Educate and Empower Children in South Africa

Our Belief

While we all believe children should have a fair start at life, the harsh reality is that not all children do. Afrika Tikkun is dedictaed to providing youth with equal opportunities to education and core services from cradle to career. We do not believe poverty should be a permanent state of being, which is why we aim to empower youth living in South African townships to break the poverty cycle.

Absolute poverty is something many of us cannot fathom, and unfortunately there are many who live it every day. There are a number of needs that are not met for many students such as adequate nutrition for learning.

• We have had cases where some of the children’s immunization records have been less than satisfactory, in cases where this is identified, the social worker and the teacher works with the parents to ensure that affected children are immunized and immunization records up to date.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu is one of Afrika Tikkun’s core philosophies. The essence of Ubuntu is about not living just for oneself but living for one another and putting the needs of the whole community first.

At Afrika Tikkun, we consider our employees, students, and their relatives as part of our family. Thank you, Global Giving community, for supporting our work through your generous donations and making it possible to move forward towards a more sustainable future.

Overcoming Obstacles

Despite the many successes, we still continuously struggle to raise the necessary funds required to change the lives of children and youth like Percy N., who's story is below. We do not let this discourage us because we know there are countless members of society that believe change is possible and uplifting those living in poverty is an achievable goal.

Thank you again for your support!

The Story of Percy N.

Percy completed each year of his studying career successfully and after matriculating, he joined Afrika Tikkun for the after school activities. It was unfortunate that he could not proceed with his education to tertiary level as his family could not afford   the fees. From being a beneficiary in our youth programmes, Percy’s skills as a leader was identified and he was offered employment as the assistant soccer coach at the Diepsloot centre. In addition to the above, towards the end of 2012 Percy was then chosen as one of the beneficiaries for the AFGRI Scholarship to study Agriculture in Mpumalanga. Then in 2013 he was again chosen to represent Afrika Tikkun at the Las Vegas Safelite Triathlon. This was his first time on a plane and first time ever travelling outside South Africa. The investment Afrika Tikkun has made in Percy’s life has not only changed his life forever, it has changed his outlook in life and has enabled him to increase his capability to act as a catalyst for change.

Links:

• Visit Our Website!
• Afrika Tikkun Annual Review

Studies have shown that high quality stimulation through Early Childhood Development programs give children a better chance of breaking the poverty cycle. At Afrika Tikkun, we believe in empowering children as they are the future of the country. While every child should have the right to education, in reality, not all children have equal access. The Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers are the essential platform for children in disadvantaged positions because these centers set the stage for development and preparation for entering formal education.

The benefits of our ECD centers are as follows:

• Children who participate in ECD programs are shown to have higher school enrolment and completion rates and lower drop-out rates
• An investment in ECD saves money on remedial education later on
• ECD programs improve parent-child relationships
• ECD programs reduce economic disparities and gender inequalities in society
• ECD programs free parents up to look for employment, potentially increasing household revenue.

We have received positive feedback from where our children are currently attending primary schools. The majority of our children are performing far better than their peers from other feeder ECDs in the area. We have even been invited by a number of the primary schools to provide learning support to children from other ECDs who are facing difficulties as a result of the education received.

Success Story: Edwin N.
Edwin was referred to us by his Grade R class teacher who explained that he had multiple issues that made him unable to cope in a mainstream setting. He was disruptive, socially inappropriate and was unable to participate in structured classroom activities. Assessments revealed a  variety of serious barriers to learning were affecting his function on a number of levels.

We implemented an Individualized Educational Plan for Edwin which focused on small group support in our learning center, Speech Therapy at Wits University and a positive reinforcement strategy. Within 3 months, Edwin had made excellent progress and was able to graduate and is now attending his Grade 1 class and can now integrate with other children in a positive manner. Edwin is now a proud member of his class.

Afrika Tikkun would like to acknowledge and thank GlobalGiving and all the donors for their support. It is through this support that children and families in disadvantaged positions, due to circumstances beyond their control, are granted the opportunities that will lead to a more prosperous future. Also, through this support we are able to carry out our vision of creating a sustainable future for children in South African townships.

Afrika Tikkun and the children in our ECDs thank you for your support!

Links:

• World Play Day
• Sports Day