SAEP's Educational Mission

About Us » Educational Mission in South Africa's Townships

SAEP is dedicated to helping children and young adults in South Africa’s historically disadvantaged township communities develop their academic and life skills, obtain productive employment, and contribute as leaders to the economic and social development of their communities and their country.  This is part of a SAEP's historic mission to help South Africa achieve environmentally sustainable development through improvement of living conditions, development of skills, and use of South Africa's natural environment to create economic opportunities for those who remain marginalized as the country's economy continues to grow.

Children and young adults in South Africa's townships need a fair chance to develop personally and succeed in life if South Africa’s fledgling democracy is to survive and flourish. Most of the legal barriers to personal development have been removed with the end of apartheid, yet opportunities to learn and obtain meaningful employment remain sorely lacking.  South Africa -- with its strong constitution, political stability, and economic potential -- remains Africa’s greatest hope for the democratic development and economic revival of the continent.

SAEP has from its foundation in  1994 worked to develop environmental awareness and help youth and their communities to address the issues of environmental degradation in the urban environment and the natural environment.  SAEP currently operates four major educational programmes in the Cape Flats townships of Cape Town involving early childhood development, high school support and enrichment, a youth development ("bridging year") program and a tertiary support programme for promising township high school matriculants.

SAEP has historically relied almost exclusively on volunteers from South Africa and abroad to implement its programmes.  Most have been tertiary students or recent university graduates, though an increasing number are persons who have retired and seek a challenging opportunities for public service in  a developing country.  If you are a student or graduate from South Africa or abroad and interested in volunteering or interning with SAEP in its  high school or bridging year programme, described elsewhere on this site, please write to Norton Tennille at norton@saep.org.

In recent years, SAEP has begun to work with NGOs and other institutions  to provide opportunities for short-term service projects, generally lasting two weeks, in the township communities.  If you are interested in exploring such a project, or in volunteering in the early childhood development programme, please write to Jane Keen at jane@saep.org.