The Imperial and Motus Community Trust was established in 2003 as The Imperial and Ukhamba Community Development Trust. It was the brainchild of the late Bill Lynch and Hafiz Mahomed, then the CEO and CFO of Imperial Holdings. Hafiz Mohamed remains involved as the current chairman of the Trust.
The initial mandate given to the Trust was to improve mathematics and science results of learners in township schools. We soon realised that learners were unable to read or understand the content of these subjects because they lacked the requisite skills; this led to a change in direction. The Trust now focuses on developing literacy and reading skills through a comprehensive literacy intervention programme aimed at all learners at its partner schools.
Most recently the Trust establishes state-of-the-art libraries with impressive speed; the lion’s share of them in ‘no-fee’ schools south of Johannesburg. These cutting-edge centres support over 53 000 learners daily with formal reading lessons that include access to leisure reading and research, while providing educators with our customised store of teaching resources. These libraries are staffed by the Trust’s employees – often newly matriculated youth from the communities we work in so that, in part, the Trust invests handsomely in youth development and job creation.
Mission
statement
We recognize that each child in South Africa is entitled to a good quality education to help them escape the bonds of poverty and despair.
Our primary aim is to assist selected schools in previously disadvantaged communities to provide a balanced and holistic education for learners – one that empowers them to reach their potential – academically and individually – while also nurturing their self-confidence and self-esteem.
