Founded in 1986, the Educational Support Services Trust has established itself as a recognised leader in the field of community-based education in South Africa. ESST emerged at the bidding of teachers and community leaders and in 1989, we were formally established as a non-profit organisation.
Our root motivation to support education for the disadvantaged is reflected in our initial thrust to promote equity in all school-based education for those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds through learner-centred programmes. This initial focus has since broadened to include a range of civic education campaigns, ranging in subject from voter education, census awareness, financial literacy, and women’s rights to health issues (HIV and Aids in particular), youth development and moral renewal.
The keynotes of ESST’s work reflect its extensive expertise and experience in developing and implementing large-scale educational interventions. Its approach is action-oriented; galvanising marginalised communities through information which will make them part of mainstream thinking and activity. All the while at the heart of our message is an emphasis on renewal and community transformation.
ESST’s work is underpinned by innovative and user-friendly material made available in the language of choice. Indeed, the development of communicative text, which is designed to challenge attitudes and change behaviour, may be considered the core specialisation of the organisation. The development of such material is guided by ESST’s methodology of shared learning through shared meaning-making, which has evolved out of years of (ongoing) research. It is a methodology that transforms complex, abstract information into visually engaging, personified text. Illustrations are used to stimulate understanding and to guide the interpretation of the content. By depicting realistic characters who find themselves in realistic situations, the material allows for an interactive and immersive learning experience, and succeeds in drawing the literate and illiterate alike into the learning process.
