Our Name

The olive tree traditionally symbolises peace, friendship, victory, wisdom, prosperity and success. However the Olive Tree’s name was not only chosen for its rich and meaningful symbolism, it is also named in honour of our daughter Olivia, who was diagnosed with Autism at the age of three.

Our journey with Olivia has had its ups and downs, and comes with challenges. She led us from our planned parenthood journey onto her own.

Olivia has taught us that it is OK to be different and that different does not mean any less. She has taught us to view everyone as unique individuals.

Olivia reminds us to focus on happiness and not to worry too much about what other people think. She made us realise that we are her voice, we have to speak up for her. Olivia was non-verbal so we had to learn to be more aware of body language. She has shown us that joy and love can be expressed in so many ways. We are thankful for the lessons Olivia has taught us and we now understand that being different does not mean you cannot make a difference in this world. Olivia has made a difference in us, and that in itself is proof.

One of the greatest responsibilities and privileges of being a parent is to provide a great education for our children. This is not easy when it comes to children with special needs, especially in small communities such as Potchefstroom. Like any parent, we wanted to provide Olivia with the best possible schooling, but it soon became evident that there was a lack of facilities catering for children diagnosed with ASD. And so our dream was founded; to establish our own school right here in Potchefstroom.

The Olive Tree provides Olivia with a caring and stimulating school environment where she can learn, play, laugh, love, develop and grow to reach her full potential. Our hope is that other children and families will benefit from this environment too; The Olive Tree School for children with ASD, where love grows.

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J Trautmann

Co-Founder