Mamelodi Initiative
based in Mamelodi Township, South Africa
The Mamelodi Initiative provides educational opportunities to young people in Mamelodi Township, while also building local leadership. The Mamelodi Initiative effectively fosters the curiosity and imagination of the youth it works with -- helping empower them to be change-makers.
The fact that Mamelodi Initiative supports not only the youth, but also the volunteers, staff and the community shows a deep grassroots commitment. The Creativity Foundation took special note of the fact that Mamelodi Initiative’s innovative curriculum is produced through community collaboration. We applaud the organization’s Summer and Winter Jams, its youth leadership council, E-Kasi LearnIN, and one day workshops. Seeing how many of the organization’s volunteers, interns, and staff are returning Mamelodi Initiative learners is truly impressive. And so is the matriculation record of the youth who’ve been through its programs.
In the coming year, the Mamelodi Initiative will use its Creativity Foundation grant a) to re-implement its 3-part computer course (put on hold during the covid pandemic) and b) to hire an experienced part-time social worker to assist its students with their everyday social challenges.
Although the Mamelodi Initiative was originally the brainchild of Legacy winner Richard Kelley, it now is functioning on its own, run by an effective board and committed leadership on the ground.
