Education South Africa Project #12343

Educate and Empower Children in South Africa

by Afrika Tikkun - DUPLICATE DO NOT USE

Project Report | Jan 22, 2019
Access to Technology for Young South Africans

By Mehdeen Sehgal | Associate Director Marketing and Development

It is becoming increasingly important to provide disadvantaged youth of South Africa with access to latest technology. With the help of donors like you, Afrika Tikkun is able to empower young South Africans with the education and skills they need to reach their full potential and become competetive in global market. By supporting our project you are helping Afrika Tikkun provide young people in the most disadvantaged communities of South Africa with access to digital learning with the help of tablets.

Take for example the story of Jerome. Jerome is 20 years old and lives in Alexandra. He is currently enrolled in the Youth Skills Development and Placement (YSDP) program at one of our center. When he was growing up he remembers a crèche near his house which used to provide free food for the community. They would ring a bell to invite people from the community to come and share food. From this experience, Jerome realized that he wanted to be both a social worker and business owner in the future. He says that “you don’t need to go to school to know how to love people.” He knows that helping people is something that’s in his heart. After finishing high school Jerome wished to learn new skills and enrolled at Afrika Tikkun to gain more knowledge. “I felt ignorant before, but since I came here I have learnt so much,” he said. The YSDP course has taught him a range of new skills, including basic computer skills. Lynda.com became increasingly helpful during the course because he watched the tutorials about Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel to improve what he had already learnt. The tutorials repeated the knowledge that he had already learnt, but also added new skills and information. Jerome is also interested in filmography and Lynda.com gave him the opportunity to expand his knowledge of film, TV, photography.

Thank you for investing in the future of young people like Jerome!

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Oct 22, 2018
Child and Youth Development Program

By Mehdeen Sehgal | Associate Director, Marketing and Development

Prime comes from a place where drugs and violence are a norm for young men his age. From an early age, Prime observed his close male relatives abuse women. Not understanding this behavior, Prime lost trust in men, became reserved and lost a lot of confidence.

“I did not know what to do and felt helpless. I remember every time I wanted to protect these women I was called names and told I was letting women control me” said Prime.

When Prime was 14, he enrolled in Afrika Tikkun’s Child and Youth Development Program and found so many young people who shared his ambitions and dreams of bringing a change in his community. Soon after being part of the program, the previously shy boy started making friends and interacting more with his peers. The turning point in young Prime’s life was when he attended a camp organized by Afrika Tikkun for young men and women to address social challenges in their communities. At this camp, Prime learned that being a man means to protect those around you, that no matter what another person does to you, it is no reason to be violent towards them.

Prime currently attends the Physics and Math’s Saturday classes at our center which has drastically improved his academic outcomes. He has also learned to turn negative energy into positive by channeling it towards things he loves such as cycling and dancing. Prime dreams of traveling the world and is working hard towards becoming an Astronomer.

With the help of donors like you, Afrika Tikkun is preparing young people with education and life skills they need to reach their full potential and effectively break the cycle of poverty. The Child and Youth Development program has been structured to empower young people to form agency and address the social challenges they face in their communities. Following are the five pillars of the program:

Empowerment - Designed to facilitate children, youth and their families to work together as agents for change within their homes and communities.
Innovation - Designed to provide tools that inspire innovation and creativity among children, while introducing critical thinking skills.
Care For Yourself - Incorporates active interventions that promote individual wellbeing through sports, creating awareness around basic nutrition, physical education, and individual value.
Grow Your Future - Creates opportunities for exposure to the world of business, and equips youth with the basic skills for socio-economic integration.
Inspired Learning - Provides tools, resources and innovative approaches to education.

On behalf of our Afrika Tikkun family, I would like to thank you for believing in our mission and for investing in our young people. With your ongoing support, Afrika Tikkun will be able to provide resources and services to more young people like Prime, enabling them to follow their dreams and become productive South African citizens.

Thank you once again for your generous contribution!

Warmly,

Mehdeen Sehgal

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Jul 26, 2018
Meet Rorisang - A Young Peer Educator

By Mehdeen Sehgal | Associate Director, Marketing and Development

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