Outreach

Making a Difference

Somerset House has as its motto ‘Non Nobis Solum’ which exhorts us to put others before self. Daily the children are encouraged to recognise and take advantage of the myriad opportunities for us as individuals to do just that. Make A Difference (MAD) provides the children at Somerset House with an opportunity to be involved with planning, organizing and implementing Outreach.

MAD is a campaign spearheaded by the Grade Six pupils at the school. The founding premise is to give our pupils the opportunity to be making a difference in their local community in a practical hands-on manner.

 

Our philosophy is to show children that there are many ways – both big and small – in which one can make a difference, simply by being involved. The Project concerns itself with a variety of activities including fellowship with underprivileged children, awareness and fund raising.  Responding to the physical needs of the organizations committed to by MAD is obviously an area where we can Make A Difference. 

MAD’s purpose is to be the outreach arm of Somerset House, and is premised on several ideas. Primary among these is that we can do more as a school by concentrating our efforts and resources on certain projects (with the hope that others in the community will do the same with other organisations in need). MAD is described as being hands-on, on-going, relational, relevant, fun and above all, teaching our children to care.

Leadership Programme Service
The cornerstone of the leadership programme that the Grade 7 children participate in is service.  They are required to deliver service to both their school and the wider community.  Break duties, lunch monitors, sport assistants are just some ways in which children can work for the 40 hours expected by the programme.  For external service, children are required to initiate a service project and see it through, with a minimum of 10 hours of hands on work.  It is a natural progression from the MAD programme of Grade 6 and makes a difference in the lives of many.