Since 2000, FXB Switzerland has been active in South Africa where it is registered as an international non-governmental organization. It supports vulnerable children in their educational career, strengthens the autonomy of their families and combats gender inequalities and related violence to build more just and sustainable communities.
Context
In South Africa, the economy is very inequitable, with one of the highest rates of inequality in the world, mainly due to a past of exclusion and insufficient economic growth in terms of employment.
About 60 per cent of black children live in extreme poverty, facing challenges such as malnutrition, crime, violence, and alcohol and drug problems. In Gauteng province, 1.3 million young people are out of school, a situation exacerbated by the consequences of Covid-19, which has led to tens of thousands of unwanted pregnancies in teenage girls, sometimes as a result of sexual assault, many of whom are between 10 and 14 years old.
School performance in South Africa remains below the regional average, with insufficient educational quality. Many children face difficulties in school. They regularly miss classes, face teacher absenteeism and are exposed to violence in schools. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of qualified teachers, with only 41% meeting the required competence criteria.
Our action in South Africa
1.Building the Resilience of Tomorrow's Adults
Our out-of-school support and personal development projects accompany approximately 600 extremely vulnerable children and adolescents, aged 9-14 years, attending primary schools in Soweto and Nigel (Gauteng Province) and Witbank (Mpumalanga Province).
They aim to mitigate the devastating effects of poverty, HIV/AIDS and the impact of Covid-19 on their daily lives, while broadening their prospects for the future. We offer comprehensive support including academic, nutritional, material and psychosocial support.
At the academic level, we focus on improving learning conditions and academic achievement in order to strengthen their motivation and enable them to pursue their education as far as possible, whether with a view to learning a trade or pursuing higher education.
We also encourage the development of their personal skills to promote their mental, emotional and social well-being, thereby helping them to become committed and resilient citizens. Our activities raise awareness of non-violent conflict resolution methods and the fight against all forms of harassment and abuse.
Recognizing the environmental challenges, we are integrating actions to raise awareness of resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, thus preparing these young people to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Finally, at the end of their journey with FXB, we encourage them to join one of our youth clubs and share their knowledge and experiences with others, thus becoming actors of change in their communities.
2.Phumelela—Success!
The aim of this project is to reduce the vulnerability of the families of children who benefit from our out-of-school support projects, thereby helping to improve their well-being and quality of life.
It aims to strengthen the economic and social capacities of unemployed women and young people by accompanying them each year towards self-entrepreneurship through appropriate training and targeted psychosocial support.
Throughout the project, participants develop their personal skills, meet inspiring entrepreneurs and acquire essential knowledge in digital, finance and project management.
At the end of their training, they receive financial support to launch an economic activity (microenterprise) and receive personalized support to ensure the viability and growth of their business.
3.Gender reconciliation
Gender inequalities and gender-based violence remain major challenges, limiting the opportunities and well-being of many people, especially women and girls. Facing this reality, FXB is actively committed to promoting gender equality and combating such violence through a structuring and impacting project that is implemented in the communities where children reside in our out-of-school support projects.
The project is based on three pillars: education, awareness-raising and psychological support for victims, who are accompanied in secure spaces. It also encourages the active participation of men and women in joint discussions on equality, while strengthening the capacities of victims and challenging cultural norms that perpetuate inequality.
Part of these activities is carried out through participatory theatre, a powerful advocacy tool. FXB clubs, made up of young people who have followed our extracurricular support activities, conceptualize, stage and interpret scenarios inspired by local realities. These representations, played at the heart of communities, open dialogue, deconstruct stereotypes and actively involve the population in the fight against gender-based violence.
By promoting reconciliation and greater gender equity, FXB helps build fairer and more harmonious relationships, thus providing future generations with a more inclusive and respectful environment.
Our impact in South Africa
participated in FXB projects in South Africa. Many were very creative and active, having animated a weekly radio program for several years or gathered poems in collections. Many serve their communities as volunteers, mentors for their peers, or by launching their own social initiatives.
had a sufficient academic level to move to higher education during their participation in the programme.
supported by the Phumelela project to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, launching their own economic activities successfully.
Anna and her mom, life path
I am 13 years old and now in high school. Originally from Swaziland, I grew up in a home marked by my father's violence towards my mother and brother. Impressive, I couldn't do anything. One day, my mother decided to flee and took us to Soweto, a slum in Johannesburg. Life was very difficult there, and often we went to bed empty stomachs.
Through the intervention of the principal of my school, I was directed towards the FXB project, which offered us vital support. This aid has radically changed our daily lives. As a first step, we received food aid that allowed us to get out of our state of malnutrition and support to properly equip ourselves for school and, in fact, no longer face the mockery of our comrades.
Ma mère a également bénéficié du programme Phumelela, ce qui lui a permis de lancer une petite entreprise de vente de parfums et de snacks.
Je suis heureuse d’avoir été aidée et encouragée à poursuivre mes études, d’avoir appris à ne pas abandonner et à me faire confiance et pour toutes les connaissances que je peux désormais transmettre aux autres enfants de notre communauté, ce qui me plaît particulièrement.