Al-Qalam 
By AMA Media
It’s 10am on a Monday morning, and the school courtyard waits, colourful and quiet, anticipating the sound of the bell that will bring life pouring in from all directions.
On cue, it sounds, and a sea of blue uniforms flood into the space, high pitched voices shouting and chattering, school shoes pounding the ground and bags bouncing on backs barely big enough to carry them.
This is the Aman School of Excellence, located in Finetown, south of Johannesburg. Without knowing its story, it’s a school like any other in South Africa. But there is so much more to Aman…
Just 2 years ago, this space at the Al-Furqaan Islamic Centre was serving its community, but had not yet realised its full potential. Through a labour of love and a commitment to bring the very best to Finetown, the AMA team worked hard to establish a school which brings a private standard of education to a very needy community.
While government schools exist in the surrounding areas, the question of quality of education is a pertinent one in South Africa.
UNICEF has noted that in SA, “the quality of early learning and development programmes remain a challenge. An underqualified workforce combined with the poor implementation of appropriate early learning approaches impact early learning outcomes, especially in poor communities.”
It was for this very reason that the Aman School was established – a school which offers qualified and excellent teachers, a safe learning environment and a robust extracurricular programme which includes coding and robotics and physical education activities. A library and computer room were essential when establishing the school, something rare for many South African government schools situated in similar communities.
In addition, Gauteng MEC Matome Chiloane, has noted that Gauteng needs 200 more schools to meet the needs of learners in the public school system, and is leaning heavily on the private sector to assist with the establishment of these schools.
A school like Aman, which provides the highest quality of education to children who would otherwise be caught up in a cycle of poverty, is exactly the type of school that the country needs. There is no substitute for a solid foundation phase education, which is what Aman can offer.
The children at Aman school are sponsored through private donors of AMA, and in addition to their tuition, receive uniforms, bags, stationery, food and books. The school provides more than basic education – the Al-Furqaan Centre where it is based is a community hub, where school families gather to participate in other outreach programmes led by AMA, from winter warmth distributions, to Ramadaan feedings, Qurbani and the establishment of skills projects.
For school Principal, Madame Zohra Adam, the real success of the school lies in the changes she has witnessed in the children who attend the school. Their personal growth is her proudest achievement, and she shares stories of children who were previously too shy to speak, or who struggled with a subject, but through the commitment and care from Aman teachers, have blossomed and overcome their personal challenges.
The word “Aman” means safety, and the name was chosen for AMA’s schools because every child deserves the safety that a sound education can give them. The safety of a nurturing school environment and the safety of a better future.
As we look ahead to Aman’s third year in 2026, we invite you to sponsor a child or any amount towards the school and become a part of our journey to educate, empower and inspire South Africa.
