phakamisa

PINETOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Economic empowerment, pre-school education and HIV & AIDS

Contact: ZETHU KUZWAYO (Director, pictured)
2025/26 Grants:
£20,000 (€23,000) - Early childhood development training
£1,500 (€1,730) - staff well-being

FACT

48% of South African women work in the informal sector, earning just 50p/60c per hour
(Labour Research Service)

Phakamisa is a ministry of Pinetown Methodist Church, west of Durban. Its programme includes pre-school education training for 250 adults each year, ensuring that good education is available to over 10,000 children.

WDR works alongside Phakamisa in supporting their training courses as well as employing a ‘wandering teacher’ who provides pre-school facilities to children where there is no other provision. This allows parents to seek work.

Also, 1,700 caregivers (mainly grannies, affectionately known as ‘gogos’) of 6,000 orphans receive support and skills training for income generation. Classes taught include healthy cooking, vegetable gardening, beadwork, sewing and baking. Gogos are able to sell their produce

Another valued part of the programme at Phakamisa is the Tholuthando group.
It provides confidential support for those affected by and infected with HIV and AIDS. This group celebrates life and promotes healthy lifestyle as well as giving counselling, life skills and peer support.

Donate to support Phakamisa

“At Phakamisa, we hope for the best. With God on our side, we can conquer anything.”

Zethu Kuzwayo, Director at Phakamisa

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