Mentor South Africa's Teens to Self-Reliance

Challenge

Just over half of South Africa's 12th graders pass their 12th grade exam with marks that qualify them for advanced education. Without continuing their education, their choices to support themselves and their families are restricted to manual labor. In addition, most Black South African students are growing up without families, guardians or role models to teach them how to succeed in the 21st century job market, dooming them to live in communities mired in cycles of poverty and violence.

Solution

As a South African and American non-profit, Infinite Family promotes self-reliance through global video mentoring -- we augment what is taught in the classroom and the home to help develop resilient, responsible, and resourceful young adults. Video mentoring unleashes a new global resource: the experience and leadership of adult volunteers worldwide to motivate academic performance, career preparation, technology literacy, and life and communication skills on the path to self-reliance.

Long-Term Impact

Every Black South African student that advances to college and then gets a good job supports at least six (6) siblings and extended family members. Video Mentors encourage and propel their Net Buddy mentees to excel thru 12th grade allowing them to move into a future that is almost unheard of throughout the communities in which they live. They in turn become the role models for younger students to break the cycles of poverty and violence and move to success and self-reliance.

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).

Resources