Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation
IMPACT OVERVIEW 2019/2020
INVESTED
ADDITIONAL FUNDING LEVERAGED THROUGH PARTNER ENTITIES
EDUCATORS AND LEARNERS DEVELOPED
BLACK BUSINESSES INCUBATED
VULNERABLE WOMEN AND CHILDREN SUPPORTED
STUDENTS SUPPORTED THROUGH UNIVERSITY
15 YEARS OF IMPROVING LIVES
In 2019, Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation celebrated its 15th anniversary. It was a milestone of sustained commitment
and a meaningful record of programme implementation to improve lives.
A rich programme of commemorative activities through the year included engagement with the Foundation’s staff, beneficiaries, partners and members of the public. It included the production of commemorative collateral, social media campaigns, staff gifts and events, beneficiary gifts, a public art exhibition, youth empowerment workshops, a celebratory dinner, and development of
a 15-year impact review.
Public Art Exhibition:
The exhibition was themed with relevance to the purpose of the Foundation, which is to foster an inclusive society that is empowered. The exhibition featured some 70 works of fine art, posters, photography, video, craft and design that spoke to
the themes of inequality, inclusion/exclusion, fragmentation/cohesion, and borders and boundaries.
The Foundation chose to commemorate its 15th anniversary with an art exhibition because art offers stimulating and challenging insights into these national issues. The exhibition made for a thoughtful interrogation of the ‘main road’ that divides and connects South African society, and that seems to define the aspiration and terms of an inclusive society.
About R50 000 worth of art was sold, with proceeds directly benefiting the contributing artists, including two 14 year girls from the Sitjwetla informal settlement near Alexandra township.
Youth Workshops
The Foundation hosted two highly successful youth empowerment workshops, for 300 youth in Mamelodi and Daveyton respectively. The workshops aimed to capacitate young adults with entrepreneurial skills and information on post schooling opportunities. It included masterclasses on purpose, innovation, group coaching and pitching sessions on innovative social and economic solutions. Participants attended both theory and practical sessions that stimulated self-reflection, purpose-driven thinking, problem-solving and pitching. The workshops were facilitated by Startup Academy, which provides entrepreneurship skills training to young people.
With youth unemployment a key national concern, this initiative may be developed as an ongoing youth development and entrepreneurship programme in complement to the Foundation’s core partner entity programmes.
The Foundation’s 15 year anniversary provided a timely moment for reflection on the role and impact of the Foundation. An Impact Report was commissioned from the Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute. It aimed to understand the impact that the Foundation and its entities have had on beneficiaries, the systemic solutions that can be learned from its development models, and considerations for the future to meet its 2030 strategic objectives. The Impact Report was planned for launch in 2020.
Impact Report
Key Highlights:
The impact of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation has been overwhelmingly positive. There is a strong “ripple- effect” as the Foundation is successful in its objective to be a catalyst for change.
A consistency of vision in the fields of education and entrepreneurial development for disadvantaged people.
A firm sense of ownership of the work of the Foundation by its governance structures and staff.
The Foundation seeks to catalyse learning and change. From the reflections of learnings, change always follows.
A true embodiment of young black female leadership.
A commitment to contribute to broader transformation in South Africa.
A uniquely successful and consistent approach to meaningful collaboration with the private sector.
Key Challenges:
Managing the need for expansion without diluting the core values that have driven the success of the Foundation to date.
Notwithstanding the efforts to grow the resilience and sustainability among schools and their broader communities, there is a need for enduring support.
Effective and appropriate evaluation that accurately evidences the
bottom-up approach to change.
