Through Your Next Million, we help a PE non-profit “raise each other up”

[Boitumelo]

“In terms of ending poverty and uplifting communities, there is no better investment than [in] kids’ lives.”

This is the belief of Masinyusane, an education non-profit working with children and families in Port Elizabeth’s impoverished townships – and this week’s winner of Your Next Million’s R50 000 NGO cheque.

Jim McKeown, Masinyusane’s Executive Director, shares that receiving the Standard Bank cheque has left his team feeling both humbled and excited. “Humbled, because there are thousands of amazing organisations out there, but Standard Bank chose to support us. Excited, because the donation will enable us to help more students and children.

“Thank you for all the effort and commitment; it’s making a difference in our communities.”

Operating since late 2008, the main objective of Masinyusane (meaning “let us raise each other up” in isiXhosa) is to flood children’s lives with opportunities. Through their holistic Education with Love support system, the NGO ensures that those in their care receive all they need to reach their full potential. Their programmes include school partnerships that incorporate renovations and academic support such as reading clubs; Top Learners, which helps send the best learners from every township in PE to university; and sport, art and other extra-curricular activities.

Your Next Million

To date, thousands of children have been placed firmly on the road to their Next by Masinyusane’s initiatives, including the hundreds that have been sent to university to become future leaders in their communities. With Your Next Million’s donation, the NGO will continue in this direction, but with greater financial ease.

“We have big plans for 2018,” says Jim. “Our Next includes building a library at Fumisukoma Primary School in Motherwell and rolling out our literary initiatives into grades R to 3. The school currently has over 1 600 learners, and we want to see them become readers, lovers of books and life-long learners. The money from Standard Bank will go a long way to helping us achieve that goal.”