Afrika Tikkun Cradle to Career Development Progress Report 2017
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
“[Afrika] Tikkun has proved that it has the ability to reach sections of our disadvantaged population
at grassroots level. It therefore provides both physical help, as well as giving hope and dignity to
the recipients.” - President Nelson Mandela, Afrika Tikkun Patron in Chief in Memoriam
Afrika Tikkun centers are in five South African township communities (Alexandra, Braamfontein,
Diepsloot, Mfuleni and Orange Farm), that are under-resourced and often lack the necessary
opportunities for young people to reach their full potential. Our unique Cradle-to-Career
development model enables our 550+ employees to deliver services addressing holistic
educational, medical and economic needs of marginalized youth from early infancy through
adulthood. Our centers provide a safe space where young people are inspired to nurture
imagination, cultivate knowledge, and grow in to tomorrow’s leaders. Afrika Tikkun, continues to
extend the legacy of its Patron in Chief in Memoriam, Nelson Mandela, of ensuring human rights
and social justice for all. Our mission is to ensure that today’s young people become tomorrow’s
productive citizens.
2017 PROGRESS REPORT
CRADLE
TO
CAREER
DEVELOPMENT
MODEL
2. 2Progress Report 2017
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OVERVIEW of Cradle to Career
Development Model
Afrika Tikkun believes that a comprehensive approach
toward development is the most effective way to
sustainably break the cycle of poverty for the current and
future generations. Therefore, our unique development
model, offers a wide range of services working together to
ensure the holistic well-being of our beneficiaries. Afrika
Tikkun reached approximately 23,200 beneficiaries from
January to June 2017. The infographic below depicts our model,
and the delineation of Core and Support programs.
RESULTS
The core programs of our unique Cradle to Career development model are monitored through the
Soweto Care Database (monitoring and evaluation software for non-profits) which measures
registration and attendance of our beneficiaries. As the graph below shows, our Child Youth
Development (CYD) Program for school-going children has currently, the highest number of
beneficiaries, which is further growing steadily. The Early Childhood Development (ECD) Program
enrols a fixed number of students, as we have limited space available in each class. The Youth Skills
Development and Placement (YSDP) Program, since its students graduate every month, fluctuates
more and has gone through a series of strategic program changes this year.
ECD
CYD
YSDP
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
January February March April May June
Registered Beneficiaries per Program
3. 3Progress Report 2017
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CORE PROGRAMS
Early Childhood Development
This program serves 1,023
students from 0-6 years olds every
month, where children are
supported to meet their
development milestones. The
Marimba music program
continues to help improve the
motor skills and English
proficiency of the children. The
Play Everyday Workshops in
parrtnership with Lego and
Takalani Sesame have taught
parents the importance of play,
and how to engage actively with
their children. Our baseline
assessments identified learning
delays in some children earlier
this year, beacause of which
these children are now receiving
special attention.
Child & Youth Development
In 2017, the CYD program for 7-
18 years olds underwent a
strategic change to make it
more relevant for our
beneficiaries. The program is
now structured on five pillars
which focus on imagination,
creativity, leadership,
advocacy, healthy lifestyle, and
career guidance. Our
Monitoring and Evaluation
Department are tracking the
progress of the new program
against its outcomes. On
average, the program serves
2,500 beneficiaries per month.
Youth Skills Development & Placement
In 2017 the YSDP program for 19-
35 years old, has grown to
include a coding and web
design course which enables
our beneficiaries to expand their
IT skills. With the robust program
content, students graduate with
the relevant knowledge to enter
the workplace and excel in their
new employment opportunity.
Additionally, the students now
have access to quality training
in the retail and hospitality
industries. The YSDP program
reached 2,118 beneficiaries
from January to June 2017.
4. 4Progress Report 2017
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SUPPORT PROGRAMS
The Support Programs are integral part of the 360° model which focuses
on the holistic mental, physical and social well-being of our
beneficiaries. This is achieved through a range of interventions and
services available at our five centers.
Nutrition & Food Security
The kitchens at every center are fully stocked to provide nutritious,
wholesome meals every day. Qualified dieticians create the menu to
ensure that our young people from different age groups receive the
right nutrition. The food gardens grow organic fruits and vegetables
which are used in our meals.
Family Support Services (FSS)
Family and individual counselling, home visits and developmental
assessments is just the beginning of what the FSS team at every center
provide to our beneficiaries. The social workers help families in need with
food parcels and clothing donations while also assisting them to access
to government grants. By doing so, we ensure the holistic care and
development of each family.
Primary Health Care
Access to adequate health care is often scarce in the communities we
serve. Therefore, Afrika Tikkun has a primary health care team at every
center which performs basic healthcare functions for the benefit of
young people and families that attend our centers. Healthy lifestyle
education, health checks and awareness campaigns are also
frequently conducted.
Empowerment Program
Building self-advocacy and resilience within the communities is one of
the main tenets of the Empowerment Program. By educating our
beneficiaries, including children with disabilities and their families, about
their human rights, we empower the local communities to not only stand
up for themselves but become agents of positive change in their
communities. This program is recognized by Human Rights Watch
(click HERE to learn more), trains and empowers local communities to
form self-led advocacy groups and take action against human rights
violations.
Statistics
per program
Jan – June 2017
427,927
Meals Served
8,721
Families Supported
3,399
Clients Serviced
5,640
Beneficiaries
Empowered
5. 5Progress Report 2017
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SUCCESS STORY
Nokukhanya Maposa is a 17-
year-old young woman who
attends our Uthando Center in
Braamfontein. Nokukhanya lives
with her mother and her two
siblings. Nokukhanya discovered
Afrika Tikkun when her little
brother began to attend our Early
Childhood Development
Program. She started as a
beneficiary in the Child and
Youth Development Program where she participated in the Young Urban Women (a program
designed to empower and mobilize young girls to stand up against gender-based violence and
become human rights advocates) group. Within a year of joining, she was elected the president of
the Debating Club, and became the winner of her age category in the 2016 Afrika Tikkun Spelling
Bee.
After graduating from Rand Girls School, she did not have the means to study further so she enrolled
in Afrika Tikkun’s Youth Skills Development and Placement Program (YSDP). Nokukhanya knew that
the Program would help her gain valuable skills for the workplace environment. The YSDP Program
taught her people skills, money skills, entrepreneurial skills, and work skills. She improved her CV and
her understanding of the business world. She also says the Program has motivated her and made
her confident enough to take on the world.
“I am more aware of the negatives and positives of the workplace. The Skills Development Program
has taught me that if you want to achieve something, it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes hard
work and determination. Everything that is received through hard work lasts.”
Nokukhanya has received a great employment opportunity through Afrika Tikkun Services. She has
passed the written assessment and is awaiting an interview to be recruited from KFC. Nokukhanya
is happy because this will enable her to work and earn some money while she waits to apply to
study either Tourism and Hospitality, or Sports Management at the University of Johannesburg or the
University of Pretoria.