learning

Darling Outreach Foundation

#AfterSchoolHeroes – Louise Barends: Darling Outreach Foundation

Darling Outreach Foundation was established in 2020 and was identified as a grantee of The Learning Trust through the partnership with the Wordworks programme. Based in Darling, a rural town on the outskirts of Cape Town, Darling Outreach Foundation’s mission is to create educational opportunities and contribute to improving the physical wellbeing of vulnerable children. … Read more

Emagqabini Education Academy

#AfterSchoolHeroes – Cindy Mkaza: Emagqabini Education Academy

Emagqabini Education Academy is an after-school programme based in Khayelitsha, one of the biggest townships in South Africa. The area faces many socio-economic issues such as high unemployment, lack of sanitation facilities, high rates of HIV/ AIDS and crime. It is rare to find positive stories in the mainstream media about Khayelitsha and its people, … Read more

Bethesda Community Centre

#AfterSchoolHeroes – Margaret Maans: Bethesda Community Centre

Margaret Maans is the visionary leader of the Bethesda Community Centre located in Moorreesburg, a rural town in the Swartland Municipality. Established in 2015, Bethesda Community Centre currently runs an After School programme that provides academic support to 20 grade 4 learners and reaches a total of 65 primary school learners through their life skills … Read more

School of Hard Knocks

#AfterSchoolHeroes – Cassandra Carels: School of Hard Knocks

School of Hard Knocks South Africa was established in 2017 and is based on the model used by the international non-profit network operating in the UK, New Zealand and South Africa that was started in 2012. School of Hard Knocks uses a proven combination of psycho-social counselling from supportive adults and life skills through rugby … Read more

Khula Unqobe Creative Arts

#AfterSchoolHeroes – Khanyisile Nhlapo: Khula Unqobe Creative Arts

Khanyisile Nhlapo founded Khula Unqobe Creative Arts out of her belief that when one finds one’s purpose in life we seldom deter from that path. It is this belief that drives Khanyisile to give children in her community who enjoy the arts, the opportunity to discover their talent. This is Khanyisile Nhlapo’s story… What inspires … Read more

Katlehong Early Learning Resource Unit

#AfterSchoolHeroes – Maria Monama: Katlehong Early Learning Resource Unit

Under the leadership and guidance of Maria Monama, the Katlehong Early Learning Resource Unit (KELRU) runs its own ECD centres and play groups, established in 1991. KELRU also provides accredited training to ECD practitioners working in these centres. In 2016, they set up an after school programme in their community for primary school learners. At … Read more

The Future of After School in a New World

The Learning Trust exists to contribute towards building sustainable and impactful community-based organisations in the After School Sector. We play the role of strengthening organisational development through coaching, mentoring and skills-building; with the aim of improving education outcomes for learners in underserved communities. As our government grapples with the decision regarding the reopening of schools … Read more

home learning

Op-Ed: The critical role of After School during and beyond Covid-19

Among the countless systemic and structural issues the Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to contend with, the future of education for millions of children is by far the most complex. Now, more than ever, it has become necessary that we think about education beyond the classroom. Read our Op-Ed published on the Daily Maverick to … Read more

After School programmes can help learners overcome Covid-19 challenges

The Learning Trust celebrates its 10th anniversary supporting emerging community-based After School programmes and 2020 will certainly be remembered as one of the most challenging during our tenure. More importantly, this has been one of the most severely challenging times for the vast majority of learners in South Africa. We partner with close to 40 … Read more