The TNHF Education Program in South Africa

"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

These Numbers Have Faces operates a dynamic education and community transformation program in South Africa

In partnership with the JL Zwane Centre in Cape Town, the TNHF program provides the following for ambitious township youth:

+ College Scholarships and higher education opportunities

+ Academic, emotional, and spiritual support

+ Tutoring and mentoring

+ Financial literacy and computer training

+ Opportunities for community service and volunteer work

+ Leadership & development training

The Benefits of Higher Education and Community Investment:

With only 3.5% of black South Africans graduating from college, higher education is a key way to transform South Africa and confront the devastating effects of generational poverty.

Education is lasting aid. An education doesn’t go away, it can’t be used up. Rather, it expands and the benefits grow exponentially. It is aid put to use forever by people within the community.

Our current TNHF students are the first in their families to attend college and represent a new generation of black South Africans reversing the inequalities of the apartheid era. 

With a college degree and involvement in our education program and Community Impact Model, TNHF students will be able to provide for their families and transform their communities in ways they never thought possible.

The TNHF 2010 Women's Empowerment Campaign :

Act Now:

Join the Women's Empowerment Fund

Meet our current TNHF students.

Learn more about The Cape Flats Township.

Go in depth - Education in South Africa:

From 1948-1994, black South Africans experienced severe educational disadvantages. This was because of an oppressive system called apartheid that was put in place to enforce racial segregation and subordination. 

As a result, the majority of black South Africans were not given equal opportunity to attend quality colleges and universities.

“Almost universally, education is found to lift people out of poverty.”(1) In a nation like South Africa – a country with great economic and political influence in Africa – unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and crime undermine its ability to maintain stability.

“Education is key to sustainable socioeconomic development, but the legacy of apartheid poses challenges in South Africa. The apartheid system excluded blacks in South Africa from receiving quality education in areas such as math and science that provide the skills needed for higher paying jobs.”(2)

As a result, today, only 14% of black South Africans over the age of 20 have a high school or higher education. This is a startling disparity when compared to white South African youth of the same age in which 65% have a high school or higher qualification.(3) 

References:

2. (2006). Congressional Budget Justification for South Africa. Retrieved May 25, 2009 from USAID: From the American People. Website: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/democracy_and_governance/regions/afr/southafrica.html

3. (2006). Education in South Africa. Retrieved May 25, 2009 from SouthAfrica.info: Gateway to the Nation. Website: http://www.southafrica.info/about/education/education.htm