The first thing most people want to know is, what does “Amandla” mean?
The second thing they want to know is, what exactly is it that we do?
Luckily, these two things are connected.
From The Founder
Break the cycle of poverty
When I founded Amandla, I was trying to find a solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem: how to break the cycle of poverty in Philippi, a township in which only 50% of children graduate high school, and only 2 in 10 go on to university.
Girls face even greater challenges: one in three women are HIV positive, and the fastest-growing segment of those infections come from younger women and teenagers. I could give you more statistics, but these are overwhelming enough. How can one person change those numbers?
The answer is, one person can’t.
But one person can bring together all of the local stakeholders, from medical teams to schools to government resources to nonprofits to parents. One organization can collect data to direct initiatives, guide children to the resources they need, and create a safe space where individual kids can flourish.
One community can come together to teach, learn and support each other, because a rising tide lifts all ships.
Our Amazing Team
Our amazing Team works hard to make a difference every single day. Our signature programmes are:
These provide the pillars on which our success is built by providing a safe space for young people to come together after school, where we can offer them support, tutoring, medical care, life skills, and community; and by gathering data and working with the larger community to help other organizations reach the children who most need their help.
The Power Is Ours
As for our name, Amandla is part of an African call-and-response meaning “The Power Is Ours.” At heart, that is what we do at Amandla Development. We call out to Philippi’s youth, to the local community, and to our global supporters.
We remind them that the power to change the world for the better is in our hands. We have to use it, now, to break the cycle of poverty.
Here is how you can get involved and help us to lift the next generation up, from cradle to career. Thank you for answering our call.
Amandla. The Power Is Ours.
— Scott Clarke
