Home - Vhutshilo Mountain School

Vhutshilo Mountain School is located in north eastern South Africa and focuses on educating, supporting, and empowering HIV positive and vulnerable youth. The school itself offers full day classes with meals for pre-school-aged children. We also run support groups for HIV positive children and teens and skills development programmes for people of all ages. We grow most of our own food using permaculture gardening techniques and we run workshops to teach the community how to apply these gardening techniques in their own gardens. Learn more

Our programs

Permaculture Gaderning

VMS produces 100% organic vegetables in our school garden using permaculture gardening methods that are especially effective in this drought-prone area. Our aim is to educate the community about permaculture and the health benefits of producing organic vegetables.

Outreach + Support Groups

Our outreach programmes currently support more than 200+ children and youths who were born HIV+ and who are on the Anti-Retroviral drug regimine.

Skills Development

We offer classes in sewing, carpentry, computers, and basic home maintenance (plumbing, tiling, painting, etc.) to young adults in the surrounding community.

Pre School

Our pre-school programme provides high quality of care and education to HIV+ children. All pre-schoolers receive free transportation and two good meals per day; when needed, second-hand clothing and medical assistance are provided.

Our current campaigns

Carpentry Skills Development
$10 Our aim with this program is to empower 6 vulnerable youth and women with carpentry skills that will help them find a job or create a job for themselves and others in the community. Through this program we hope to provide viable employment opportunities to youth who need an alternative to school or who do not qualify for government bursaries. This training will allow participants to learn a tangible skill and give them hope, confidence, and a way to earn an income. The initial funds we seek for this program will be used to purchase set of communal classroom tools and to pay a trainer to conduct the initial week-long workshop. Click here for a breakdown of the carpentry tools we plan to purchase. (Note: All prices on the tools are in South African Rand. The dollar amount we seek is based on the exchange rate on March 9, 2017, plus an additional ZAR1000 which will be used to pay the trainer.)
Raised: 3%

Goal: $ 1200.00
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Student Nutrition Program: July 2017
We provide nutritious, healthy meals to 61 children and 10 staff each school day. $320 will provide breakfast, a snack of seasonal fruit, and lunch to each staff member and student at the school for an entire month. Your contribution will ensure that the children we serve are well-fed regardless of their home situations and allow them to concentrate on their studies.
Raised: 0%

Goal: $ 320
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Sponsor a Peer educator
You can sponsor a Peer educator to facilitate awareness activities about HIV/Aids, child abuse, safe sex, teenage pregnancy and healthy life style for R 1000 per year. This includes training, study and promotional materials, venue costs, transport and an educational dream trip.
Raised: 0%

Goal: $ 1000
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Our Stories

2017 Positive Teens on the Run Update

Over the last 11 months the team has participated in 5 marathons, including Polokwane, Phalaborwa and Thohoyandou.

2017 Youth On a Mission Updates

It is finally happening! We are very happy to announce that this year, Youth On a Mission formalized their mission statement and objectives and has assembled an independent Board.