Rutgers School of Business - Camden The "Good Works" Initiative

The "Good Works" Initiative

Library Dedication at Kalksteenfontein Primary School
Cape Town, South Africa
November 11, 2005

In Spring 2003, the New York Times featured an article about post-apartheid legacies of high unemployment, adult illiteracy, crime, drugs, and gangs in the Cape Flats area near Cape Town, South Africa. The article described the circumstances surrounding an innocent girl’s death in the area due to gang violence, and that many children do not attend school because of an inability to pay the annual school fee (about U.S. $15). Desmone Smith was that 10 year old child who died, and she was a beloved student at Kalksteenfontein Primary School.

A new library reading room will be dedicated in Desmone’s memory and honor at Kalksteenfontein Primary School, Kalksteenfontein, Cape Town, South Africa. The School of Business-Camden at Rutgers University collected and arranged overseas shipping of approximately 2,000 reading books for the new and improved library. Although we can never right the wrong of this child’s premature passing, Desmone has inspired action on the part of faculty, staff, students, and friends of the School of Business-Camden at Rutgers University. In the past two years, this network of “Friends of Kalksteenfontein Primary School” has worked to enrich school life, including funding a lunch program and a teacher’s salary for two years, and donating much-needed school supplies, musical instruments, sports equipment, clothing, and rain ponchos. The “Friends” network also created, funded, and administered a class outing for graduating 7th graders at Kalksteenfontein Primary School. Sharing a common belief that education can transform lives and that business know-how can be marshaled to address resource needs, we at the School of Business-Camden are honored to partner with the teachers and administrators at KPS. Our thanks to the many "Friends" who have supported these endeavors.