Even Ground

UNAIDS estimates that to date, a staggering 14 million children have been orphaned by AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Even Ground strives to help families and communities break the cycles of poverty and inequality by providing support to community-based programs that offer high-quality education and care to young people in Africa. South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV in the world and by 2025, it is estimated that 40% of South African adults will have died of the disease. In Uganda, HIV in

fections increased by 30% between 2005 and 2011. Two-thirds of all South African children live in extreme poverty. 35% of Uganda's population continues to suffer from hunger. Even Ground currently supports over 700 children ages 2-24 at one site in Uganda and three sites in South Africa, in some of the poorest communities in these countries. Even Ground's projects address issues of poverty, poor-quality education, limited access to healthcare, malnutrition, food insecurity, drugs, and broken family structures. Our projects work hand-in-hand with local organizations in each of these communities to ensure that support is sustainable, locally-appropriate, and organic to the community. Together, we are transforming young lives that will one day transform the world.

06/18/2026

For True North impactful programmes mean that environments children learn in are safe and supported environments. This work is based in Vrygrond, a community in the outskirts of Cape Town, where early childhood development has historically been under-resourced and under-supported. True North works to change that, not through short-term interventions, but through consistent, long-term investment in the people and places that shape children's earliest experiences.

In 2025, True North supported 30 pre-schools reaching 1,783 children. 19 unregistered ECD centres received their Bronze certification, giving them a formal pathway toward full registration and the security to keep operating. Part of the offerings is a seven-year qualification programme that helps increase the number of qualified ECD staff in the community and raises the standard of care children receive every day.

New partnerships are being formed. Resources are being distributed. Community leadership is at the centre of it all. This is what it looks like when a community organisation takes the long view.

Follow True North Vrygrond to stay connected with their work. To read more, visit their reports and documentation at https://www.true-north.co.za/reports-and-documentation/

06/04/2026

Siyakwazi opened 2026 the way they work: “clarity of purpose and intentional action.”

Their 2025 impact report tells a story of children who were seen, caught, and held before the gaps in their lives had a chance to widen through Siyakwazi 3 flagship programmes. The numbers speak for themselves.

The School Readiness Programme ensures children at risk of falling behind don't slip through unnoticed. In 2025, most children who received targeted support successfully caught up, and for the first time, four schools saw every Grade 1 learner reach the benchmark.

The Inclusion Programme ensures children with disabilities and their families are not left to navigate the system alone. In 2025, more children were reached, more families understood their child's diagnosis, and more children accessed the therapy and clinic support they needed than ever before.

The Early Learning Programme invests in children from the very start, building the foundations that everything else depends on. In 2025, the majority of children enrolled ended the year developmentally above average, a transformation driven by consistent home visits, caregiver support, and early intervention from the very first months of life.

Siyakwazi reached 174 children with disabilities, and more than 7,000 home visits across all programmes. Behind every one of those numbers is a child who stayed in the system, a family that was not left to manage alone, and a teacher better equipped to meet every learner in the room.

Read Siyakwazi's full 2025 Impact Report and follow their journey at https://siyakwazi.org/about-us/

Visual credit: Siyakwazi

05/21/2026

Impactful programs are not just about how many children you reach. It is about whether the support you offer actually changes something.

Thanda, one of our partners based in Mtwalume, KwaZulu-Natal, has built their entire approach around that statement. Their 2025 Impact Report shows what is possible when communities are supported with consistency, care, and meaningful measurement.

According to Thanda's 2025 Impact Report, children in their Early Childhood Development programmes were more than four times more likely to be ready for Grade R than children with no access to ECD at all. 381 farmers in their Nisela programme are running their farms as businesses, growing food, and building livelihoods. Nearly 5,000 household members are feeding their families from gardens they tend themselves. And 326 young people in their leadership programmes are leaving with the skills and confidence to cope with the real challenges in their lives.

Read the full 2025 Impact Report at https://thanda.org/impact/ and follow Thanda to stay connected with their work.
Visual credit: Thanda

05/07/2026

In 2025, Even Ground’s partners collectively supported 5,459 families and reached 6,358 children across South Africa, helping them grow and access new opportunities. Partners supported 434 young people through youth development initiatives. Youth development is about more than programmes. It is about creating pathways for young people to build skills, access education, and participate meaningfully in their communities, with impact that extends to families and beyond.

As Audrey February from BRAVE Rock Girl shares:
"BRAVE exists to inspire and empower young girls and women to become leaders. For 16 years, we have helped shape over 1,000 young women and girls, many becoming the first in their families to finish school and pursue further opportunities. By investing in young people, we are strengthening a better society. They are the next leaders, and equipping them with the right tools creates a future with greater opportunity."

As we close this series, we are grateful to our partners for building an ecosystem of support that enables South African children and young people to thrive.

04/16/2026

In 2025, Even Ground’s partners collectively supported 5,459 families and 6,358 children across South Africa, including communities in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Behind these numbers are the everyday efforts of organisations working closely with children, families, and communities to strengthen the support systems that help young people grow and thrive.

Our partners believe that good nutrition is a critical foundation for children’s well-being and development. When children have consistent access to nourishing meals, it strengthens their ability to learn, participate in school, and engage in their communities. Across the Even Ground network, partners approach nutrition not only by supporting individual children, but also by working alongside families and community networks that make long-term care and stability possible.

Thanda's Executive Director, Angela Larkan emphasizes this with “At Thanda, we see nutrition as a foundation for learning, health, and long-term wellbeing, but the real drivers of this impact are the families and neighborhoods themselves. While children in our programmes receive consistent, nutritious meals to support their growth and ability to learn, we recognise that lasting change happens at household level. In a context of high unemployment, school-based meals alone are not enough. Across the community, families are leading the way, growing, tending, and sharing food through 34 community gardens and more than 790 household gardens with Thanda's support. These gardens now support over 7,000 people with diverse, fresh produce, strengthening both food security and local resilience.”

In 2025, partners supported 4,545 children and families through nutrition-focused initiatives. In our next post, we’ll close off this series by focusing on how Even Ground partners supported youth development in 2025.

Thanda True North Vrygrond Kgololo Academy BRAVE Rock Girl Siyakwazi

04/02/2026

Education services remains the cornerstone of Even Ground’s partners' support to children and families across South Africa. From early learning to school support and aftercare, partners worked alongside children to strengthen their ability to learn, grow, and stay engaged in their education journeys.

Education is not only about access to school. It is about creating environments where children feel supported, where their needs are understood, and where families are part of the learning process. By working closely with caregivers, teachers, and communities, partners help build the conditions that allow children to participate meaningfully and continue learning over time.

In 2025, Even Ground partners supported 6,312 children and families through education-focused initiatives.

As Peter Hagen, Operations Leader at True North Vrygrond shares, "The formative years of a child’s life can never be fully recaptured at a later stage. From birth to six years old is the season where young minds and hearts are shaped, laying the foundations for the journey ahead. All children, regardless of their socio-economic background, should have the opportunity to receive quality early learning in a nurturing and safe environment."

We look forward to sharing more about our partners’ work in nutrition and youth development, and to hearing directly from them about the impact they are seeing in their communities.

Thanda True North Vrygrond Kgololo Academy BRAVE Rock Girl

03/19/2026

n 2025, Even Ground’s partners collectively supported 5,459 families and reached 6,358 children across communities in South Africa.

One of the children who benefited from Even Ground's support is Sphumelele Thutshini and her mother, Wendy Thutshini. Through the support of Siyakwazi, an organisation based in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal, working with children with disabilities and their families to strengthen access to care, learning, and support, Sphumelele was placed in a special school where she has shown great improvement in her learning.

This support extended beyond the child. Wendy is now better able to understand and support her daughter at home. Siyakwazi, also helped her to register with the social security scheme, food parcels, and group therapy sessions with other parents, she has found both stability and community.

Through skills development opportunities, including a baking certificate, Wendy has secured employment in Cape Town and is now able to support her family back home. She also shares her experience with other parents, helping them access support through Siyakwazi.

Siyakwazi , Thanda, True North Vrygrond , Kgololo Academy BRAVE Rock Girl,

03/05/2026

As we move further into 2026, we’re taking a moment to look back at the stories that shaped Even Ground in 2025.

Across South Africa, our partners work with children and families every day. In classrooms, after-school programs, therapy sessions, and community spaces, children are learning, building confidence, and finding support.

Throughout the year, we shared the people behind this work. From early learning centers supporting young children, to mentors helping teenagers find their voice, these stories reminded us that change often starts in small moments of care and encouragement. One of the most meaningful moments of the year was our Even Ground Partner Retreat. Partners came together to reflect on what children and young people in their communities need most, and how we can continue strengthening the support around them.

Our Ecosystem of Support Stories campaign carried these reflections forward by sharing the everyday realities of this work. These stories showed the patience, care, and commitment it takes to support children, families, and communities over time. Looking back, 2025 reminded us that strong partnerships help create the conditions where children and young people can thrive.

In 2026, we look forward to sharing more stories, deepening partnerships, and continuing to support the organizations that work alongside children and families every day.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey with us.

BRAVE Rock Girl Thanda True North Vrygrond Siyakwazi Kgololo Academy

12/23/2025

As the year winds down and many begin to rest and reconnect, we are reminded that the spirit of giving does not pause.

Our fall campaign An Ecosystem of Support has shown how connection and care can grow into lasting change.

From parents learning alongside their children at Thanda, to families finding strength and support through Siyabonga, and educators leading with vision at True North, each story has reflected one truth: when we care for one another, we all grow.

Before the year ends, please help us keep the circle growing.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/even-ground-inc/2025-fall-

12/19/2025

PARTNER'S VOICE: Audery February, BRAVE Rock Girl

Audery February reminds us that building a community of support starts with people who truly understand the journeys of the girls they walk alongside.

For Audery, uplifting people means creating spaces where young women feel seen, understood, and supported by those who share their lived experiences.

At Brave Girl, this sense of support is embodied by the entire team. Many of the young women working with the organisation come from the same communities and backgrounds as the girls they support.

That shared experience builds trust and connection. It allows the team to respond with empathy, credibility, and care, because they know first-hand the challenges the girls face, and the strength it takes to overcome them.

This community of support extends beyond the girls themselves. Brave Girl intentionally nurtures a supportive environment for its team as well, recognizing that care must flow in every direction.

When staff feel connected to the mission and supported by one another, they are better able to show up fully for the girls and for the wider community.

Donor support helps sustain this ecosystem, uplifting the team, strengthening the organisation, and ensuring that girls are surrounded by people who believe in them and their potential.

Your support helps Brave Girl continue uplifting young women and building communities of support from within.

BRAVE Rock Girl Thanda, Siyakwazi, True North Vrygrond Kgololo Academy

Address

234 E 4th Street
New York, NY
10009

Telephone

+15412552385

Website

https://www.evenground.org/contribute/

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