Amandla Development is a powerhouse non-profit on a mission to level up education for children in semi-urban Philippi, Cape Town. Their goal? To tackle school dropout rates head-on with holistic support, addressing challenges like HIV, gender-based violence (GBV), and literacy gaps, empowering young children, one book at a time.

Seeing the need to step in during the early years, in the last quarter of 2021 Amandla expanded its focus to include Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centres. This shift came in response to eye-opening stats from the 2021 PIRLS Study, which found that a whopping 81% of Grade 4 learners in South Africa struggle to read for meaning.

By laying down solid literacy skills before children enter school, Amandla aims to prevent future dropouts. It’s all about catching them young and building a solid foundation that will lay down the groundwork in preparation for children entering grade R and beyond.

Amandla Development found that ECD practitioners sought support in growing early literacy which the organisation acknowledged it could not provide This is where the Mikhulu Trust stepped in. While Amandla facilitates the implementation process, Mikhulu brings in the know-how and resources to train practitioners who might not have formal teaching backgrounds. The practitioners, in turn, train the parents on book-sharing techniques. Practitioners are also able to use the same book-sharing techniques within their classroom setting.

Chris, one of Amandla’s community solutions coordinators, explains:
“We brought in a partner with the expertise to train our ECD practitioners. The goal was to cultivate a love for books at the ECD level and nurture the habit of reading for pleasure from an early age.”

Amandla had observed that reading in schools was often a forced activity, creating a sense of urgency to make reading enjoyable—an area where the Mikhulu Trust’s involvement with book-sharing was crucial.

Amandla knows that learning can’t happen in isolation—health, safety, and social well-being matter too. Chris oversees multiple forums focusing on health, literacy, GBV, and ECD, ensuring children get the support they need to succeed.

“If children aren’t healthy or don’t have the right foundation, they won’t make it academically,” says Chris.
Tendai Makoni, Amandla’s in-school Coordinator, drives the message home: “The ECD leg was the one we felt we needed to concentrate on with the Phillipi ECD forum so that by the time that the Grade Rs enter into school, they are at least able to read for meaning. We have to catch them young—by Grade 4, without early intervention, the damage is already done.”

Amandla Development is all-in on ending school dropouts in Philippi. With early learning programmes and partnerships like the one with Mikhulu Trust, they’re building strong educational foundations that set children up for lifelong success.

Through early intervention and a commitment to addressing the bigger picture, Amandla is empowering the next generation to thrive—and making sure that every child has the chance to shine!