Child Protection South Africa Project #63835

Support South African Women Fighting Child Poverty

by CHOSA Inc

Project Report | Aug 18, 2026
1 year later, CHOSA's Johannesburg projects thrive

By Ellie Hunja | Fundraising Coordinator

A successful day of training

Growing Our Network and Strengthening Local Capacity in Johannesburg

As the US heads “Back to School,” we’re celebrating a milestone of our own in South Africa: one year of CHOSA’s Johannesburg Expansion!

Last autumn, we set out to bring CHOSA’s unique approach to community-based projects in Johannesburg. One year later, we’re seeing that vision take root in exciting ways! Through financial support, capacity-building, networking, and strategic partnerships, CHOSA continues to strengthen organizations that, together, are supporting 956 kids and teens in their communities.

DIGI Mindz in Meadowlands, Soweto has seen a sharp increase in participants after strong academic results prompted parents and local schools to recommend the program to other families. The project has adapted its schedule to prioritize academic support while continuing to offer computer literacy, coding, and robotics. The team improved its program space by repairing the structure, even involving children in painting and decorating.

In Alexandra, Loyo Stars FC continues to combine sports and education to support young people. Its after-school program provides students with academic support and a safe space, while community activities such as a clean-up at Queen of Peace Nursery strengthen young people’s sense of responsibility. They recently secured donations of stationery, cleaning supplies, soccer balls, and soccer jerseys, while one female player progressed to the UJ Regional League and one coach secured a school coaching position. These developments reflect the project’s growing opportunities for young people both on and off the field.

During Child Protection Week, CHOSA hosted a two-day Basic Counselling training for our partners, building on the Child Protection training held in March. The training gave our partners practical counselling skills to better support children facing difficult circumstances and create safe spaces where young people can be heard and supported.

One of our CHOSA partners in Cape Town also led a workshop on digital presence and AI tools, which our Johannesburg partners attended virtually. They learned practical ways that projects can use technology to strengthen their work, and we were grateful that our partners from both cities were able to network together, share knowledge, and build connections.

CHOSA also strengthened its connections across Johannesburg’s youth development sector. Nhlanhla represented CHOSA at Collaboration Junction, a networking event that brought together youth development organizations and sector stakeholders. Nhlanhla connected with organizations interested in joint initiatives and collective impact and began exploring fundraising partnerships.

CHOSA further contributed to national conversations about education by representing CHOSA at the National Education Summit 2026. Alongside education leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and other changemakers, CHOSA contributed to discussions about strengthening and transforming South Africa’s education system and participated in developing the Summit Declaration.

Expanding into Johannesburg was a bold step, and our incredible supporters have stood with us throughout the journey. Because of you, we’re able to bring hope to a whole new group of children - thank you!

Loyo Stars shine!

Links:

Permalink

Apr 14, 2026
Congrats to our new monthly grantee, Kids Theatre!

By Ellie Hunja | Fundraising Coordinator, USA

Last spring, we introduced you to an exciting project called Kids Theatre in Klapmuts, Cape Town. We are excited to share that they applied for a monthly grant from CHOSA, and were approved! They've had an incredible year, and we're sharing some update below:

At Kids Theatre, the program's 20 participants explore music, drama, singing, writing, and theatre, and they help create their own productions by writing and choreographing pieces based on their lives and South Africa’s culture. They’ve performed in small theatres across the Cape and shared their stories and talents with wider audiences.

Last May, the participants performed at Cape Town’s annual Shakespeare Festival, where they presented their own version of The Taming of the Shrew. They received great feedback, and the experience marked a big step in their growth. Leading up to the festival, some of the participants also did radio and TV interviews, which boosted visibility and helped build new connections with local schools.

They also expanded into digital storytelling by creating a new web series. They started filming the pilot last June, and the kids learned new skills in acting, production, and storytelling. The series focuses on mental health and gives them a space to talk about real-life challenges. With support from local businesses and community members, they produced a trailer and hosted a public premiere for the community.

The kids also stepped into leadership roles. Two participants represented the program at a child safety initiative and spoke about issues affecting their communities. To close out 2025, the group hosted a community fundraiser and raised R11,370 to support the program!

Overall, Kids Theatre continues to give young people in Klapmuts a space to build confidence, develop skills, and use their voices through the arts.

Thank you for supporting CHOSA! Your donations allow us to stand alongside projects like Kids Theatre, giving them the resources and capacity-building they need to grow, develop, and continue their incredible work.

Links:

Permalink

Nov 26, 2025
Silulutho Educare celebrates its new building!

By Ellie Hunja | Fundraising Coordinator

Painting Silulutho's new building!

Silulutho Educare, an early childhood development center and one of our longest partnerships, has recently celebrated the completion of their new building! Its construction was a huge undertaking, but an important one: durable, weather-proof buildings are essential for children to learn safely and comfortably, and for projects to maintain their nonprofit status with the local government.

The construction was funded with a combination of CHOSA funding, outside grants, and community fundraising. At the end of September, classes moved into the new building, and the children are loving it!

On November 8th, Silulutho celebrated its most recent graduating class: 10 adorable learners who are off to primary school. The celebration was attended by not only families and friends of the little ones, but by three of CHOSA’s partner projects. We’re so proud to see our partners supporting each other, not only at our monthly support groups but throughout the year. Their teamwork is a testament to the relationships we foster with our work, and the power of community.

As we celebrate this milestone for Silulutho Educare, CHOSA is celebrating a milestone of its own - 20 years of changing lives in Cape Town! We are endlessly grateful to our staff members, community partners, board of advisors, and supporters around the world who have made this work possible. We're excited for all that's ahead!

We received this note from Silulutho Educare, which we're honored to pass on to you:

“Congratulations on your 20 years! Here’s to many more years of achievements, creating job opportunities, helping the needy, and nurturing and improving the lives of our children. We are one of the oldest projects that has been with CHOSA for a long time. Some of our children are now at university, some are working, and we appreciate you so much. Even we, as employees, have managed to raise our kids and build our homes with the stipends we receive because of CHOSA. We’ve come a long way from the shacks (informal structures) to building a beautiful new facility thanks to your support.”

This message from one of our oldest partners warmed our hearts because it reminded us that our work, powered by our donors’ generosity, has done far more than support individual children. Over the past twenty years, it has uplifted families, empowered local leaders, and helped communities build the stability and infrastructure they deserve.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your partnership. You can follow us on our social media (see links below) to hear more about our 20th anniversary celebrations!

We hope you have a lovely festive season.

The newest graduates

Links:

Permalink

1 2 3 ›

About Project Reports

Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.

If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.