Derby Day connects families from diverse economic backgrounds
Author: Christel House South Africa
On Saturday, October 28th, students, teachers, and parents/guardians from five Cape Town schools, each representing different socioeconomic backgrounds, came together for the fourth annual Derby Day event.
This event is an integral part of the Simunye (We Are One) project, a groundbreaking collaboration between the schools and the Julius Baer Wealth Inequality initiative.
The Simunye project aims to nurture long-lasting relationships among youth from various ends of the wealth spectrum. Understanding that wealth encompasses more than mere financial resources but also social capital, the Simunye project’s long-term strategy is dedicated to growing students’ confidence to thrive in cross-cultural environments while simultaneously equipping all students with the awareness and appreciation for difference - necessary for their future careers.
During the Derby Day event, over 300 people including 150 students and their parents engaged in bonding activities, including sports games, painting exercises and wealth inequality workshops. The participating schools include Christel House SA, Die Duine Primary, Rondebosch Boys Preparatory, Mzamomtsha Primary and St Cyprians Girls School.
A key component of this year’s Derby Day was family involvement. Parents and guardians were encouraged to join their children for the day. They also attended a workshop focused on building a shared value system and realising their commonalities, to empower students to thrive with confidence in multicultural environments.
Parental involvement is key at Christel House SA, the non-profit, no-fee school leading the Simunye programme. Parents participate in a comprehensive parent volunteering programme and attend six compulsory workshops per year that aim to empower, educate and enrich. As Adri Marais, CEO of Christel House SA, comments, “We understand the pivotal role parents, guardians and families play in reshaping perspectives. Inclusivity is not just a mindset shift for our students but equally, if not more so, for our parents. This journey of unity extends far beyond our school gates and our families possess the networks to extend the reach of Simunye's mission into the broader community."
The Derby Day is the biggest event in the Simunye calendar, but during the year, the schools embarked on a school exchange programme, which saw students visit each other’s respective schools to learn, engage and interact meaningfully.
The Simunye project provides a space for students to find common ground, break down barriers, and foster relationships. It recognises the urgency of addressing wealth inequality, with particular significance in South Africa as we remain the most unequal country in the world, according to the World Bank (2022 report).
The project forms part of a global partnership called the Wealth Inequality Initiative (WII) by the Julius Baer Foundation which sheds light on the global challenge of wealth, as well as education inequality.