“In our school we give everyone a chance, regardless of prior knowledge or history.”

Prince Albert, a small town in the dry Karoo region of South Africa’s Western Cape province, is where local resident Hélène Smit founded PASS in 2017. Many young people in South Africa fall out of the formal school system due to problems such as poverty, difficult home situations, drug use and the accompanying behavioural disorders. Realising that without alternatives they often ended up on the streets and involved in criminal behaviour, Hélène founded a small school where some of these youngsters could learn basic social and technical skills.

“We aim to develop their skills by supporting them psychologically and teaching them technical skills,” Smit says. Her previous work in psychology and education influences her holistic approach to the children’s growth. But there are no quick fixes when trying to make a lasting difference.

“This can be an emotional process because we’re working with people who’ve been traumatised and hurt,” she says. “It takes time to get that trauma out of their system.”

Dr. Hélène Smit