10-year-old Ethan Palagangwe attended his first day at Drakensberg Boys Choir School thanks to a successful crowdfund to make his dreams come true.
Mitchells Plain, South Africa (01 February 2021) – 10-year-old Ethan Palagangwe is a talented singer from Mitchells Plain, Cape Town and has always been drawn to music. He had a dream that has been made a reality.
Inspired by his songstress mom, he can often be heard around the house, singing songs by his favourite musicians such as Chris Brown, Michae Jackson, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber.
“Ethan started singing around the house at the age of 8. When he started singing for our friends and family at gatherings, we realized that he has a God-given talent that we needed to nurture,” says Ethan’s mom, Candice.
When Ethan’s parents saw that the prestigious Drakensberg Boys Choir School in Kwa-Zulu Natal was having an open call to auditions, they signed him up, in hopes that he would be given a once in a lifetime opportunity to sharpen his singing skills and receive a world-class education.
Performing one of his favourite songs, “Ben”, by Michael Jackson, Ethan soaked up the spotlight and was one of only 30 students, out of 1600, to receive an acceptance letter to enrol at the private school.
Unable to cover his schooling cost, which amounts to approximately R 175 000 for his first year, Ethan’s parents launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy that has thus far raised over R98 000 with contributions from 26 donors both locally and internationally.
With his acceptance fee and uniform covered, Ethan started his first semester through online classes. He has already received 92% for his first music theory assignment, despite never taking music studies. He is also excelling in his mathematics quizzes.
Needing additional funding for the remainder of his school year, Ethan’s parents hope the public will continue to support his dreams.
“We are going to miss seeing our little man every day, but we know he will continue to make us proud and inspire others with his unique gift. A new and exciting journey lies ahead!” says Ethan’s proud dad, Kagisho
They are hoping to raise the remainder of his fees for the first year, so if you would like to support Ethan’s dream, you can do so here. He has started at the school now, take a look at his first day below.
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