Why Education

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”

Unfortunately, less than 50% of adults in Gauteng passed Matric and research shows non-white South Africans are the most likely to drop out, making this issue even more urgent in township communities. Increased drop-out rates leads to higher unemployment, higher crime rates, and more reliance on the government. Part of the reason for drop-outs is an accumulation of a knowledge gap. John Hopkins University has said the holiday learning loss for low-income or disadvantaged youth is at least double non-low income counterparts who traditionally have greater access to holiday programming.

Mamelodi is home to nearly 400,000 people. Yet many youths, particularly young women, are not given the opportunity to access educational opportunities that can literally transform the world within which they operate. Mamelodi is challenged with high drop out rates, low matric pass rates, and extremely low university attendance rates. We have chosen to implement our programming here because we want to equip young people in Mamelodi with that “most powerful weapon” so that they can change their world. Eventually, we hope to spread across South Africa.

Choose A Programme And Get Involved Today

Our Programmes

Summer Jam

Computer Literacy Courses

Winter Jam

Youth Leadership Council

Meet Our Team

Our Staff

These are the friendly, dedicated people that organize everything. They take care of all the planning and logistics, make sure all the programs run smoothly and all the volunteers and learners are happy.

Meet them

Our Advisory Board

These are all the important people that keep the organization accountable and moving in the right direction. They offer leadership and guidance and make sure the organization reaches its targets and fulfills its mandate.

Meet them

Testimonials

The Mamelodi Initiative is a really great program lead by great people. It was really an absolutely amazing experience to see what difference cultural integration , effort to make a difference and motivation can make in a child’s life.I came to volunteer once and my life was significantly impacted hence I kept on coming back  for … Continue reading Y-Binh Nguyen

Y-Binh Nguyen

I have been with the Mamelodi initiative program for seven years. I started first as a student for five years (grade 8-12) then became a volunteer after high school. The initiative has impacted my life in a tremendous manner as it shaped my career today. When I was still a student I attended a photography … Continue reading Itshokeng Nkadimeng

Itshokeng Nkadimeng

I heard about the Mamelodi Initiative from a friend in the United States.I came to the program to help the Mamelodi community with academic enrichment, especially mathematics.This was my first time coming to South Africa and being part of the program but I felt welcomed, made new friends, and no one ever made me feel like … Continue reading Elias Ghantous

Elias Ghantous