South Africa

Zimbabwe

Malawi

How are you going to change the world today?

As a primary after-school program we have been appalled to see at our two schools just how devastating the effects of te lockdowns have been on our children on many levels. They are far, far behind where they should be in basic foundational education. Their reading is under par, the Maths is abysmal and we've even agreed with the principal that we can take the children out of their classes and give them extra one on one reading assistance. So far this has proved very beneficial and we hope to continue next year 2023. Our after-school program continues as before and always supply the children with a sandwich, a seaswonal fruit and a glass of juice. For this we constantly need donations both in cash and kind. We work at two primary schools in Cape Town and work with around 200 children. Please support us.

assisting with homework,  literacy and numeracy

South Africa ranks last out of 140 countries for the quality of our Maths and Science education (WEF Competitiveness Report 2015-2016). A key contributing factor to this dismal statistic is the shortage of qualified and well trained teachers who know how to teach practically, engage children and can adapt to the difficult contexts in which they teach. 

The PSP has focussed on improving the quality of primary school education in some of the poorest and most under-resourced primary schools in South Africa for over 30 years through supporting the professional development of in-service and first-time teachers with practical training, classroom coaching, mentorship and support. Our work is driven by commitment, passion, and a ‘can-do’ attitude towards addressing the education deficits  and gaps in public schools. We also develop specialised materials to support teachers and children and respond flexibly to specific needs in education as they arise. We are advocates and influencers of curriculum and policy.


Based in Philippi (Cape Town), in close proximity to some of the communities we serve, our programme is aligned to the national CAPS curriculum and strengthens the teaching and learning of the critical subjects of Maths, Science, Language and the Environment. We believe our integrated, practical methodologies make the PSP unique and enable teachers to provide children with the quality education that they deserve. PSP facilitators are all skilled educators with many years of experience.

Our three core projects include are:
The Cluster Project: A two-year cycle of intensive Maths and Science training and classroom coaching and support with teams of teachers at project schools, identified by the Education Department. Participating schools are resourced with Maths and Science kits.	
The Innovation Project: An annual programme of short courses developed through consultation with teachers to improve content knowledge and teaching strategies. Courses are accredited by the South African Council of Educators (SACE) and teachers are awarded continuous professional development points for courses attended.	
The Joint Mentorship Project: A two-year cycle of classroom mentorship, training and support for first-time teachers (and school management teams), to fast-track their adjustment to the school environment and set good practice early in their careers.

We also run courses and workshops for education districts and other organisations, on request.

Our current footprint includes township areas in Cape Town, and rural/semi-rural areas of the Western Cape (Overberg) and the West Coast (Atlantis).In 2019, our project work reached 1563 teachers in 157 primary schools, and 105 764 children.We collaborate actively with key education stakeholders, including the national Department of Basic Education, Western Cape Education Department, teacher training institutions and other NGOs to set best practice in teacher training and support, to deepen impact and to influence sustainable, scalable solutions.

The Covid-19 pandemic has propelled PSP into strategising for new ways of implementation of our project work. Lock down and strict regulations have restricted our ability to physically access both schools and teachers. However, we have risen to the challenge and in a short space of time, made our training courses and classroom support (now called online small group sessions) available to teachers online through Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp and email. PSP facilitators have undergone intensive training on how to use these platforms and are adapting training and course materials accordingly. 

We are also mindful of the trauma, fear and uncertainty experienced by teachers, parents and children at this time. Strategies learnt by our facilitators in a 'Trauma Informed Learning’ workshop and another on ‘Teaching in uncertain times’ are incorporated into PSP’s material and will help our facilitators when interacting with and guiding teachers. We have developed similar workshops based on this as well, which will be presented to teachers as part of the programme going forward.

However, the situation in schools remains fluid-PSP understands this and we will continue to respond as we always have... in a flexible way, supporting teachers and principals where and how we can and communicating with them regularly.

providing training, classroom support and resources

primary school teachers in under-resourced schools

Since our inception in 2010, the Bookery has set up 92 school libraries in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng

Our library assistants unemployed youth from the areas of our libraries are trained to help us keep our stock of reference, non-fiction and fiction books up to date. We provide at least three books per learner, all carefully chosen to meet their needs and interests.

But a library isn’t just about books. A trained librarian can bring a school library to life, using his or her skills and knowledge to develop the learners’ curiosity, improve their learning and literacy skills, and inspire a love of books which will bring them joy throughout their lives. That’s why, in association with the schools and our partners, we also train and pay young library assistants.

So far, we have distributed more than 352,000 books countrywide. And with your help, we can achieve much more.

providing safe library spaces and reading materials.

under-resourced schools around South Africa

145 Sir Lowry Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa

we focus on building a collection of 4000 books 

Feenix is an online fundraising platform that connects students and communities to fundraise towards debt-free tertiary education.

By giving students a platform to share their stories and motivate for funding, Feenix provides a space for everyday South Africans, including small and large businesses, to find students they connect with and make a donation towards their fees.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                 
“Tears of joy fell when I found out that my outstanding fees for 2022 were settled. I couldn’t contain myself, my heart sank because of excitement. It was not an easy journey studying with huge debts on my table. This has played a huge role in my career because nothing will hinder me from acquiring more knowledge in my field, your investment goes a long way, that is an investment to the nation.” - Vusi, Tshwane University of Technology, Feenix Student: 2021-2022

connecting them with donors to graduate debt free.

An early pioneer of access to tertiary education through fully-funded tuition-fee scholarships, TSIBA has since 2005 offered fully-funded high quality tertiary level business education to young people who, as a consequence of academic and / or financial barriers, were struggling to get ahead post-Grade 12.

Given the stark difference between a national youth unemployment rate of almost 60% (presently) and how this number shrinks to less than 10 % when armed with a tertiary degree, TSIBA has focussed on helping deserving and determined young people who are traditionally excluded, to not only gain access to quality tertiary education, but to succeed therein. In doing this work TSIBA’s focus is to transition talented young people from un-employability into active economic citizenship. Such focus is paramount given the massive levels of youth un-employability in South Africa.

providing access to quality and accredited education

Talented youth from marginalised communities

6 Spring St, Woodstock, Cape Town, 7915, South Africa

providing access to quality and accredited education 

Common Good was founded in 2005 and formally registered as an independent NGO/PBO in 2006. Its strategic priorities focus on three critical stages of human development when the opportunity to nurture potential and shift trajectories are most significant: Early Life (the first thousand days), Education (Collaboration Schools) and Employment (work readiness training, skills development and equipping graduates to find meaningful employment).

nurturing potential and shifting trajectories

caregivers of young children, learners & the unemployed

21 Nelson Rd, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa

Nurturing Potential and Shifting Trajectories 

Learning in Reach NPC is a partner to the Lavender Hill community, established to fill the gap of quality early childhood development for vulnerable children in the community.

Using the Montessori pedagogy, we serve the community by increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of ECD as a tool to alleviate socio-economic problems, whilst also providing support to community driven ECD operations.

supporting ECD programs & parent empowerment projects.

children, teachers, parents & the broader community

Southern Suburbs, Cape Town, South Africa

Just Grace is a non-profit organisation based in South Africa working
to equip vulnerable youth to live out their full potential. We create
meaningful and sustainable change through evidence-based
programmes that have a demonstrated history of success.

Our programmes: 

QHUBEKA YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
An intensive and holistic youth support programme spanning over
multiple years, beginning in grade 9 and continuing into further
education and employment. The programme includes academic support,
life skills, computer training, coding and literacy.

PHUHLISA SCHOOL STRENGTHENING PROGRAM
Supports child wellbeing and educational attainment at five high schools
through training and support for at-risk learners through home visits,
counselling, career guidance, and life skills.

PHAKAMA YOUTH ACTIVATION PROGRAMME
Reigniting a passion in unemployed and disengaged youth by offering
training in personal and professional development, computer skills, and
technical skills (accounting, barista, or sewing skills).

EMPILWENI THRIVING COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME
Promoting a healthy, peaceful, and stable community through mental
health and psychosocial support aimed at building resilience, instilling
coping skills and dealing with trauma at an individual, family and
community level. Includes a community education approach to shift any
harmful attitudes, roles, and social norms.

creating hope through sustainable & meaningful change.

45 Washington St entrance in, 33 Jungle Walk, Langa, Cape Town, 7455, South Africa

Our first initiative is our Education Programme. 

The Early Learning Resource Unit (ELRU) works in under-resourced urban and rural communities to address the immediate needs of young children ages 0–5 and ensure that every child has access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) opportunities. 

ELRU provides support, formal training, mentoring and coaching to pregnant women, primary caregivers (mother/father/grandparent), ECD practitioners and Principals while our Programmes facilitate access to services that are essential for early development: nutrition, stimulation for early learning, maternal and child health, referrals to social services, and support for the primary caregiver.

By strengthening the position of adults that surround the child through each age and developmental stage, young children are supported with a comprehensive foundation from conception, and enabled to thrive on their journey towards formal schooling in Grade R. 

ELRU offers three flagship ECD Programmes and Training which includes the following: 
1.  Home visiting Programme (First 1000 days/conception to age 2)
2. Playgroups Programme (ages 3–5)
3. Whole Centre Development Programme (ages 0–6)
4. Training, Materials and Curriculum developments

ELRU is an accredited Further Education and Training (FET) College and provides training services to a host of organisations, beneficiaries and staff at various levels, at both an accredited and skills level. 

ELRU's head office is in Lansdowne, Cape Town and we have ECD projects in the Western Cape, Northern Cape and North West Provinces of South Africa.

vulnerable young children from  birth to age 5

Flamingo Cres, Lansdowne, Cape Town, 7780, South Africa

early learning /ECD support to equip children for Gr.R

Based on the fact that “Every child is a national asset” and “Every Child must be able to read with meaning” - Living through Learning was established in 1990 (first under a different name), to bring about just that. LTL has a unique curriculum that aligns and integrates with the current Education’s system. LTL creates Reading Adventure Rooms in disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape and fully equip the rooms with all the resources necessary to ensure learners can read with understanding and meaning, as well as write correctly and competently. It is phonics based. The emphasis is specifically on combining certain phonetical elements resulting to notably accelerate learning, comprehension and confidence in learners. The program is designed to get learners to become logical thinkers and conscientious readers and writers and develop cognitive skills. Educators are trained in LTL’s pedagogy and are shown through practical application how to produce learners that can read and write competently. 

What makes LTL unique?
•	Over 35 years’ experience in the education field
•	Workable, effective pedagogy
•	Qualitative and quantitative outcomes
•	Learner-centric approach
•	Focus on learner’s ability to apply with understanding
•	A fully resourced Literacy room with visuals, digital interaction and LTL’s extensive curriculum.
•	Facilitation and Monitoring interventions
•	Holiday programmes
•	Ongoing Educators workshops and training

practical application to teaching literacy

134 Main Rd, Diep River, Cape Town, 7800, South Africa

Practical application to teaching literacy

SKKA focuses on working with children from the Seawinds, Retreat, Cafda, Hillview, Overcome Heights, Montague Heights ,, Vrygrond and surrounding areas.We teach children to reach music and follow it up with them learning to play an instrument of choice. We offer dancing lessons as well as creative enhancement though mix media supporting the healing of the child through art therapy.

51 St Patrick Ave, Seawinds, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa

At CodeYourFuture, we believe in a future where everyone has a real opportunity to lead a thriving life.  We train unemployed and under-employed adults to become programmers, and then we help them find work as full-stack developers. Our programme is free for trainees! What we do is made possible by amazing volunteers who train, coach, and mentor our students throughout our 12-month programme. The community is also dedicated to lowering the barriers to entry by assisting trainees with access to data and in the future, we aim to assist with access to devices, and childcare support. Together with our stakeholders, we will build an organisation that creates lasting value for all involved. 
 
We are looking for volunteers who share our values and desire to give back. We have both tech and non-tech volunteer opportunities. Some of the tech volunteer opportunities include code reviews, teaching a class, and mentoring. Volunteers need professional experience in our tech stack which includes Javascript, React, Node JS, and SQL. The non-tech opportunities include career mentoring, personal mentoring, and soft skills development.

We endeavour to be a leading coding community and talent pipeline for developers.

offering free access to tech education and mentorship.

8 Waterboom Ave, Erica Twp, Cape Town, 7493, South Africa

offering free access to tech education and mentorship. 

We run a free learning support center in the community of Delft South. Our learning support center operates Mondays to Thursdays from 2pm to 5pm. We help about 60 learners from grades 4 to 12 with their schoolwork. Because of the community within which we work, which is seriously affected by poverty and gangsterism, we do our best to provide each learner with a safe place where they can come and receive a meal, a place to work, internet and photocopy access and tutoring provided by a professional tutoring company. The subjects we tutor are Mathematics, English and Afrikaans.

We have been running this learning support center for the last ten years. Our goal has been, and will always be, to “BREAK POVERTY THROUGH EDUCATION”. Besides us trying to break poverty through education by assisting learners with their schoolwork, we also help families within the community with food support.


breaking poverty through education and food support.

Delft South, Cape Town, 7100, South Africa

Masicorp assists the Masiphumelele community by offering education programmes, to support residents uplift themselves out of poverty. There are approximately 40 000 people living in the township, still disadvantaged by the legacy of apartheid spatial planning. Many shack-dwellers live in poverty and struggle with daily issues of overcrowding, fires or floods, lack of basic services and sanitation, crime, and unemployment. 
We believe that by reaching children ages 0-6 and raising the standard of early childhood education in the community, a firm foundation will be laid for future learning and children will start their primary school career with the best possible chance to succeed. There are an estimated 6000 pre-school age children in the area, many of whom have no form of schooling. Many attend backyard shack crèches, run by owners with no formal training, skills or educational materials. Masicorp endeavours to reach as many of these children as possible, by upskilling the crèche owners and providing the skills needed to properly educate the children in their care. 
Ukhanyo Primary School is the only primary school in Masiphumelele. Originally built for 450 children, it now caters for nearly 2000. As an under-resourced, no-fee paying school, the classes are overcrowded. Teachers struggle to provide the quality of education needed for children to thrive so many children are left behind. Masicorp runs English, Maths and Science learning labs at the school with the aim to model effective teaching methods and classroom instruction to the teachers. 
Masicorp also runs a successful school and community sports programmes, both of which also focus on life skills and providing an outlet and support network for the youth taking part - much needed in this community plagued by high youth unemployment, substance abuse and crime. Our various adult skills training programmes focus on providing training in sewing and computers - with the aim to give residents the best chance at finding employment or starting their own business.

Masiphumelele, Cape Town, 7975, South Africa

We are a non profit school community in Mitchell's Plain.

Our qualified teachers teaching age-appropriate curriculum, including a wide range of learning activities, regular outings and lots of play. We create a physically and emotionally safe space for children to learn.

We assist children and families to take advantage of opportunities suited to their individual needs. To see lasting change we must invest in people not only for their lives to be changed but so that they can change the lives of others.

Since starting our preschool in 2012 we have been moving up one grade every year. We reached Grade 1 in 2015 and hope to reach Grade 7 in 2021. We need at least two more buildings to achieve this.

educating the children and caring for the community.

6 Palestrina St, Eastridge, Cape Town, 7785, South Africa

We are a non-profit organisation that promotes youth literacy in under-resourced communities in South Africa. As our name indicates, we believe that it is important for children to read in order to rise in their own personal development a contribution to society. We visit classes in the foundation phase, along with volunteers, to inspire children to read and give them new story books.

inspiring them to read and giving them new books.

Impala, Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, 7785, South Africa

Fisantekraal Centre for Development is a non-profit organisation that restores dignity and builds self-esteem in unemployed people through various skills development courses. Since 2010 we have been known to train and develop the unemployed, enabling them to become economically active. Through our holistic approach, integrating life skills, business skills and technical skills, we are able to equip people for a meaningful life. This allows for students to develop the necessary values and attitudes required for the workplace and life in general. The programs we offer include: Job Readiness, Office Admin & Call centre skills, Bake for Profit (small business course), Frail Care (home based carers for the elderly). The profile of the students who complete our courses is majority previously disadvantaged females and between the ages of 18-35. Where we are able to, we also assist in the process of linking students to potential job opportunities once they complete their courses, through partnerships with the local business community. We are witnessing lives being changed from once being in an unemployed state to an economically viable lifestyle.

developing unemployed people holistically.

to address unemployment in vulnerable communities

Find Causes

Explore other ways to give