Sivusisizwe Africa Initiative

London, United Kingdom:

Support Sivusisizwe Africa Initiative, a South African based NPO that supports fatherless adolescent boys and young men, to unlock their full potential.

Hello my name is Alison and I am on the Advisory Committee of a wonderful South African NPO called Sivusisizwe Africa Initiative. I am South African, living in the UK, and this initiative means a huge amount to me.

We appreciate you visiting this fundraiser in support of the Initiative and specifically to raise funds for the boy’s 2024 winter school camp.

Sivusisizwe (www.sivusisizwe.com) has, over the last 2 years, worked tirelessly, and with little to no funding, to support fatherless adolescent boys (13 – 17 yrs), at schools in under serviced areas and young men (18 – 24 yrs) so that they can grow up in a resourceful environment and be supported to be caring, responsible and productive citizens. This is done through introducing positive role models and mentors to guide, inspire, validate and show what being a good man looks like.

We also support single mothers raising boys alone so that they are better equipped to understand challenges their sons are facing and improve/learn new ways of engaging and supporting their sons effectively.

2024 is a particularly important year for South Africa, as it marks 30 years of independence. Whilst the country has come a long way in ensuring socio-economic rights and the pursuit of equality, some challenges still exist which impact on the quality of life, especially for disadvantaged communities, e.g. increasing unemployment figures, impact of Covid-19 on the economy. Sivusisizwe is a beacon of hope, supporting young men through a variety of projects, including school holiday camps; ‘men inspiring boys’ events; research and advocacy, training and development.

Encouraging feedback received from boys who attended the Sivusisizwe camp in 2023 is that ‘they walk tall, have an improved sense of self, are very proud to be part of this programme and feel a sense of belonging’. The programme ‘opened a window of opportunity through which their dreams can be realized’. ‘They know what is right from wrong and are aware of how they are expected to conduct themselves as good, responsible, and caring young men’. Despite the hype around consumption of alcohol as ‘cool’, they are quite aware of the danger of succumbing to peer pressure and the need to show respect for themselves and each other.

This June we hope to hold our second winter camp for the boys, at a venue in Northern Natal. The camp will be used as a reward and incentive for boys who have attended our programmes regularly, so they are motivated to benefit from the carefully selected training and development programme activities right through the year. The funds raised will go towards the cost of a 3-day camp, including accommodation, transport, food, stationery, personal care packs, branded t-shirts, etc. A full breakdown of the costs can be provided. Any other funds raised will support the ongoing events, training and development for the boys during 2024.

Thank you for supporting this valuable cause. A donation of any size, however small, will be greatly appreciated.