Community Solutions

Tearing Down Barriers to Education

A young person cannot thrive if they cannot stay in school — and in Philippi, the dropout rate stands at roughly 50%. Amandla's Community Solutions programme exists specifically to confront and dismantle the barriers that push children out of the education system before they have a chance to break the cycle of poverty. The programme is driven by data. Amandla's team goes into communities to gather real statistics on what is happening to learners, then uses that evidence to shape its responses. Peer mentors are sent directly into schools to provide one-on-one guidance and workshops on life skills. Crucially, Amandla does not attempt to do this work alone. It coordinates the Philippi Collective Network, a coalition of over 50 organisations spanning NGOs and government programmes, all aligned around a shared goal: ensuring that learners receive consistent support from multiple directions. Parents, caring adults, and young people themselves are all drawn into the process, empowered to advocate for their own futures.