Swiss4Afrika’s short- and long-term projects

Swiss4Afrika aims to improve lives through targeted, short-term projects while tackling long-term needs. Currently, we’re aware of 220 shelters, soup kitchens, and orphanages in South Africa, which receive no government or corporate support due to the country’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies. These communities often cannot access grants from large companies without a BEE score, which may impact corporate ratings and eligibility. Swiss4Afrika is working closely with two of these communities. Read more about BEE

Swiss4Afrika steps in to bridge this gap, ensuring critical services can continue uninterrupted. By supporting organizations often overlooked due to lack of BEE certification, we strive to serve all communities equally and provide lasting positive change for all South Africans.

Swiss4Afrika long-term infrastructure projects: Kitchens, Ablution blocks, and Homes

Nationwide kitchen project

Overview: Swiss4Afrika is tackling critical infrastructure gaps in South Africa, particularly for minority communities across approximately 220 orphanages, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters excluded from funding due to BEE policies. This initiative seeks to improve kitchen facilities over 7-10 years, providing safe, functional spaces for nutritious meals and building community resilience.

Key challenges & Swiss4Afrika’s Solutions:

Structural safety: many kitchens lack roofs, walls, and floors, making them unusable in poor weather. Swiss4Afrika will build enclosed, weatherproof kitchens for year-round use.

Safe, smoke-free cooking: open-fire cooking is prevalent, posing health and fire risks. We plan to implement adequate equipment, smoke-free cooking solutions, reducing pollution and health hazards.

Waste management & recycling: limited waste disposal and recycling options lead to unsanitary conditions. Our project will introduce recycling systems and alternatives to plastic, promoting sustainability.

We invite partners to support this transformative project with a total investment of approximately 4,300,000 CHF over the next 7-10 years, enabling vital change and resources for vulnerable communities.

Conclusion:

This project will drive sustainable improvements in South Africa’s homeless minority communities. By supporting kitchen and training facility construction, we can provide nutritious meals and essential skills, creating a path to a brighter future for those in need.

Nationwide training kitchens

Swiss4Afrika aims to build 11 training kitchens across South Africa inside homeless centres, one in each province, to combat unemployment by teaching culinary skills. Partnering with institution such as Meals on Wheels (MOW) and Electrolux Food Foundation’s “Like a Chef” program, these kitchens will offer culinary training to the homeless, providing job opportunities and promoting sustainability.

  1. Culinary Training: The “Like a Chef” program will offer an 8-week, 120-hour course led by professional chefs, covering food safety, hygiene, cooking techniques, and sustainable, zero-waste cooking practices. Graduates will be equipped to pursue employment or further studies in the culinary field.
  2. Kitchen Manager Training: MOW will provide training for a kitchen manager, enhancing kitchen operations and employability.
  3. Broader Impact and Partnerships: Swiss4Afrika’s training kitchens will serve local lodges and restaurants, generating revenue to support community programs. Additionally, partnerships with esteemed culinary and hospitality institutions will provide free training to school groups, fostering the next generation of chefs and hospitality professionals.

Swiss4Afrika’s ablution initiatives

Swiss4Afrika is committed to addressing the sanitation crisis in South Africa’s underserved communities, where access to basic ablution facilities is minimal, leading to serious health, environmental, and social challenges.

Key challenges & Swiss4Afrika’s solutions:

  1. Lack of accessible facilities: Many rural and low-income areas rely on open defecation, risking community health. Swiss4Afrika is building safe, private, and hygienic ablution facilities to meet this need.
  2. Health risks from unsanitary conditions: without proper sanitation, water sources are often contaminated, increasing disease spread. Swiss4Afrika’s projects focus on clean water access and contamination prevention.
  3. Social inequality: open defecation is more common in impoverished areas. Swiss4Afrika is addressing this inequality by installing sanitation infrastructure where it’s most needed.
  4. Environmental impact: poor waste disposal damages local ecosystems. By implementing proper systems, Swiss4Afrika aims to protect these environments from pollution.
  5. Advocacy and education: alongside infrastructure, Swiss4Afrika raises awareness of sanitation’s health and environmental importance, promoting sustainable options like compostable toilets where applicable.

Swiss4Afrika’s sanitation projects aim to restore dignity, improve health, and protect the environment. Join us in building a cleaner, healthier future for all.

Building safer, dignified homes

Swiss4Afrika is dedicated to providing safe, dignified, and sustainable housing for South Africa’s homeless population, addressing the needs of 11,400 families and many homeless seniors currently living in makeshift shelters.

  1. Family homes: featuring three bedrooms, an open kitchen and living area, a small patio, and insulated ceilings, these eco-friendly homes offer stability and comfort.
  2. Single-person homes: designed for individuals, these insulated, sustainable homes provide a private, comfortable space.
  3. Community dormitories: built to house up to eight people, these dormitories offer immediate, safe shelter for those in urgent need.

Swiss4Afrika’s housing initiatives aim to restore dignity and improve quality of life for vulnerable families and seniors.

Long-Term Education Project

Swiss4Afrika currently runs an education initiative to ensure that all pre-school children in our homeless shelters have access to early education centers. We also support school-age children by enrolling them in primary or secondary schools and ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed.

Swiss4Afrika works with young people who have dropped out of school for various reasons, helping them re-enroll and continue their education. Some students may be older than their grade level, while others face challenges fitting in at traditional schools. For these young people, we offer enrollment in Impaq, an online homeschooling system. They attend a center for support, but their schooling is completed online.

For adults, we provide a variety of skills-based training programs tailored to help them gain employable skills and improve their livelihoods.

Each of these educational services requires individual attention and funding, and we continuously seek financial support to ensure we can offer educational solutions that best meet the needs of our participants.

Sponsor a child here:

Tertiary Education:

In South Africa, the policy for student grants ties directly into companies’ BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) status, which is assessed through a rating system that includes a racial scorecard. Companies earn points toward their BEE rating by sponsoring students identified under BEE. However, sponsorship of minority youth does not contribute to a company’s rating, leaving capable young people from minority backgrounds without the necessary support to pursue higher education.

Swiss4Afrika is establishing a fund to empower these determined young individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend tertiary institutions. Our goal is to build partnerships with international education institutions to secure admission opportunities, enabling these students to create a future filled with possibilities and promise.

Read more about quota system in SA universities here

Short term Projects

Kitchen Upgrades

Cost 60,000 CHF

Upgrade of a dilapidated and hazardous kitchen to a fully functioning facility that provides meals to 180 homeless individuals on-site and 150 food parcels as part of a Meals on Wheels franchise for the frail and vulnerable individuals in the community.

This kitchen will also function as a training facility to upskill residents in culinary skills to support them in finding gainful employment.

Courses will be provided to youths on the property interested in hospitality careers as well as to all the schools in the area, thereby introducing a new skill set to a rural area.  

The kitchen will also be used by hospitality professionals to offer courses, generating income for the hosting community.

Donate towards a new kitchen: HERE

Ablution Blocks x 4

Cost 20,000 CHF each

Katoen Outreach and Soli have very basic ablution facilities which are not suited for human use anymore. These ablutions are a safety risk for children and a health risk to everyone. Swiss4Afrika believes that peoples mental health would also improve if they are not subjected to degrading ablution facilities.

The objectives of building decent ablution facilities, such as these ablution blocks, are essential for various reasons, including public health, hygiene, comfort, and social well-being. Here are some of the key objectives these container ablution units will have:

Ablution facilities provide a clean and safe environment for people to relieve themselves and maintain personal hygiene. This helps prevent the spread of diseases and infections, especially in densely populated areas.

Decent ablution facilities help ensure that human waste is disposed of properly, reducing the risk of contamination of water sources and soil. This is critical in preventing waterborne diseases and contaminating the environment.

Ablution facilities enable people to wash their hands and maintain personal hygiene, which is essential for preventing the transmission of diseases. Proper sanitation facilities encourage good hygiene practices

Donate towards new ablution: HERE

Upgrade of Accommodation

Family home x @ 6 000 CHF each

Single bedroom x @ 2 500 CHF each

Dormitory bungalows x @ 4 000 each

Upgrade of rundown and hazardous residences to new bungalow-style homes made from sustainable local materials. Our goal is to construct six family homes, six single-bedroom homes for seniors, and two dormitory-style homes for homeless individuals.

Through meticulous planning and community engagement, an enduring and inclusive housing scheme can be developed, which not only caters to the pressing housing requirements but also fosters positive impact on the well-being of the community and the surroundings.

Donate towards a home: HERE

Educational Fund

Cost 22,000 CHF per year

Swiss4Afrika and community leaders have developed a plan to assist and aid these children with their education, scholarships, internet access, and other experiential opportunities.

We consulted with primary and secondary schools, two social workers, an educational therapist, a maths teacher, and a language teacher to determine how best to support these children. The educational therapist will work with each child for one hour per month to help address their personal issues.

Once a week, our social workers will meet with the children to identify and assist with any challenges they may be facing.

After school, all struggling children will attend a Senior Learning Centre to receive additional support with maths and language. Additionally, we have partnered with an equestrian-assist therapist who will work with the children once a week to improve their confidence and self-esteem.

Swiss4Afrika and all other individuals involved in our education programme

recognize the necessity of providing early education opportunities for pre-school children residing at Soli Deo Gloria Care Centre. 

We firmly believe that access to early education before primary school is crucial for a successful start in life. Our organisation aims to enrol all pre-school children in Kita/kindergarten to ensure they are adequately prepared for primary school.

Vegetable Garden

Cost 4,000 CHF

Community gardens encourage community involvement in a shared aim, promoting closer interaction between people who might not usually engage. This leads to getting to know your neighbours, watching out for each other and appreciating the added advantages of forging new bonds and collaborations within your neighbourhood.

Community garden involvement can foster an inclusive environment, where individuals of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and walks of life can gather and collaborate alongside diverse peers, creating a welcoming atmosphere for all.

Swiss Student Outreach Program

8 Swiss University students will visit South Africa and build a house for a homeless family. Spend 4 days assisting an experienced team and make a huge difference in the life of a South African family.

See the sights of South Africa with a visit to an Elephant Sanctuary and 1 hour interaction with elephants.