Dear South Africa Tour students and parents

Thank you for your patience and support during this busy and difficult time.

1. We will soon be ready to refund payments for the tour. I understand our Accounts people will be in touch with you in the next few days to discuss tour refund options.
2. Regarding fund-raising money, as mentioned previously, we hope to consolidate these funds and send them through to our partners in South Africa so they can continue to support and care for the underprivileged and poor in their care. These partners will include JJ Haven orphanage in Alexandria, Sinethemba Homeless Shelter in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town United Sports Academy, Kidos Shelter in Port Elizabeth and Mokone Primary School in Cape Town. Although this is not the same as our students being on the ground in South Africa, we hope they still feel they are making a difference to these organisations as a result of their efforts over many months.
3. We intend to meet with the student tour group later in the year to share the impact of their fund-raising activities.

Warm Regards

Dr Mark Fielding

Director of Global Programs

Dear students and families of our South Africa Service Tour 2020

What a disappointing week it has been for us all! We are devastated that, as a result of the Minister for Education’s directive on the 3 March 2020, we have been forced to cancel the forthcoming St Stephen’s Global service tour to South Africa. I can’t say how sad we are for our students who over the past ten months have worked tirelessly to prepare for this adventure of a lifetime.

I want to keep you up to date with our plans in response to this cancellation.

I will be endeavouring to recover all the funds spent on flights, transport, accommodation, entries and so on. I will need to contact all our in-country providers and partners to seek refunds on deposits and payments. This could take some time. All funds not recovered will be the subject of a travel insurance claim by the School. Our insurers have been notified.

All recovered funds from refunds and insurance will be returned to the tour families.

I will be in touch via this blog to inform you of our progress.

I thank you for your patience in this regard.

Regarding the fund-raising money raised already, this money will be sent to our main tour support organisations namely Cape Town United Football Club (Langa Township), Sinethemba Orphanage, Kidos Shelter and JJ Haven. If students have any remaining fund-raising money please give it to the tour staff immediately so we can bank it and then distribute it to these needy organisations.

Thank you for your support and warm regards

Dr Mark Fielding

Director of Global Programs