CURRENT PROGRAMMES
FOOD
SECURITY
GENDER-BASED
VIOLENCE
Education and
Sport
Community kitchens are critical spaces where communities can connect and exchange knowledge and information. They are also places where norms are queried, dialogues happen, and voices for changing existing food systems are heard. The impact of community kitchens transcends the provision of food – it is a space able to restore dignity, build relationships, and empower and develop communities.
We support selected community kitchens by providing them with monthly kitchen parcels and stipends. To ensure that these kitchens have the necessary resources and knowledge, we establish community mapping referral systems and assess their needs. Our focus is on improving the nutritional value of the food, providing essential equipment and storage facilities, and enhancing food preparation safety through training programmes.
We strengthen a network of organisations working across our three integrated focus areas through capacity building, monthly engagements, and knowledge and information sharing.
Kolisi Connect is a safe space for organisations to connect, engage and share while creating an environment that supports and encourages collaboration and a healthy understanding of one another’s work. Kolisi Connect is about building an environment where organisations can create opportunities to learn about each other, and from each other and build strong networks.
The Siyaphakama Zwide Schools Project is the Kolisi Foundation’s inaugural Education and Sports project. The project, named for Siya Kolisi and his mother, Phakama, ‘Siyaphakama’ – meaning We Are Rising – seeks to address the multitude of challenges facing township youth by creating a tailor-made programme to address physical education, malnutrition, academic education, life skills and youth employment to help children and youth exit the poverty cycle and become active, positive contributors to society.
Launched in 2022, Siyaphakama is a collaborative initiative between the Kolisi Foundation, Ubuntu Pathways, United Through Sport, and KaziBantu, with a mission to help develop healthy, active, emotionally and academically stronger children while contributing to the broader development of the Zwide Community and beyond.
Siyaphakama provides job opportunities to young people appointed as sport coordinator interns; physical education programming; infrastructure upgrades to existing facilities; an after-school inter-school sports league; breakfast support; capacity-building and skills development; and sport kit and equipment distribution to the six Zwide primary schools participating in the project.
We distribute grocery parcels to households facing food insecurity. We do this through our partner organisations who receive monthly deliveries to distribute to their clients. Several of these organisations are GBV shelters, containment centres, and community organisations supporting child-headed households, elderly and at-risk households.
The grocery parcels are substantial enough to provide food support to a family for almost a month. Each household hamper weighs 56kgs and includes 10kg maize meal, 10kg rice, pantry staples, tinned food items, fresh produce, household cleaning products, and sanitary products.
Power2You packs are resources intended to put power back into women’s hands. Each pack consists of a pepper spray, whistle, journal with resourceful information about seeking justice, legal help, healing, and an emergency-size wallet card with GBV helpline and contact information. These packs are utilised within GBV workshops.
Through an economic empowerment sewing programme based at The Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, survivors of GBV produce Power2You packs. The programme includes skills development and serves as an income generator for survivors of gender-based violence.
We support first responder and counselling services, aiding GBV prevention and response, through funding a 24/7 trauma response helpline and social worker services at GBV organisations. With our partners we also provide community-based skills training and survivor empowerment programmes.
Where sufficient space is identified, food gardens are started at partner organisations, community kitchens and schools.
We engage young men and boys through the Men in Conversation Podcast in collaboration with The Justice Desk. We also support psychosocial initiatives, which assist a programme working with boys and men to become protectors, not perpetrators.
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