A hand up, not a hand out.
Our Empowerment Programme delivers skills training, micro-business grants, and real pathways to work — so independence, not ongoing reliance on the Foundation, is always the end goal.
South Africa’s youth are ready to work. The system isn’t ready for them.
This isn’t a motivation problem. It’s a structural one — and it’s getting worse for the generation we work with every day.Sources: Statistics South Africa (Quarterly Labour Force Survey Q1 2026).
Empowerment
Directed to skills training and micro-business support
Independence, not dependency.
Our Empowerment Programme delivers skills training, workshops, and micro-business support to empower individuals and families — fostering resilience and independence. Housing, food, and education open the door; empowerment is what makes sure someone can walk through it on their own terms, and keep walking long after our involvement ends.
To equip individuals with real, marketable skills and the starting capital to put them to work — not just a certificate.
A generation of first-time entrepreneurs and skilled workers who build their own economic independence, and then help others do the same.
Skills Training
Practical skills, taught by people who use them.
We run regular, accessible workshops that teach trades, digital literacy, financial literacy, and other in-demand skills — not abstract theory, but the kind of practical training that leads directly to work or a first client. Every session is designed to answer one question: what does this person need to know to actually earn an income?
Practical over theoretical. Trades, digital skills, and financial literacy taught with real-world application, not lecture-only content.
Delivered locally. Workshops run in the communities we already work in, removing travel and cost as a barrier to attending.
Taught by volunteers & experts. Facilitators bring real trade or business experience, not just a training manual.
A first step, not the last. Every workshop feeds directly into our micro-business grants and job-pathway support.
Micro-Business Grants
The push that turns a skill into an income.
Skills training answers “can you do this?” — our micro-business grants answer “can you afford to start?” We fund small starter grants for first-time entrepreneurs coming out of our workshops, paired with mentorship and accountability, so the money goes toward a real, sustainable small business rather than disappearing into short-term costs.
Needs- and viability-based. Grants go to plans with a real path to sustainability, not just whoever applies first.
Mentorship attached to every grant. No first-time entrepreneur is left to figure it out entirely alone.
Accountability, not just cash. Regular check-ins to track progress and troubleshoot problems early, before they become failure.
Growing every cohort. Our goal is more grants awarded each round, funded by donors and corporate partners alike.
Job & Enterprise Pathways
Where trained hands meet real opportunity.
A workshop certificate and a micro-grant only matter if there’s somewhere for that skill to go. We work to open real employment and supplier pathways for our programme graduates — through corporate partnerships, internships, and an ongoing network of people who’ve been through the programme before them.
Corporate supplier pipelines. Connecting graduate micro-businesses to real procurement opportunities with our corporate partners.
Internships & apprenticeships. Structured placement opportunities for graduates ready to move into formal employment.
An alumni network. Graduates supporting the next cohort — the people who understand the journey best.
Follow-through after training ends. We stay in touch well past graduation, not just for the duration of the workshop.
The goal was never to keep you needing us.
Here’s what shapes how we think about empowerment.
Independence over dependency
Success looks like someone no longer needing our support — not someone relying on us indefinitely.
Skills before capital
Money without ability rarely lasts. We build capability first, then fund it — not the other way round.
Mentorship over a cheque
A grant with no one checking in is a gamble. A grant with a mentor attached is an investment.
Local economy first
Every micro-business we fund keeps money circulating in the community it started in.
Fund a grant, run a workshop, or open a job pathway.
Whether you’d like to sponsor a micro-business grant, facilitate a skills workshop, or offer graduates a supplier or internship opportunity, this programme runs on people like you.