How did the KIDS Foundation start?
KiDS was founded in April 1994 (the same month and year as democracy in South Africa!) by Ian Kilbride, a businessman keen to use his resources to help build the new South Africa and Tessa De Beer-Smit, a teacher with a passion for education. Both believed that huge potential to help build our new nation was being lost through lack of opportunity and financial resources for disadvantaged learners to attend schools offering good quality education. KiDS was born with a desire to help these learners to attend good schools by offering individual scholarships to scholars with a will and the potential to succeed not only academically but in all areas of achievement. From 1994 to 2006 KiDS has supported 165 scholarships effectively providing 1025 years of education!
