreneurs and philanthropists who have benefited from education often look for ways to reinvest in the next generation. When visionary leadership meets strategic investment, entirely new educational ecosystems can emerge.

Most importantly, it involves giving more capable young women access to the kind of education that can launch them into universities, research institutions, and entrepreneurial ventures across the globe and ultimately give back to society and education.

Rustenburg has spent generations building a culture of academic excellence. The next step is to extend this impact to more young women. Schools are among society’s most important investments.

What makes RGHS distinctive is the sincerity of its story. Its strength lies in the voices of learners who speak with pride about their school, in a community that believes in opportunity, and in a vision of education that asks young women to explore, lead and belong.

Readers who wish to experience this spirit more fully are encouraged to watch the Rustenburg Altius et Latius video via this YouTube link https://youtu.be/PNztVHRxeH4.

The video supports this story by allowing the pride, purpose and learner voice of Rustenburg Girls’ High School to be seen and heard.

Those who believe in the potential of girls are also invited to support the Altius et Latius Trust. Even a small contribution can help create opportunities, strengthen education, and enable more young women to discover their abilities.

Funds raised through this initiative will go directly towards supporting the school fees of previously disadvantaged learners. This support enables learners to participate fully in the academic, cultural, leadership and sporting life of the school — ensuring that financial circumstances do not stand in the way of opportunity, belonging and educational success.

Click here to donate today: https://www.rghs.org.za/the-altius-et-latius-trust/

Learn more about Rustenburg Girls’ High School at rghs.org.za

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