Country of Residence
South Africa
Age
18
Project title
Kagiso Kgatle Foundation (KKF)
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
KKF is one of the youngest emerging youth-led non-profit organization in South Africa, that advocates for youth and creates a platform for rural youth to engage with experts, to then co-create solutions that curb social ills.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.kagisokgatlefoundation.org.za
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Growth (We’ve moved past the very first activities and are beginning to have consistent weekly or monthly impact)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
The geographical area one is born in, shouldn't determine the quality of life, access to opportunity and the general wellbeing of that person. Sadly, as for me and many other young persons, living in a rural area like ours, Phake, you are marginalized and not heard, adding to conditions of poverty, inadequate access to meaningful initiatives and educational isolation. Dedicating 5 years of my high-school journey to student leadership, has forced me to realize how challenging it is to be isolated and not heard, merely because you are too far away from opportunities, but has also challenged me to ACT! Many student leaders like me, didn't carry out other education initiatives outside the core curriculum effectively, not because we couldn't, but because we were not capacitated, lacked resources and expertized knowledge in challenges that are pressing to us, which include unintended teenage pregnancy, mental health, inadequate career guidance and others. This led to the birth of Kagiso Kgatle Foundation (KKF) in 2023, aged 16. The main idea was to finally have a youth organization, originating in our community, led by youth, for youth, to equip youth and young leaders with skills that will allow them to also act! KKF was born to reimagine the way we solve challenges that young people faced.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Violence in schools, drop-out rates, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and other social issues young people face have sky-rocketed! With Stats SA reporting 40% of learners dropping out of school before Grade 12, while 20% of learners in schools have attempted suicide in their lifetime, according to SADAG. Adding to this, is the epidemic level increase of School Related Gender Based Violence (SRGBV),where a learner is abused on the basis of gender identity and biased gender norms, which undermines safety, dignity and learning in schools. These and more, are social ills a young person in a rural area bears almost twice as a result of being isolated, not being represented and lacking resources, just because he/she is too far. The stats are not just numbers, they are lived experiences of young people, who desperately need the guidance and skills, to make informed decision and life choices preventing the mentioned and other social ills youth face. KKF exists to make it easier for that young individual to access resources, be equipped with information, represented, heard and most importantly, to be capacitated and positioned to solve these issues.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
KKF exists to create a platform that allows both young people and experts from various fields to engage, through inter- generational dialogues that will then lead to youth-led action and initiatives that will address challenges faced. By bridging the gap between the two, KKF crafts an effective model that addresses challenges by having young people heard and allowing them to be agents of change rather than the traditional methods of positioning them as recipients. The model of engagements between youth and experts, is used by having inter-generational dialogues, trialogues, workshops, youth-leadership training sessions and exhibitions which will all produce evident-based initiatives that will be implemented by KKF and by youth. On the other hand, the model allows KKF to advocate for youth voices, on crucial decision and policy making programs affecting young people, enabling the dual approach of carrying out Advocacy and Action. We propose the 'Echoo- Anti-SRGBV Youth Lab' project, that KKF has developed, to address violence in schools. * The project will commence by using the KKF engagement model, where young people, student leaders, education partners and experts converge, through a series of engagements on SRGBV. Raising awareness, allowing youth voices to be heard and ultimately produce recommendations from all involved, on how youth can champion SRGBV prevention and rehabilitation. * From these engagements, KKF will then use the recommendations, to capacitate youth and student leaders with resources and skills to implement the recommended projects from the engagements held. * The last critical step will be evident when youth and student leaders, Act! Leading projects and campaigns that address SRGBV in their community and schools!
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
3 years later, Kagiso Kgatle Foundation has reached more than 4000+ young people through its' engagement sessions in Phake and 4 partner schools. Throughout this development stage, KKF has also represented young people in crucial policy and decision-making initiatives, including at a national level, following the invitation in 2024, by the South African Presidency to represent youth on the development of the National Strategy to Accelerate Action for Children (NSAAC), which has now been passed by parliament. Throughout these years, KKF positioned young people to take charge of Climate Action, through the 'Green Rise' project, produced student-led policies to fight bullying, led career guidance campaigns and recently was part of the stakeholders, developing the Children Rights Strategy 2026-2029 by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in July 2026. These and other grassroots initiatives and programs, allowed KKF to establish itself theoretically and practically. Representing and positioning young activists and leaders, to make a difference, while measuring impacting.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Youth participation in projects, campaigns and initiatives that are meaningful has always been a challenge and yet a critical aspect for delivering successful initiatives. Young people actively participate when they feel heard and not excluded by adult centric processes. As a youth-centric and led organization, KKF differs from most non-profits and projects. The KKF engagement model recognizes the value of consultation prior implementation, creating a safe, accessible youth-centred and led platform. While most projects and organizations recognize these same values, they tend to not realize how connected the aspects are and miss some aspects. Most project will either address one aspect that young people value, they either allow youth to be heard but not be at the forefront and take charge of implementing solutions, or vice versa. While KKF addresses both aspects, creating a space where young people feel not only valued and heard, but are also allowed to co-create, lead and implement the change they envisage.
How many people are on your team?
4
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
KKF is led by an inclusive and gender-balanced group of young activists and leaders, serving as the managing board of the organization. Whom are; *Relebogile Moumakwe (19) [Executive Secretary] *Bokang Madlhlala (19) [Executive Treasurer] *Monyadiwa Ntlailane (18) [Projects Coordinator] *Kagiso Kgatle (18) [Executive Chairperson] Guided by our founding constitution, shared duties and leadership, we effectively manage initiatives, projects and the wellbeing of the organization.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
We are intentional about having more young people on board, to step into the leadership of KKF, through Sub-committees who will shape our future projects and actions. With the current state of Gender Based Violence and violence in schools reaching disastrous levels, we envision to fully launch the Echoo-Anti-SRGBV Youth Lab, partnering with student leader bodies across 12 schools in our community and surrounding arears. Challenges youth face are interlinked, and with that realization, KKF does not constrict the issues the organization aims at curbing solve to be only one, in this Growth stage in the next year and beyond, we will also be carrying out projects and campaigns, which will continue to redress mental health, unintended teenage pregnancy, violence and climate action, amongst others, while representing young people and positioning them to be part of the solutions. The Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership opportunity, will allow KKF to increase its' reach beyond 4 schools and the community of Phake, enabling growth and greater impact, for youth and KKF.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
KKF has in place a structured membership model, where youth in schools we work with, can be permanent KKF members. As of now, we have existing 121 permanent KKF members, who participate and volunteer in projects we implement in their respective schools. As we shall enter the growth phase, we will be on a mission to mobilize more youth and activists to join. Additionally, we encourage others to join us on a mission to make change, by having digital presence, we spread the message and make it easier for young people to learn more about and access KKF. With regards to the project, we plan to implement the 'Echoo-Anti-SRGBV Youth Lab', our past engagements and activities awarded us with opportunities to make ties with experts and potential implementing partners including the Department of Education at a district level. This will continue to show our commitment to joint efforts, because quite frankly, no one is a jack of all trades.
