MILESTONES AND WAYPOINTS

1995 – After discussions between the school principal, Peter Manser, recently-retired Chief of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Glen Syndercombe, and a Safmarine team, led by Corporate Affairs Director Peter James, informal maritime classes are held at Simon’s Town School. The decommissioned cableship, Cable Restorer, at anchor in Simon’s Bay, is designated to be used as a floating residence for maritime students. Safmarine becomes the founding and anchor sponsor of the programme.

1996 – A committee, drawn from the shipping industry, tertiary maritime training institutions and other interested persons, completes the compilation of syllabi for each of the two maritime-related subjects to be offered at the school – Maritime Economics and Nautical Science (then known as Maritime Studies A and Maritime Studies B respectively).

The Provincial and National Education Departments approve the subjects as part of the National Senior Certificate curriculum.

Cable Restorer is used as an accommodation ship for boarders.

1997 – The first formal maritime classes begin in Grades 10 and 11.

1998 – In a storm, Cable Restorer breaks her stern moorings, and carries away power cables, water and sewerage pipes, and smashes the temporary jetty that had been built out to her. The Boarders are brought ashore and housed in the school building until the new Lawhill House is completed in later that year. (It was built out of retired shipping containers, donated by Safmarine, and the name – that of the four-masted barque that traded under the South African flag from 1942 to 1947  – is suggested by Captain Mike Chambers of Safmarine who was also a part-time lecturer.). Lawhill House is opened by Professor Kader Asmal who later would become the minister of education. The ceremony is attended by four men who served in the original Lawhill.The first National Senior Certificate examinations in the two maritime subjects are written.

Lawhill House was named after the four-masted South African barque in which a number of the country’s maritime leaders sailed in the 1940s.

The Lawhill vessel was a Finnish sailing ship that was built in the 1880s in Scotland, and captured by the South African navy in World War II.

The Finnish crew agreed to give up their ship and sail under the South African flag under the condition that 10 South African trainees could come onboard.

“So it ended up being South Africa’s first trading training ship. A bit like this one, except it circumnavigated the globe, including making several passages via Cape Horn,” says Brian Ingpen, co-founder and former Head of Lawhill Maritime Centre.

Today, many Lawhill Maritime Centre students are eager to follow in the footsteps of these 10 young cadets and embark on an exciting career that takes them all over the world

This is a far cry from the impoverished conditions of townships and children’s homes, where many Lawhill Maritime Centre students come from. The facility offered the students conditions that were conducive to study.

Lloyd’s List Youth & Training Award – London

A 1998 finalist in the Lloyd’s List Awards for maritime training or education projects, the Maritime Studies Department was invited to the Awards Ceremony the following year, held in the magnificent Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London.

A voyage aboard a luxurious vessel from Central London to Greenwich was a prelude to the event in the truly spectacular building whose ornate ceiling and some other parts were painted between 1707 and 1720.

The announcement of the winner of Youth & Training Award was among the last of the evening, and Brian Ingpen was delighted to receive the prestigious Certificate on behalf of the Maritime Team at Simon’s Town.

Training voyages to Durban aboard P&O Nedlloyd’s containerships City of Cape Town and Heemskerck

The Anglo-Dutch containership operator, P&O Nedlloyd (later absorbed by the A P Moller Group) provided coastal training voyages for Simon’s Town’s Maritime learners aboard their containerships City of Cape Town and Heemskerck.

Each ship carried six boys and Simon’s Town’s Nautical Science teacher, Captain Gus Mostert, who later become one of the very few South African Naval Officers to command both naval and merchant naval vessels.

The boys gained valuable insights into life at sea, enjoying time on the bridge observing the officer-of-the-watch as he went about his duties – and doing all the tasks normally assigned to first-trip cadets, as well as participating in emergency drills.

Among those trainees on their first time at sea aboard City of Cape Town was Thobela Gqabu who later became the first Lawhill alumnus to gain his Master’s Certificate of Competency.

Another aboard Heemskerck was Dale Smyth, a remote-learning maritime student who currently is a leading personality in round-the-world yacht racing, having skippered a yacht during the prestigious Clipper race.

These voyages formed an integral of our training programme and so many of the participants in those voyages continued to follow careers at sea.

Sadly, realignments in containership operations to South Africa preclude our current students from benefitting on such voyages.

The fire damage to the container-based hostel was one of a number of reasons for building a new maritime centre.

The fire affected mainly the grade 12 matric boys.

The inside of the container was damaged and not destroyed, as the container was made of steel and therefore didnt burnt down completely.

Four cabins were damaged, one of them a store room. Each cabin accommodated six students so 18 learners were left without proper accommodation.

As a result, they had to sleep in the galley/kitchen.

The fire happened on the first day of final exams and lost all their notes.

Fortunately, their peer assisted with photocopied notes and, according to Mr.Ingpen, ‘handled the situation very well and helped out where needed, even though they had lost everything.’’

The hostel was repaired over the December holidays, in time for the start of the new academic year.

TK Foundation and the construction of the new Lawhill Maritime Centre

In about 2006, writes Brian Ingpen, my old school friend Sean Day visited Lawhill, then housed in shipping containers.

A remarkable business leader who had been at sea aboard Safmarine ships and who later had excelled in his academic studies at UCT and as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Sean had enjoyed a most successful career in shipping, rising to become Chairman of the Teekay Tanker Corporation, the world’s largest operator of Aframax and Suezmax tankers.

A second visit to Lawhill followed in 2007, this time with Susie Karlshoej, CEO of TK Foundation, an associate of the tanker company (Teekay) that had been established by Susie’s father, Torben. Prior to that later visit, Sean had wanted an architect on standby.

“Why the architect?” Ingpen probed. “For your new maritime centre,” he responded.

Via the Foundation, he and Susie kindly arranged the funding for the wonderful, new, custom-built Lawhill Maritime Centre that had accommodation and dining facilities for 58 youngsters who follow the two maritime courses offered by the school. Two custom-built classrooms and a small library also were included in the building. (Subsequent extensions allowed for more cabins and other facilities.)

Rekindling the memory of the South African four-masted barque Lawhill of the 1940s. and the training she provided for young South African cadets, the new building was given her name, and opened by Western Cape Premier Helen Zille in March 2010.

The request for an architect was to initiate plans for a modern school building, the funds for which were generously donated by the TK Foundation (an affiliate of the Teekay Corporation, Vancouver) and other donors.The Centre would house classrooms for the teaching of the two specialised subjects, Nautical Science (which prepares students for a sea-going career) and Maritime Economics (which gives a head-start to prospective entrants to the shoreside of shipping).

Click here to listen to an interview where Brian Ingpen reflects on the contribution made by Mr Sean Day: https://youtu.be/hyFYAWq4JQ0?si=wXJp4hN43dh2WiY_

Extensions to Lawhill Maritime Centre

In view of the need for more accommodation, to modernise the navigation instruction, and for more teaching space at Lawhill Maritime Centre, extensions to the Centre were planned.

Again Ms Karlshoej, her colleagues at the TK Foundation and Mr Sean Day paved the way to provide funding for the extensions.

In 2017, Premier Helen Zille also officiated at the opening of the extensions that provide an Ecdis Training Facility, a classroom for Marine Science (an additional subject for maritime students) and additional accommodation that boosted the Centre’s capacity to 67 boarders.

Sadly Mr Sean Day passed away in 2023 after a long, debilitating illness during which his positive attitude and genuine, warm friendship continued, an example to all.

At the end of 2010, 28-year-old Tobela Gqabu became Lawhill’s first, internationally-qualified Master Mariner, having obtained his Master’s Certificate of Competency.

Tobela had come a long way since 1999, when he, as a 16-year-old South African, applied for a Safmarine bursary to complete his schooling at Lawhill. He recalls how he had no idea what he was choosing when he selected his subjects, Maritime Economics and Nautical Science, among others.

He had also never heard of Safmarine, a company which not only funded his studies and the entire Maritime Studies programme, but also provided accommodation for out-of-town students through its donation of 47 shipping containers used to build a safe, comfortable and supportive boarding school environment.

https://www.lawhill.org/making-history-tobela-gqabu-lawhills-first-master-mariner/

Nomcebo Biyela, who obtained six distinctions in 2012, later qualified as a doctor after studying medicine at the University of Cape Town. She became the first Lawhill student to qualify as a General Practitioner.

https://www.lawhill.org/top-achievers-2012

On Monday, 14 May 2012, the Lawhill Maritime Studies programme won the international Seatrade ‘Investment in People’ Award in London.

The award – presented to Brian Ingpen, head of the Simon’s Town-based Lawhill Maritime Centre by IMO Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu – recognised Lawhill’s effectiveness in helping to address youth unemployment and poverty in South Africa by providing students with maritime-related skills while they were still at school.

More than 300 young South Africans have graduated from the programme since its inception, many of them pursuing successful careers in the maritime industry, both ashore and at sea, while others have made their mark in other industries. Recently, the TK Foundation, an affiliate of the Teekay Tanker Corporation, was the major sponsor of a new building to house both the teaching facilities and accommodation for 52 young people from all over South Africa.

https://www.lawhill.org/lawhill-maritime-centre-wins-international-award/

Eleven high school learners were given the opportunity to travel to Antarctica – nine from Lawhill  and the rest  from Tisand Technical School in Richards Bay .  They were the only schools to be invited and the six week trip  started at the beginning of the learners’ matric year in 2013. 

The vessel was taking supplies to the German station in Antarctica.  Smit Amandla Marine (now Amsol) facilitated the trip.  

The learners were treated as cadets onboard the vessel but they had Captain Godfrey Schlemmer who was their Nautical Sciences educator helping them do school work onboard the vessel.

Talente Ngema was also chosen the top student in marine engineering in S1 and S2 year at Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 2013 and on December 1, 2013, Impumelelo presented awards to 25 best-practice projects that have found solutions to social issues.

The awards were handed over by Minister of Science and Technology, Mr Derek Hanekom.

The Lawhill Maritime Centre was one of four organisations to receive a Platinum Award.

https://www.lawhill.org/lawhill-wins-platinum-impumelelo-social-innovations-award/

See https://marineinspirations.org/about-ok/ for more details of the OK Prosthetics amputee assistance programme.

https://www.lawhill.org/marine-inspirations-reflecting-on-three-inspiring-years-ahead-of-cape-town-fundraiser/

When in Grade 12 in 2016, BK and Thami were selected as two of the top 10 young African innovators who will benefit from support provided by the Swiss based African Innovation Foundation (AIF) to help them take their innovation to the next level (from idea to market).

They were considered by the AIF to be among the best African innovators under 26.

They also attended the Innovation Prize for Africa event to be held in Gaborone, Botswana (23-24 July 2016).

The boys are from a township in Welkom and found out about Lawhill from Musa Mbakaza, who is from the same township and who attended Lawhill years ago and is now qualified to captain any  ship of any size anywhere in the world.

The idea for the hot nozzle – a battery operated device which can be attached to a showerhead and which heats the water as it passes through the showerhead – was borne at the Lawhill hostel where Boko and Thami resided.

They were Grade 10 students when they invented the Hot Nozzle in 2014. As juniors they were last in the shower – which meant they often had to shower in cold water.  (The boarding school has 54 students).

In 2014 they entered their hot nozzle in the National Young Innovator competition hosted by 3M and Hip2B2 and came second.  Supported by the Lawhill school, they entered the AIF’s competition for young African innovator and their selection led to the invitation to travel to Botswana and participate in the Innovation Prize for Africa event.

They also attended the 2014 Africa Utilities week exhibition for two days and their interactions at this event have led to meetings with successful innovators and entrepreneurs.

Boko and Thami were also invited to speak at the LEVI Pioneer Nation event in Johannesburg in October. https://www.pioneernation.biz/speakers

See  link below for more on this event, which has attracted the top entrepreneurial talent in South Africa.

https://www.pioneernation.biz/

All costs relating to the maintenance of this website are covered by funds raised by the Lawhill Maritime Educational Trust, which was founded in 2015.

The Trust provides invaluable financial and moral support to the programme.

Should you be interested in donating to the Trust, please visit www.lawhill.org and click on the DONATE button.

At the beginning of February 2015, former Simon’s Town School student and Lawhill’s newest Master, 29 year old Captain Rolf Sieboldt-Berry, visited the school to talk about his career, a career which has taken him to every continent in the world and to places few have been and seen.

He shared his experiences as an officer for four years on board one of the biggest Superyachts in the world (complete with its own submarine and helicopter!). He also spoke about the pioneering nature of the Superyacht industry, how some of the innovations in this industry had the potential to and were influencing commercial shipping and vessel designs and about the many exciting careers available in the Superyacht and allied industries which lay ahead for hard working Lawhill maritime studies and navigational science students at Lawhill.

https://www.lawhill.org/captain-rolf-sieboldt-berry-living-dream/

The award recognised individuals in the maritime industry who act as ambassadors for the industry and who, in their personal capacity and in their own time and at their own expense, promote the development of the industry and promote awareness of the industry in a manner that goes above and beyond their current job description.  

The award was sponsored by Maritime Review Africa magazine.
Lawhill Maritime Centre’s Brian Ingpen received a standing ovation when announced as the winner.

Ingpen has made a significant contribution to the South African maritime industry as a dedicated and passionate maritime historian, author, journalist and, above all, educationalist.

Of the more than four decades he has spent in education, 24 were dedicated to the advancement of the specialist maritime education programme at Simon’s Town School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre, a programme which has made it possible for hundreds of young people – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – to pursue worthwhile, satisfying and potentially-lucrative careers in the maritime and related industries.

His contribution in this regard is particularly significant considering South Africa’s unacceptably high levels of youth unemployment and poverty.
He has, through his selfless dedication and remarkable vision, helped to establish the Lawhill Maritime Centre as a role model for schools-based maritime education in South Africa, if not the world.

Brian Ingpen is widely recognised as a man of integrity, a compassionate individual who has sacrificed vast amounts of personal and family time to make a real and visible difference in the lives of others and invest in a future maritime generation.

Fellow finalists for the Maritime Maestro Award were: Master Salvor Captain Nick Sloane (who gained global recognition for the successful raising and refloating of the capsized cruise ship, Costa Concordia, described as the largest salvage operation ever) and SAMSA COO, Sobantu Tilayi.

The maritime industry awards, an initiative of Maritime Review Africa magazine, were sponsored by SMIT Amandla Marine, Ardent Subtech, the Department of Environmental Affairs, Nautic and Servest. 

SIMON’S TOWN School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre (www.lawhill.org) officially opened its new education and boarding facilities which included a ‘world-first’ electronic navigation classroom for secondary school students, a Marine Sciences classroom, a Ship’s Library and Resource Centre, and additional accommodation.

The additional facilities – which were funded by the TK Foundation – were opened by Premier Helen Zille, the Premier of the Western Cape Province on Tuesday evening, March 28, 2017.

According to Debbie Owen, the Head of the Lawhill Maritime Studies department:

“Until recently, Nautical Science instruction included training on paper charts and paper radar plots. While there are theoretical modules relating to electronic navigation systems, Lawhill identified the need to provide PC-based simulation training, especially in electronic chart display systems (ECDIS) as the students will encounter ECDIS both in their tertiary navigation studies and at sea.
“To ensure that our Nautical Science course remains current and relevant, and to provide a headstart for those of our learners who wish to embark on a sea-going career, we felt it imperative that the students are exposed to ECDIS while at Lawhill.”

The appropriate simulator software, valued at over R1 million, was donated to Lawhill by Maretek’s Captain Kieron Cox. Electronic equipment was also donated by the AP Moller Foundation/Safmarine and ECDIS training provided by the South African Maritime Training Academy (SAMTRA).

The plan was for SAMTRA to use the ECDIS facility in Lawhill’s down time (eg school holidays) to train qualified officers. This would provide an income for Lawhill and support its sustainability as the Lawhill Centre does not receive any direct Government funding and relies solely on grants, donations and sponsored student bursaries to fund its operation.

The Lawhill Maritime Centre also worked closely with the Two Oceans Aquarium to develop a Marine Sciences curriculum.

“The Aquarium is very committed to education and has been visited by millions of school group children.

Over time, the Aquarium has been approached by school teachers and District Subject Advisors to use the content of its courses and to write a Marine Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) to form part of the South African FET Gr 10-12 and Matric qualification.”

After consulting widely the Aquarium decided that introducing a subject into the school curriculum would be a service from which the South African community, particularly students wishing to participate in the Oceans Economy, could benefit enormously.

Lawhill was one of three schools to pilot Marine Sciences as a subject.
The new facilities at the Lawhill education and boarding facility also housed several important maritime photographic collections that record maritime history in Cape Town for many decades. Among these are the collections of Robert Pabst, Karel de Vries, Michael Stuttaford and Unicorn Lines and we are privileged to be the custodians of these unique collections.

There are also several interesting items donated by the family of the late Captain Dai Davies, one of the country’s most prominent salvage experts, and Rob Young, another very prominent figure in the South African shipping industry and marine engineering sector.

Also in the venue is a plaque in honour of the late Captain Paul Staples whose career included two circumnavigations aboard the original sailing ship Lawhill. During those voyages, Lawhill rounded Cape Horn twice. Captain Staples also made trans-Atlantic voyages under sail in another old sailing ship, making him one of the most seasoned South African seafarers.

The building of additional cabins also made it possible for the school to introduce its programme to more young people.

Student numbers increased from 54 to 67. Lawhill students are drawn from all over South Africa and Namibia.

The expansion of the Lawhill facilities is particularly significant when considering the importance of the shipping sector to the South African economy and the goals of the Government’s Operation Phakisa which, amongst others, focused on job creation in the maritime sector and on ways of extending the number of young people entering worthwhile careers in the sector.

Coupled to this is the stated aim to gain more South African-owned and operated ships and to employ more South African seafarers. The more thoroughly Lawhill is able to prepare its learners, the greater their chance of obtaining places in tertiary institutions or gaining employment in the maritime sector.

In addition to the donation of the yacht Homero, Marine Inspirations also gave Lawhill students the opportunity to learn about the global superyacht industry and to gain practical sail training in Ibiza, Spain, thanks to the Marine Inspirations programme.

In 2014, Marine Inspirations partnered with Simon’s Town School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre and the S.A.T.S General Botha Old Boys’ Association to provide young South Africans with the opportunity to travel to the Spanish island of Mallorca to participate in a programme which offers young people from financially-challenged backgrounds an opportunity to learn about, and experience, the international superyacht industry.

For many programme participants, the Marine Inspirations experience was one of many ‘firsts’ – from leaving the country and travelling abroad for the first time, to even their first visit to an airport, their first flights, and being the first members in their families to travel abroad.

More on:

https://www.lawhill.org/news-yacht-donation-boosts-schools-based-maritime-education-in-south-africa/

Visit our Youtube channel- and the ROWING Playlist- to view several rowing related videos to see just how much has been achieved with the help of the volunteers of the Cape Coastal Rowing Club…

https://youtu.be/AcDJWhIPTD8?si=xcQbxKQ46G003kNT

These awards recognise young leaders in different fields trying to create change. 

Thami was one of the young brains behind the shower invention, the Hot Nozzle, which he developed along with Bokamoso Molale. 

When in Grade 11 and Lawhill in 2015,  Thami Hoza and Bokamoso Mohlale took second place in a national young innovators contest.  They were inspired to develop the hot nozzle by cold morning showers, which are common in Lawhill as there is a limited hot water supply.

Thami and Bokamoso later obtained a patent for their innovative design. 

More info on https://www.lawhill.org/thami-hoza-doing-lawhill-and-sa-proud/

Ms Gouvias received the internationally-recognised Masters Certificate of Competency (Coc) in April 2018. Doing so was the final step in achieving her dreams of being in command of a ship, as its Master or Captain. As Chief Navigation officer she is currently second in command on board vessels.

Reflecting on her maritime journey, Ms Gouvias was quick to praise her former maritime educators, Captain Godfrey Schlemmer and Mr Brian Ingpen, as well as the many retired sea captains who inspired her during their visits to the school

More on:

https://www.lawhill.org/meet-our-first-female-master-mariner/

The new series of Maritime Economics videos was launched to assist the more than 600 matriculants across South Africa who, despite significant disruptions to their education by the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, would sit down to write their final NSC/IEB Maritime Economics examination on 25 November 2020.

The Gr 12 video series – which was specifically produced to assist the Class of 2020 prepare for their final exams – was made available free of charge via the website www.maritimesa.org.

Lawhill made applications to zero-rate the website to assist students in gaining access to this important resource without the need for data.
These videos represented a new partnership between renowned maritime educator and Lawhill co-founder, Mr Brian Ingpen – one of the pioneers of high school-based maritime education – and the Bahamas-based TK Foundation (https://www.tkfoundation.bs/), who funded the video project in its entirety.

According to the TK Foundation’s Managing Director, Susan Karlshoej, “The TK Foundation’s mission is to fulfil the legacy of J. Torben Karlshoej, the founder of the Teekay Corporation, one of the world’s largest marine energy transportation companies.

“One way the TK Foundation carries out his legacy is by supporting maritime programs that give underserved youth an opportunity to succeed in the maritime field.

“These videos, produced by a long-serving and now retired educator from the award-winning STS Lawhill Maritime Centre at Simon’s Town School (www.lawhill.org), are the perfect avenue for delivering The TK Foundation’s mission.

“We have long been supporters of Lawhill’s Maritime Studies program and are pleased to expand our investment into a broader audience by supporting this project led by one of its most respected educators. We are delighted that Brian Ingpen, who taught Maritime Economics for 23 years, has agreed to share his maritime passion, knowledge and expertise to the benefit of youth and maritime educators in South Africa and around the world.

“The creation of these videos means that more individuals will have access to quality maritime education materials, thus broadening the impact of J. Torben Karlshoej’s legacy.”

Additional Maritime Economics subject videos for all three grades (Grades 10 to 12) were produced to boost to maritime education and overall maritime awareness in South Africa.

See below link to an example of one of the videos:

https://maritimesa.org/grade-12/incoterms-especially-in-the-context-of-container-shipping-2/

The new Grade 12 video series was completed, in full, within only three months by Studio Zafari Productions and the rest of the videos, by January 2021.

In addition to the above, the TK Foundation also funded the production of a Grade 12 Nautical Science ‘’Final Exam Video Tutorial’’ featuring Professor Dr Captain Ed Snyders.

https://maritimesa.org/nautical-science-grade-12/2020/10/12/how-to-tackle-your-final-grade-12-exam-papers-video-tutorials/

2020 was an extraordinary year.

While the Covid 19 pandemic presented many challenges and brought much heartbreak as some of our students lost love ones, there were also moments to celebrate as the STS Lawhill Maritime Centre marked two important milestones:

• the 25th anniversary of our Maritime Studies programme and
• the contribution of long-serving maritime educators, Mr Brian Ingpen and Captain Godfrey Schlemmer.

Watch a video of the 25th anniversary event on the link below.
https://www.lawhill.org/watch-our-25th-anniversary-and-educator-farewell/

Ingpen, the driving force behind the Lawhill maritime programme and a man who has made a significant and positive impact on many young lives,received the National Order of the Baobab Silver Award from President Cyril Ramaphosa for his contribution to education.

More than two decades ago, Mr Ingpen co-founded Simon’s Town School’s Maritime Studies Programme, a donor-funded, specialist education programme that aims to prepare youngsters for a career in the maritime industry, while they are still at school.

He also compiled the National Senior Certificate-approved Maritime Economics curriculum for Grades 10, 11 and 12 which is taught at Simon’s Town School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre (www.lawhill.org) and at select schools in KwaZulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.

More on: https://www.lawhill.org/presidential-honour-for-mr-brian-ingpen/

Our very special hostel parents, Mr and Mrs Visser, retired at the end of December 2021 after 18 years of dedicated and loyal service to our Maritime Studies programme and the Lawhill Maritime Centre.

The South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) has presented the “Imbokodo in Maritime Awards” – which recognises the efforts of women within the sector and the contribution they make in paving the way for new entrants and the future of the maritime industry – since 2022.

Imbokodo is an isiZulu word that means “rock”.

https://www.lawhill.org/industry-recognition-for-lawhill-head

Arshay Cooper is a distinguished rower and author known for his advocacy for diversity in sports. As a captain of the first African American high school rowing team in the USA, he authored the award-winning memoir A Most Beautiful Thing, which inspired a documentary. Cooper founded AMBIF to provide rowing opportunities for marginalized youth.

More information can be found on his website at www.arshaycooper.com.

Click on the link below to read more about his first visit to South Africa.

https://www.lawhill.org/oar-inspiring-our-rowing-programme/

Two replica 19th century Cornish Pilot Cutter rowing boats used to raise thousands of Singapore Dollars for a global welfare charity 10 years ago, also found a new purpose – to train high school maritime students and future African seafarers studying in Simon’s Town, South Africa.

The boats were officially renamed on 3 April 2024, at a special event held at the False Bay Yacht Club (FBYC) in Simon’s Town.

https://www.lawhill.org/naming-of-two-19th-century-replica-pilot-cutters-3-april-2024/

Sadly, 2023 was also the year in which we lost two great Lawhill Mentors, Mr Sean Day and Mr Phil Wade.

Read more on the links below:

https://www.lawhill.org/larger-than-life-maritime-mentors-and-more/
https://www.lawhill.org/tribute-to-mr-c-sean-day/
https://www.lawhill.org/remembering-phil-wade/

Cooper’s visit in mid-November 2024 followed personal invitations from several Gauteng-based rowing clubs, the CCRC/Lawhill rowing programme and University of the Western Cape (UWC) Rowing to return to South Africa.

Cooper said his time spent with talented youth in Cape Town during his first visit to Africa in 2023, left a profound impression on him and he wanted to return to see more of the country to engage with more youth.

Lawhill’s grade 10-12 maritime students have been deeply inspired by Mr Cooper’s profound and personal story of how the sport of rowing helped him overcome significant challenges while growing up in one of Chicago’s poorest and most dangerous communities. 

Arshay Cooper’s story is one that resonated with Lawhill students, the majority of whom come from similar communities as Cooper had grown up in.

As can be viewed in this video of his 2023 visit to Cape Town (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZDb91Mp9qI), Cooper gave young South Africans hope and inspiration to overcome adversity and change their futures

Two talented South African rowers –  Athabile Msindo, and Curtley van Wyk – joined Cooper in the USA for the 2024 annual rowing camp hosted by his foundation, A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund (AMBIF).  The camp gives these young rowers the opportunity to compete against top rowers from the USA, UK and Bahamas.

The link below shows a video of Athabile’s time in the USA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xnhul7l4pM&t=2s

Cooper’s second visit in November 2024 was made possible by Bunker Partner, a Singapore-based energy company that focuses on innovative solutions for the maritime industry,  provided funding for this trip.

As part of its community outreach projects, the Tintswalo Collection will host Cooper at Tintswalo Boulders in Simon’s Town, recently recognized by Fodor’s Travel as one of the top 100 hotels in the world. Additional support is also being provided by KFC and the American Consulate in Pretoria and Cape Town.

Another Lawhill student, Anika Mtyelwa, spent an unforgettable and life changing week attending the Singapore Maritime Week event and two grade 11’s spent a week sailing in Italy.

More on
https://www.lawhill.org/singapore-maritime-week-one-of-many-firsts-for-lawhill-student/
and
https://www.lawhill.org/sailing-in-italy-a-holiday-adventure-of-a-lifetime/

As Lawhill celebrates its 30th anniversary, its proudest achievement has been the success of its alumni.

Click on the link below to read about a few of our most recent successes… but there are hundreds more!:

https://www.lawhill.org/alumni-success-stories/