Because we believe in transformative change for South Africa, change that is sustainable and lasting, it’s essential to partner with South African based organizations who understand the needs of the people. Build the Future is doing pretty amazing work in the communities they serve. And the teams we send who work alongside them? They become agents for change, furthering the work Build the Future is doing.
Build the Future
There are hundreds of thousands of people living in informal settlements throughout South Africa, in tin shacks with no running water. And the children are the ones who struggle the most. They roam the streets every day, their parents not able to afford the early learning development that they desperately need. Since 2004 Build the Future has worked steadily to give these kids the kind of environment they need to thrive and grow. They firmly believe that to encourage grassroots communities, you must be “in the trenches” and their mission is to plant container preschools throughout South Africa. Education is key. Children who are given healthy food and an ideal learning environment will become the successfully employed citizens of South Africa’s tomorrow.
Build The Future currently operates in two areas of South Africa, Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal. Near Johannesburg, they run a feeding program in Soweto and a preschool in the informal settlement of Kya Sand. The preschool has around 100 students and serves students through kindergarten.
In KZN, Build The Future runs multiple preschools and other projects, including a teaching garden to grow agricultural skills, a commercial farming project, bee hives, several micro-entrepreneur start-ups and multiple community development projects with plans for more!
Build the Future’s container preschools are their “foot-in-the-door” to the community. Not only do they get these young, often vulnerable children off the street, where they feed them three times a day and provide early childhood learning, but they also hire their teachers and staff from the community, providing jobs. They offer opportunities to their preschool teachers to become trained and certified, providing a path for career advancement and higher salaries.
They serve the school-age children in their communities, often feeding them on school holidays, provide homework support centers, and weekend programs. Where possible, Build the Future partners with the local primary schools, creating mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships. They also support the parents of their preschoolers, creating opportunities to volunteer to help with tuition and attend educational events just for them.
They have gardens that provide food for the schools. Particularly in Ndwedwe, Build the Future is a training ground for people in the community to come to learn and become certified in growing food, not only to sustain themselves but also to allow them to provide an income for their families. And the sharing of knowledge continues to grow, those that become trained then teach others how to garden. Community farming begins.
Contact us.
Have questions? Want to find out what a trip could look like for your group? Email, text, call or WhatsApp us, or click on the contact button. We’d love to hear from you.
susie.campbell@afrikaadventures.org
(513) 484-1676