Taking Care of the Future examines the moral dimensions and transformative capacities of
education and humanitarianism through an intimate portrayal of learners volunteers donors
and educators at a special needs school in South Africa and a partnering UK-based charity.
Drawing on his professional experience of inclusive education in London Oliver Pattenden
investigates how systems of schooling regularly exclude and mishandle marginalized populations
particularly exploring how street kids and poverty-afflicted young South Africans experience
these dynamics as they attempt to fashion their futures. By unpacking the ethical terrains of
fundraising voluntourism Christian benevolence human rights colonial legacies and the
post-apartheid transition Pattenden analyzes how political economic and social aspects of
intervention materialize to transform the lives of all those involved.
