Strengthening Families
and Communities Caring for Vulnerable Children & Youth

With a vision and mission deeply rooted in our history, Thandanani Children’s Foundation is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and youth living in adversity.

For over three decades, we have facilitated comprehensive support, nurturing environments, and sustainable opportunities to improve the lives of vulnerable children and youth in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Through our holistic approach, we seek to break cycles of poverty and adversity by creating opportunities for personal growth, enriched family life, improved educational outcomes, and sustainable livelihoods as we build stronger, more vibrant, families and communities where children are loved, nurtured and protected and youth are supported in pursuing their dreams.

We invite you to join us on this incredible journey and, together, let’s build a society where every child thrives.

Founded in 1989, Thandanani is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and youth living in adversity through a well-established system of community-based Fieldworker teams equipped to deliver a comprehensive range of interrelated services, activities, and programmes all aimed at enhancing the material, physical, cognitive and emotional well-being of children and youth living in the communities in which we work.

Over the years Thandanani has developed extensive experience in the implementation of a variety of child and youth-focused services, activities, and programmes. These include:

Economic Empowerment

Community-based Savings & Loan Groups (SHGs)

Micro-enterprise Development Programmes (Youth)

Local Market Development Initiatives

Home-based Food Garden Development & Support

Document & Grant Access

Material Relief in Emergency Situations

Physical
Well-Being

Health Education, Screening & Testing Services (including for malnutrition, HIV & TB)

First 1000 Days Programmes

SRH Awareness Programmes & Health Days

Community Mobilisations for Health Service up-take

Vitamin Distributions

Condom Distributions

Community Access & logistical support for Health-Related Research

Cognitive Development

Home-Based Early Childhood Development Programmes

The Support of Early Learning Centres / Crèches

School Attendance & Performance Monitoring

School Uniform Distributions

Psycho-Social Well-Being

Caregiver & Children’s Support Groups

Family Strengthening Support

Personal Development & Life-Skills Programmes

Bereavement & Memory Work Programmes

Gender-Based Violence Prevention Programmes

Child Protection & Foster Care Programmes & Services

Despite South Africa’s transition to democracy; poverty, inequality, and HIV/AIDS continue to dominate the lives of millions of South African children & youth.

In KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa:

65% of all children live in poverty
23% live in overcrowded households
36% live in households where no adults are employed
11% lack regular meals
16% have lost either one or both of their parents
2% are HIV positive
49% of youth (20 to 24) have completed Grade 12
5% have some form of tertiary qualification
65% are unemployed or discouraged work seekers
49% are not in any form of education, employment or training
58% have at least one child of their own

Children and youth growing up in these circumstances face immense challenges that undermine their well-being, development and future prospects. These include:

Through our various projects and activities, Thandanani seeks to break cycles of poverty & adversity by building stronger, more vibrant, families and communities where children are loved, nurtured and protected and youth are supported in pursuing their dreams.

Early Childhood Development

Our Home-based ECD Programme

teaches basic child developmental principles; engages Caregivers around the importance of stimulating learning in young children; and capacitates them with simple techniques to engage children through intentional play using everyday objects and toys made from waste materials.

In this way, Thandanani promotes an understanding of basic early childhood development and its importance; and fosters a culture of intentional engagement between Caregivers and children.

Since April 2015, 850 children and

588 Caregivers have completed this programme.

Family
Strengthening

Our Family Strengthening Programme

supports and strengthens under-resourced families caring for vulnerable children & youth.

The project involves community-based Fieldworker teams delivering a holistic package of interrelated services and activities to each of the families assigned to their care.

This package of services is designed to systematically address basic material, physical, cognitive & emotional needs and move the family from a state of vulnerability to increased stability and self-reliance over a three year period.

Once families are stable and can provide for the basic needs of the children in their care, they exit our system and function independently of our support.

This movement of households through our system ensures that families do not become dependent and that Thandanani itself can take on new households without creating an unsustainable demand on our capacity and resources.

Since April 2007, Thandanani has provided support to 16,518 beneficiaries across 2,762 households through this programme.

Youth
Empowerment

Our Zenzele
Academy

combines personal development; sexual reproductive health; & micro-enterprise development; into an integrated intervention that empowers youth to identify and begin to address some of the barriers they experience in being able to break the cycle of poverty & adversity that entraps them.

One of the critical ways we do this is by supporting youth in the financing and establishment of Micro-enterprises and the hosting of local market days where they sell their goods and services within their local community.

We currently have 25 young entrepreneurs generating income through this programme.

Family Strengthening

Since April 2007

Thandanani has provided support to 16,518 beneficiaries across 2,763 households through our Family Strengthening Programme.

9704 Children

2763 Caregivers

5052 Family Members

Health
Outreach

Since April 2012

Thandanani has provided health education to 94,946 community members and has screened and tested 54,993 of these for HIV & TB.

Early Childhood Development

Since April 2015

588 Caregivers and

850 children have completed our Home-Based ECD Programme.

Youth Empowerment

Since June 2022

35 youth have participated in our Zenzele Youth Academy where they received input on personal development; sexual reproductive health; & micro-enterprise development.

Of these, 25 have been provided finance to start micro-enterprises and are currently generating income for themselves through these enterprises.