Take big sister Itumeleng (Idu) Likhojana, 21. Idu celebrated her last birthday by bringing home an Associate's Degree in Accounting from one of the region's best colleges, and is already back in school completing course work for her undergraduate degree.

Together with Idu and his other siblings (including his sister Hopolang and big brother Sechaba), Little Bird is following a path that will lead him and his family out of poverty.

What gives these children the wherewithal to achieve so much in a country where educational opportunities are limited, and even a basic elementary education can be prohibitively expensive for an average family? It has much to do with a twist of fate, and the intervention of Dave Evans and the budding LAUNCH initiative.

Dave first happened upon the Likhojana family while taking a shortcut through the village one evening. Idu was 14, and her father had died two years earlier. In tough financial straits, Idu's mother felt she had no choice but to keep Idu and the other children out of school until she somehow found the means to afford their tuitions.

Enter LAUNCH. Covering tuition, travel costs and other school expenses - and providing priceless personal guidance and encouragement - Dave Evans and the LAUNCH organization have given Idu, Little Bird and their siblings the opportunity to complete their educations and make the most of their talents. And a mother's prayers have been answered.

Surviving in Alexandra Township

When Teboho Sekhoto graciously invited LAUNCH founder Dave Evans to visit his home in Alexandra Township, he warned that it was tiny. But based on the teenager's neat attire and well-spoken English, Dave assumed that Teboho was being modest. So he was surprised to find that Teboho and his family lived in a one-room shanty, sharing one double-bed, cooking on hot plates and making use of the nearest outhouse about a hundred and fifty yards away.

The Sekhoto family does a remarkable job of eking out a living in this crowded slum just miles from the bustling city of Johannesburg. But they're just getting by.

Each morning Teboho and his sister Lerato take turns washing themselves in a plastic bin and carefully ironing their school uniforms before heading to class, maintaining the neat appearance South African society admires. Their mother Puleng has tuberculosis and now receives a small disability stipend. Prior to her illness she worked as an independent hair-braider, earning no more than $10 a week. To get a better job would have meant taking a van out of the township at a cost of $.80 round-trip - or about a quarter of what she might hope to earn as a full-time laborer or clerk in Johannesburg.

With support from LAUNCH, Teboho and Lerato are working hard to get the education they'll need to escape the poverty they see everywhere around them. LAUNCH funding pays for their school fees, transportation, school uniforms, textbooks and school supplies. In addition, the organization provides clothing and assists with household goods and food. With these basics and personal encouragement, Teboho and Lerato have gained the hope and confidence to envision a more prosperous future.

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