Focus on iThemba

Focus on iThemba Focus on iThemba is a registered NPO operating in Hillcrest, KZN and Knysna, Western Cape. Partner with us as we Grow Hearts and Minds.

We are committed to making a meaningful difference by advancing quality education and fostering development in the lives of children and the communities we serve. We focus on facilitating quality Early Childhood Development to our partner Pre-Schools in KwaZulu-Natal and Knysna through power collaborations with accredited training, education and nutrition organisations. We also facilitate a donor-

funded Scholarship Programme where boys and girls of our partner Pre-Schools who demonstrate strong academic qualities are selected to attend Waterfall Schools from Grade 0000.

A quick Woolies update for our iThemba community.WRewards and MySchool cards are being phased out, and Woolworths is mov...
18/06/2026

A quick Woolies update for our iThemba community.

WRewards and MySchool cards are being phased out, and Woolworths is moving customers across to MyDifference.

The good news is that you can still support Focus on iThemba every time you shop - at no extra cost to you. You simply need to select us again as one of your chosen causes on MyDifference.

Here is what to do:

Open or download the Woolies app
Log in or register for MyDifference
Tap Loyalty
Select Causes or My Causes
Choose Add Cause / Choose My Own
Search for Focus on iThemba
Select us as your cause

Then just scan your MyDifference card or app when you shop.

Thank you for continuing to make a difference through your everyday shop. Every small choice helps support the work we do with children, families and communities. 🌱

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

The future of our country is already sitting in classrooms today. 💙It is there in every story read, every skill learned,...
16/06/2026

The future of our country is already sitting in classrooms today. 💙

It is there in every story read, every skill learned, every question asked and every new idea explored.

At Focus on iThemba, we believe that investing in children is one of the most meaningful ways we can impact the future of our youth - one child at a time.

This Youth Day, we celebrate the potential, curiosity and contagious joy of South Africa’s young people, and we recommit ourselves to creating spaces where children are supported to learn, grow and thrive.

Because the leaders, thinkers, creators and changemakers of tomorrow are being shaped in the small moments happening today. 🌱

Happy Youth Day, South Africa.
📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

A ball is never just a ball in early childhood development. ⚽💙When young children run, kick, balance, catch and move thr...
12/06/2026

A ball is never just a ball in early childhood development. ⚽💙

When young children run, kick, balance, catch and move through play, they are developing far more than physical strength.

Age-appropriate physical activity helps build gross motor skills, coordination and body awareness - but it also supports attention, memory, self-control, confidence and the ability to interact with others.

Emerging research suggests that preschool children who are more physically active can demonstrate stronger working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility - skills closely linked to school readiness and later learning.
This is why active play matters within our iThemba Schools. Every movement opportunity gives children space to explore, cooperate, persevere and grow in confidence - while experiencing the contagious joy of simply being a child. 🌱

The World Health Organization recommends that children aged 3 to 4 years spend at least 180 minutes in physical activity each day, including 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity.

Because in the early years, movement is not separate from learning.
Movement is part of how children learn.

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

The first lessons a child learns do not only happen in a classroom.They begin in the everyday moments at home - in the w...
10/06/2026

The first lessons a child learns do not only happen in a classroom.

They begin in the everyday moments at home - in the way a parent listens, guides, encourages, sets boundaries and helps a child feel safe enough to grow. 💙

Through our work with empowering parents, we are seeing our iThemba School communities benefit from families being better equipped with practical tools for healthier, more connected home environments.

And the impact is being seen.

Our schools are reporting positive changes in child behaviour, parent engagement and involvement - a beautiful reminder that when parents feel more supported and equipped, children benefit too.

Parents are being encouraged to foster healthy communication and trust, guide their children with loving boundaries, strengthen confidence and emotional wellbeing, and build more connected family relationships.

This is how transformation takes root - in families, in classrooms and in the lives of children given the opportunity to grow with confidence and hope. 🌱

Focus on iThemba is an accredited non-profit, public benefit (18A) organisation - a place of hope.

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

For over 20 years, the iThemba Campus has been a place where hope, learning and community continue to grow. 💙Over the la...
08/06/2026

For over 20 years, the iThemba Campus has been a place where hope, learning and community continue to grow. 💙

Over the last decade, having Waterfall Schools as part of our Campus community has been a very special part of that journey.

There is something meaningful about sharing a space where children are encouraged to learn, grow and discover who they are - surrounded by people who care deeply about their future.

We value the contribution Waterfall Schools continues to make on our Campus, and the positive impact they are having in the lives of the children who call this place home.

Thank you, Waterfall Schools, for being part of this journey with us. Here is to many more years of growing hearts and minds together. 🌱

Schools
📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

Some deliveries carry more than parcels - they carry warmth, care and hope. 💙This week, Focus on iThemba had the privile...
06/06/2026

Some deliveries carry more than parcels - they carry warmth, care and hope. 💙

This week, Focus on iThemba had the privilege of facilitating a beautiful donation from FNB Care to Project Light.

With winter settling in, their generous donation of 615 beanies, blankets and scarves will help bring comfort to little ones this chilly season - wrapping them in more than warmth, but in kindness too.

These are the moments that remind us why partnership matters. When people choose to give with heart, that generosity becomes something tangible - a child kept warm, a smile shared, and a community reminded that they are cared for.

Thank you, FNB Care, for your generosity and kindness. We are grateful to have helped bring this special delivery to Project Light.

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

Sometimes the most meaningful learning begins with imagination. 💙On a recent school visit, we were so impressed by a fan...
04/06/2026

Sometimes the most meaningful learning begins with imagination. 💙

On a recent school visit, we were so impressed by a fantasy table created by the teachers - a 3D model of a spaza shop, built as a creative way to help children learn through play.

These are the moments that remind us how much thought, care and creativity teachers bring into their classrooms.

A table like this becomes more than a display. It becomes a place where children can explore, ask questions, pretend, count, speak, share and make sense of the world around them.

This is the beauty of early learning - when creativity opens the door to confidence, curiosity and growth.

To every teacher finding new ways to bring learning to life - thank you. Your work creates transformation in small, steady and beautiful ways. 🌱

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

Your Woolworths shop can do more than fill a basket - it can help grow hope, opportunity and contagious joy. 🛒💙When you ...
02/06/2026

Your Woolworths shop can do more than fill a basket - it can help grow hope, opportunity and contagious joy. 🛒💙

When you support Focus on iThemba through Woolworths MyDifference, your everyday shopping helps raise support for our work at no cost to you.

Every basket contributes towards important areas of our programmes, including teacher training and support through our iThemba Schools Programme - helping to strengthen classrooms, uplift teachers and create life-altering positive change for children.

And that is where the joy spreads.

From one simple choice at checkout, teachers are supported, classrooms are strengthened, and children are given more opportunities to learn, grow and thrive.
To everyone who has already selected Focus on iThemba as their cause - thank you.
Your support is part of something much bigger than a weekly shop.

To select Focus on iThemba as your cause:
1. Open the Woolworths MyDifference app
2. Go to Loyalty
3. Select Causes
4. Search for Focus on iThemba
5. Choose us as your cause

Small choices can create lasting change. 🌱

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

28/05/2026

28 May marks World Play Day - a reminder that play is far more than a way for children to pass the time.

In early childhood development, play is one of the most important ways children learn. Through play, children build confidence, strengthen communication, develop problem-solving skills, grow socially and emotionally, and begin to make sense of the world around them.

At Focus on iThemba, this understanding sits at the heart of our work in the ECD space. Through our iThemba Schools Programme, we support learning environments where purposeful play is recognised as an essential part of a child’s development.

Whether children are building with blocks, painting, listening to stories, playing outside or taking part in guided classroom activities, they are developing skills that support their learning journey long before formal academics begin.

Because when play is valued, children are given space to grow - not only academically, but socially, emotionally and confidently too. 🌱💛

📧 [email protected]
📞 +27 31 710 1800
🌐 www.focusonithemba.org

26/05/2026

There is something deeply humbling about serving in the non-profit landscape.

Every day brings the opportunity to encounter people from vastly different walks of life - those carrying great need, and those carrying a deep desire to give meaningfully. Somewhere in between, we have the privilege of helping those worlds meet.

We get to facilitate moments that become movements of transformation: a donor choosing to invest in a child’s future, a community receiving access to opportunities once out of reach, a family finding renewed hope.

This work is about far more than programmes or projects. It is about people. About dignity. About creating pathways where hope can flourish and futures can be changed.

To serve in this space is a reminder that generosity has the power to transform not only the lives of those receiving support, but also the hearts of those who choose to give.

Address

111 Ngwele Road
Hillcrest
3610

Opening Hours

Monday 07:30 - 16:30
Tuesday 07:30 - 16:30
Wednesday 07:30 - 16:30
Thursday 07:30 - 04:30
Friday 07:30 - 16:30

Telephone

+27317101800

Website

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