We help people help themselves
MASICORP has over 12 years’ experience working in the township of Masiphumelele . Our approach has been to ask the community where and how they need support. From this, we know the residents want a hand-up not a handout and that that they see education as the route out of poverty.
Our township library provides a safe environment where both young
and old can study or take part in training courses: to build life
skills, improve their English, use computers, and find jobs. Last
year Masiphumelele
Library loaned out 12,000 adult and 28,000 children's books. There
were more than 40,000 attendees at the free education programmes.
The library is such a successful education centre that we’ve had to extend the
building twice.
Ukhanyo Primary School in Masiphumelele has 1,500 pupils but only
38 staff. With 50 students in every class, the school is under-resourced
in every respect. With partner NGOs, we provide physical education
coaches and equipment, allowing all the pupils to have at least two
PE lessons
per week. We support a Science Teaching project designed to help
teachers improve results. In South Africa, township schools are free
but uniforms
are not – we
provide uniforms so children can go to school.
We fund bursaries for the brightest students so that they can attend university. In the last twelve years, we have helped children progress through crèche to school, from school to university and from there into professional employment. MASICORP bursaries have helped more than 40 students. Last year, three of our students graduated from higher-level education: one with a B.Tech in Engineering, one with a BA in Education and one with a National Diploma in Marketing. Bursary and scholarship funding is one of our top priorities.
Our education programmes extend to business
enterprise, where we
train and develop budding entrepreneurs, and provide training to
help people find jobs. One of the businesses we’ve helped sells hand-crafted
designer linens over the internet. Another tailors clothing for local customers.
We’ve also helped start two crèches where mothers can leave
their children in safety while they work to provide for their family. We
are also working to help improve education in the 30 or so other crèches
in the township.
We are a community-based, all-volunteer organisation with very low
operating costs – over 75 volunteers work with us on a regular basis.
We are supported by generous donors worldwide.