Change A Child's Life

Our new School of Excellence Programme placed 23 new participants into top high schools in South Africa. Additionally, we had 10 participants that completed the programme, finishing high school.

“We are pleased with our School of Excellence’s results and very proud of the hard work and dedication shown by our beneficiaries. Our Class of 2022 collectively achieved six Bachelor’s Passes, and four distinctions.” - Project Director  

A total of 85 pupils formed part of the School of Excellence Programme in 2022, while 87 learners were beneficiaries of the programme in 2021. The beneficiaries receive academic and other support from partner schools in Nelson Mandela Bay.

This year’s Grade 8 intake into the School of Excellence has seen us partner with an assortment of prestigious schools in Port Elizabeth.

Meanwhile, School of Excellence beneficiary describes her first week as “interesting, overwhelming and amazing” while another participant said it was "exciting and nerve-wracking, but I managed to make some new friends.” Making new friends was also one of the highlights of two other Grade 8 School of Excellence beneficiaries.

2023 is going to be a special year for three School of Excellence matric girls, who formed part of the very first group of girls who participated in the Girls Unite Programme in primary school when the programme launched in 2018.

“Girls Unite focuses on promoting gender equity, providing a safe space to discuss the issues senior primary school girls face daily and promoting self-confidence and self-esteem. After adapting this very successful programme to accommodate boys and securing funding for it, Boys Unite – which focuses on promoting gender equality and boys becoming advocates for girls – was launched in 2020.” - Project Director

We are looking forward to another successful year for our high school students and we appreciate your continued support, helping each child reach their full potential through education. 

Years of dedication to transforming lives through sport and championing gender equality have paid off! We received the Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN) Africa Gender Equality Award!

The Sport for Social Change Network (SSCN) Africa in partnership with the Leading Like Mandela organization hosted the first-ever SSCN Africa Awards. We attended the event with 138 grassroots organizations from 13 different African countries. We were recognized for our dedication to Gender Equality and our drive to create social impact through sport. 

We were selected for our commitment to female empowerment in our Girls Unite project where we provide a girls-only space where girls are encouraged to build their self-confidence. Our girls enter the project with limited confidence and leave with goals, confidence and the ability to make their voices heard. 

Athenkosi Mayinje (Siyaphakama Program Coordinator) attended the awards as our United Through Sport representative and said, "I am really happy and proud of our organization for winning the first award of the SSCN awards. I also started as a student in the organization and now I'm here collecting the award on behalf of the organization. It's amazing and we will continue helping young people."

We are proud to be recognized with so many other top-tier sport for development organizations and will use this recognition to continue to push to break barriers for young girls in our communities.

We are so excited to report that Zikhona has landed her first job! She has been hired by a local radio station in Nelson Mandela Bay as a news reader! 

With the help of supporters like you, we were able to help fund her Journalism Degree, equipping her with the knowledge and tools she needed to land her first job. During her studies, we supported her with tuition support and ongoing mentorship from our Youth Rising coordinator, Lindiwe.  She completed her degree this year and after graduating she interviewed for this amazing opportunity and landed the job!

We are so proud of Zikhona's success and she would not have been able to achieve this success without your ongoing support, thank you! Your support helps us provide opportunities for youth in Nelson Mandela Bay, uplifting individuals and contributing to creating positive change in their families and communities. 

We look forward to sharing more success stories with you! 

Sibulele joined United Through Sport 10 years ago when he received a full scholarship to a top high school in Nelson Mandela Bay. After graduating from high school United Through Sport continued to support him during his tertiary studies, he graduated with a degree in Construction Management in 2019. 

“I am here today because of United Through Sport. I was able to go to a top school like Pearson High School which opened many doors for me. I grew as an individual and am grateful for the opportunity I got through United Through Sport.” - Sibulele

After graduating he worked at a local radio station in the Marketing Department where he gained two years of valuable experience in marketing and sales. 

“I have learned so much in this time. Mainly I have discovered I love to sell, interact and see others. These last two years I have gained insight into personal and social media branding, negotiation, in-depth property knowledge, and legal knowledge and I have been constantly pushed out of my comfort zone to create networks." - Sibulele 

Last year, equipped with the skills he gained, he changed careers and started a job in real estate, where he has been extremely successful. When he isn't working he is passionate about development work and giving back - using his network to make a difference. 

“We have to build ladders and pay it forward. I was blessed with this opportunity and I want to give back to others in the community." - Sibulele

Thank you for supporting Sibulele on his pathway to success! 

Caitlin is part of our School of Excellence Programme, she has received a full scholarship to a top high school in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Since starting high school two years ago, Caitlin has been a stand-out student. This year, she is one of our top academic performers in her high school, achieving a 94% average across her subjects. As a result of her hard work, she formed part of the Top 10 Academic Achievers in her class and we are so proud of her achievements. Often adjusting to a new school can be difficult but Caitlin has shown a strong work ethic and resilience as she continues to reach her goals.

Her success means that she will be given the opportunity to travel to the United States in October 2022 on an academic tour. The tour will include visiting Boston, New York, and Washington where she will hear lectures from various prestigious institutions including Harvard, MIT, and Colombia. She is really looking forward to the trip, being able to experience a new culture and meet new people.

We are looking forward to continuing to support Caitlin on her pathway to success, and we can't wait to see what she does next. Thank you for supporting Caitlin!