BUILDING
THE FUTURE
YEARS OF
20
MYO milestone
hat started out as tennis lessons for
learners has developed into a lessons-
for-life programme. Over the past 20 years,
Mondesa Youth Opportunities (MYO) has
educated around 2 000 students from Grade
4 to 8, providing concentrated education to
promising learners.
Robert Myres founded MYO as a WorldTeach
volunteer working for Rössing Foundation in
Arandis. He realised that many young learners
were idle in the afternoons, with no motivation
or sports opportunities to keep them active and
engaged. He began jogging for his own exercise
and was pleased when some younger learners
began to run with him, mostly barefoot or in
flip-flops. This developed into tennis lessons for
young people.
While a sports programme had value, two
trustees, Vera Leech and Uschi Fahrbach,
recognised the critical importance of English and
Mathematics for academic success. Vera, who
was a committee member and subsequently a
Trustee of MYO since 2004, strongly advocates
20
20
Number of years since MYO was formed
for the power of reading and understanding
which helps learners excel in all their subjects.
MYO selects promising learners from low- to-no-
income families who cannot afford extra classes
to realise their potential. They attend state
schools in the morning and then attend MYO in
the afternoons, where emphasis is also on good
behaviour, attendance and discipline. MYO is
their beacon of hope for a quality education that
prepares them for life.
Learners attending MYO’s afternoon school
outperform their peers and MYO boasts a 100%
pass rate. Most of their alumni have achieved
success in leading career positions nationally
and internationally.
Despite financial challenges, MYO has thrived
with support from donors like Bannerman Energy
who understand its mission. To celebrate their
20th anniversary in 2024, the MYO team has
planned 20 workshops, training sessions and
events. Bannerman Energy will celebrate this
milestone with them in August.
20
20
Number of events planned for 2024
Number of students who have benefitted
2 000 +
2 000 +
Bannerman CEO, Gavin Chamberlain, visited MYO in May to give Grade 6 learners insight into uranium
and nuclear power. This is the first of regular presentations to the learners at MYO, sharing insights and
learnings from the Bannerman team.