"The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow."

Nelson Mandela

Our Youth Development Programme is one of the most vibrant and rewarding projects that builds on our vision of being a united and conservation-minded community that works together to protect, preserve and benefit our planet, people and wildlife. 

The objective of this after-schools programme is to engage our youth in healthy and productive activities that enhance personal well-being; bring about positive social and environmental changes and prepare them to harness the many opportunities created through the biodiversity economy.

We have six Youth Development Practitioners (YDP's) who divide their time between teaching SEL during school time and facilitating a vibrant after schools programme where registered youth participate in sport, environmental education and IT / Robotics clubs.

Sports Programme

We have 350 registered players in the sports programme. The learners participate mainly in netball, soccer, tennis and mini cricket. Practices occur three times a week where they are also taught the skills and values of the CoolPlay Way - a coaching modality that integrates with teaching SEL on the field or court.

Ubuntu Cup 

Registered Players are arranged into teams from U11 to U17 that compete in the Ubuntu Cup League for soccer and Netball. The Ubuntu Cup encourages participation, skills development and sportsmanship with a focus on the values of respect, human dignity, compassion and unity.

Read about our Ekuphumleni Youth Development Facility Legacy Project.

Environmental Education

The Kariega Foundation Environmental Education Programme is facilitated by our YDP team on Tuesdays and Thursday, with over 60 active, registered participants. The three primary goals of the programme are:

• Sustainable food production through permaculture (9 working gardens across two communities)
• Waste management and cleaning up communities
• Connection to the natural world and conservation on Kariega Game Reserve

IT and Robotics Clubs

Information Technology and robotics is the language of the modern world. Growing knowledge and experience in this area opens up so many doors and opportunities to youth living in under-resourced, rural communities.

Our YDP team recently attended Robotics Training with the Leva Foundation to receive their Coding Certification and club kits. 

Coding clubs aligned with school curriculum will be added to the Youth Development Programme in 2025.