About US

The Sozo Foundation is a non-profit organization, based in the impoverished Cape Flats community of Vrygrond, Cape Town. With a vision to see the community of Vrygrond living with dignity, purpose and hope, Sozo creates opportunities for holistic development through three key areas: Education, Skills, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. For our work to be sustainable for years to come, forming deep and lasting relationships with community members is essential. Which is why everything we do in the community is through relationships with individuals and other like-minded organizations and partners.


B-BBEE Level 1 and Section 18A Tax-Deductible Donations. NPO: 036 344 / PBO: 930013534.
 

         

Contact Us
News
The Sozo Class of 2024

THE CLASS OF 2024 HAS SET THE BENCHMARK FOR EXCELLENCE

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The Sozo Foundation Newsletter May-August 2024

All the Sozo Stories and Synergy from May-August 2024

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Invitation to Yiva iThemba - Experience Hope Event

On behalf of the Sozo Foundation, we invite you to the launch of Yiva iThemba - Experience Hope, an inspiring Women's Day experiential event hosted by the Woman of Stature Foundation in partnership with the Sozo Foundation.

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The Sozo Foundation Newsletter

Let's recap what's been happening at Sozo in the past few months.

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Sozo Foundation : Empowering Tomorrow's Innovators

The Sozo Coding Space is where we unlock the potential of code and inspire the next generation of innovators.

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Crafting Careers in Baking and Barista: Sozo Foundation's Path to Empowerment.

As we continue our journey through the inspiring work of the Sozo Foundation, we now turn the spotlight on the Baking and Barista programs, two initiatives that have opened doors to promising careers for young individuals in Vrygrond.

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Transforming Lives through Education: The Inspiring Journey of Sozo's Education Department.

This department is at the forefront of a critical mission to address the pressing issues of youth unemployment and lack of education in the Vrygrond community, and it consists of the Educentre (after-school program), GED and Second Chance programs.

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The Impact of Your Support at Sozo Foundation!

We would like to thank those who once again for being a valued part of the Sozo Foundation community. We're truly grateful for your commitment to empowering South African youth and improving lives.

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Sozo Foundation’s Ecosystem from today to the future.

Our dynamic ecosystem dedicated to empowering youth and creating pathways to meaningful employment. Discover our unique approach, driven by a culture of unconditional love, as we nurture growth, development and transformation among young individuals.

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Sozo Foundation Genesis Hub

The global pandemic has exacerbated the youth unemployment crisis in South Africa. We now face the highest youth unemployment rate globally with 77.4% of youth between 15 and 24 years old unemployed.

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The mental health effects of gang violence 7 days 9 murders and countless empty bullet shells

When the gangs stop shooting, and police patrols leave, what’s left behind is a mental health minefield.

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The Ladies of Sozo Learn to Fight Back!

The reality of living in South Africa is that it is inherently unsafe for women. Rape in South Africa is systemic and endemic. The country’s annual police crime statistics confirm this. There were 42,289 rapes reported in 2019/2020

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A Light in the Darkness

Load shedding has caused significant additional stresses on the already stressed South African economy and the nation as a whole.

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Projects

We run core projects that work to promote Education, Skills Development and Enterprise in Vrygrond. Our current projects are Educentre, GED General Education Diploma, Youth Café Skills Schools, Kingdom Builders and Genesis Entrepreneur Incubation Hub.

 


Education:

 

We run three education programmes to ensure learners reach their academic goals. Sozo Educentre is our after-school tutoring and mentorship programme for high school learners from the Vrygrond community. Educentre provides a safe space for 105 high school learners (between the ages of 13 – 18 years) to be equipped and empowered within their own community to achieve their full potential. 


Our General Education Diploma is for the young people who dropped out of school early and wish to obtain the matric equivalent certificate. Our Second Chance programme is for the recent matric students who want to achieve better results in their matric exams. We provide tutoring, nutritious meals, computer literacy, psycho-social intervention, mentoring and inspiring initiatives


Skills:

 

We provide opportunities for core life-skills development, vocational skills schools, workplace readiness and job shadowing for the young of Vrygrond and surrounds who are Not in Education, Training or Employment. This empowers them with the tools and knowledge necessary to gain sustainable employment, generate income and rise above poverty. Essential life skills, vocational skills schools: Job shadowing, Workplace Readiness, Linkages to further opportunities, Psycho-social support. Our vocational skills school includes; Bakery, Barista, Beautician, Coding and Hairdressing. 


Social Enterprise:

 

We run two social enterprises as employment and further training opportunities for skills school graduates. These also provide self-income generation for the organization. We also provide internship placements throughout our programmes, we have currently employed 12 interns. 

 

Entrepreneurship:

 

We assist our school graduates with starting their own micro-businesses through one-on-one mentorship and coaching. We provide an incubation hub space for internet access, business training and workshops to increase the chance of success and growth of these businesses by reducing the barriers to young people in Vrygrond and surrounds.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Support

Here are some ways in which you can get involved:


Tutoring: sign up to volunteer by filling in our volunteer application form found on our website

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScpBf0DNRCWlDNHyoiEsZ1qzBdiCc0RwMOTtP19R3W-FnsaNQ/closedform


Advocacy: By sharing our content.


Donations: Get involved by donating your skill, time and monetary gifts and walk a journey with us in making the world a better place. For all donations received, Section 18A Certificates can be awarded. 
Account Name: The Sozo Foundation
Account Number:62943531881
Bank: First National Bank 
Branch: COMM ACCOUNT SERVICES 
Branch Code: 210-554 
Swift code: FIRNZAJ