Ekukhanyeni works from within communities to build resilience to a multitude of social challenges through its Early Childhood Development and Food Security programmes with a strong emphasis on the promotion of local community mobilisation and engagement to both encourage upliftment and resilience, as well as to develop social capital and community-based resources. Each of our interventions aims to broaden the organisation’s effort in weaving together an holistic, family oriented approach to community development that promotes social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being from the grass roots level up. Our approach is further rooted in love, service and compassion in a sphere of trust, respect, and shared responsibility with our programme beneficiaries.

Ekukhanyeni targets the black population of marginalised communities, those with limited access to resources and relatively low skills and education in the greater City of Johannesburg’s Region G, Gauteng. Although ECD interventions have only been operational in the informal settlement of Lawley in the extreme south of Johannesburg to date, the Food Security programme has extended to other urban impoverished communities throughout the City of Johannesburg’s Region G.

Ekukhanyeni focuses on early childhood development with overlapping childhood care components to enrich and nurture the lives of its 1100 beneficiary children taken up in 16 partnered ECD Centers in Lawley. This network will increase to 21 in 2021. As part of its early childhood development initiatives, the organisation rolls-out Grade R and Grade 00 classes for some 600 children per year. The early learning programme has an adult training component targeting 32 ECD Practitioners per year to equip them with critical skills to better nurture and educate the children under their, and our care. These classes are the only form of education that our young children have received and are receiving in this community.

Ekukhanyeni offers ETDP SETA accredited training in ECD level 4 to community ECD Practitioners or aspiring ones. Coaching and mentorship to beneficiaries undergoing and/or graduated to implement their ECD skills learnt in the classroom at their ECD Centres is focused on. ECD Centres are also assisted with registration and certification with relevant government authorities.

In its 14 years of existence, Ekukhanyeni has also been revitalising impoverished communities by reintroducing low-cost, sustainable urban agriculture through permaculture methodologies. The Public Benefit NGO works from within communities to build resilience to a multitude of social challenges. Ekukhanyeni provides AgriSETA level 1 accredited and innovative training in Permaculture Design, Health Promotion and Nutrition, as well as in advanced agro-ecological principles to improve household and community food security, support healthier eating and to promote sustainable livelihoods with the provision of Entrepreneurial Skills training.

The Organisation certifies community-based training facilitators to provide accredited training and coaching support to community growers to develop and sustain food gardens through local support Resource Hubs from within the communities. The gardens are sustainable ecological systems that produce food, herb and medicinal produce for consumption and may be used to support for-profit economic activity. Ekukhanyeni also accredits and employs local food gardeners to support productive food gardens at the community grower household level and to feed and nourish children at the beneficiary ECD Centres.