South Africa: building resilience for tomorrow's adults, women's empowerment and gender equality.
FXB Switzerland has been working in South Africa since 2000, where it is registered as an international non-governmental organization. It supports vulnerable children in their education, empowers their families and fights against gender inequality and related violence to build fairer, more sustainable communities.
Context
South Africa's economy is highly inequitable, with one of the highest rates of inequality in the world, mainly due to a history of exclusion and insufficient economic growth in terms of employment.
Some 60% of black children live in extreme poverty, exposed to challenges such as malnutrition, crime, violence, as well as alcohol and drug abuse. 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 teenage pregnancies, sometimes as a result of sexual assault, many of them between the ages of 10 and 14.
Educational performance in South Africa remains below the regional average, with the quality of teaching inadequate. Many children face difficulties at school. They regularly miss classes, face teacher absenteeism and are exposed to violence in the school environment. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of qualified teachers, with only 41% meeting the required competence criteria.
Our work in South Africa
1: Building the resilience of tomorrow's adults
Every year, our out-of-school support and personal development projects accompany around 600 extremely vulnerable children and teenagers, aged 9 to 14, attending elementary school in Soweto and Nigel (Gauteng Province) and Witbank (Mpumalanga Province).
They aim to alleviate the devastating effects of poverty, HIV/AIDS and the repercussions of Covid-19 on their daily lives, while expanding their prospects for the future. We offer comprehensive support, including academic, nutritional, material and psychosocial assistance.
On the academic front, we focus on improving learning conditions and academic results to boost their motivation and enable them to pursue their education as far as possible, whether it's to learn a trade or go on to higher education.
We also encourage the development of their personal skills to foster their mental, emotional and social well-being, helping them to become engaged and resilient citizens. Our activities raise awareness of non-violent conflict resolution methods and the fight against all forms of harassment and abuse.
Aware of the environmental issues at stake, we integrate awareness-raising actions on resilience and adaptation to the impacts of climate change, 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 pass on their knowledge and experience to those around them, becoming agents of change within their communities.
2. Phumelela-Success!
This project aims to reduce the vulnerability of the families of the children who benefit from our after-school support projects, thus helping to improve their well-being and quality of life.
Its aim is to strengthen the economic and social capacities of unemployed women and young people, guiding them each year towards self-entrepreneurship through tailored 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.
On completion of their training, they receive financial support to launch an economic activity (micro-business) and personalized coaching to ensure the viability and growth of their business.
3. gender reconciliation
Gender inequality and gender-based violence remain major challenges, limiting the prospects and well-being of many people, particularly women and girls. Faced with this reality, FXB is actively committed to promoting gender equality and combating such violence through a structuring and impactful project that is implemented in the communities where the children in our after-school support projects reside.
The project is based on three pillars: education, awareness-raising and psychological support for victims, who are accompanied in safe spaces. It also encourages the active participation of men and women in joint discussions on equality, while empowering victims and challenging cultural norms that perpetuate inequality.
Part of these activities is carried out through participatory theater, a powerful awareness-raising tool. FXB clubs, made up of young people who have taken part in our after-school support activities, conceptualize, stage and perform scenarios inspired by local realities. These performances, staged in the heart of communities, open up dialogue, deconstruct stereotypes and actively involve the population in the fight against gender-based violence.
By promoting reconciliation and greater equity between the sexes, FXB is helping to build fairer, more harmonious relationships, offering future generations a more inclusive and respectful environment.
Our impact in South Africa
participated in FXB projects in South Africa. Many have been very creative and active, having hosted a weekly radio show for several years or collected poems in collections. Many serve their communities as volunteers, peer mentors or by launching their own social initiatives.
had a sufficient academic level to progress to the next grade during their participation in the program.
have benefited from the support of the Phumelela project to realize their entrepreneurial aspirations, successfully launching their own economic activities.
Anna and her mother, life story
I'm 13 years old and now in secondary school. Originally from Swaziland, I grew up in a home marked by my father's violence towards my mother and brother. Helpless, I could do nothing. One day, my mother decided to flee and took us to Soweto, a shantytown in Johannesburg. Life there was very difficult, and we often went to bed hungry.
Thanks to the intervention of my school principal, I was referred to the FXB project, which offered us vital support. This help has radically changed our daily lives. First of all, we received food aid to help us overcome our malnutrition, as well as support in equipping ourselves properly for school, so that we no longer had to endure the mockery of our classmates.
My mother also benefited from the Phumelela program, which enabled her to start a small business selling perfumes and snacks.
I'm happy to have been helped and encouraged to continue my studies, to have learned not to give up and to trust myself, and for all the knowledge I can now pass on to other children in our community, which I particularly enjoy.