What we believe

1) Finishing Matric matters

Finishing matric (secondary school) still matters for finding a job and those with a high school qualification are more likely to be active in the economy. This is supported by analysis conducted by the research from the University of Cape Town. The South African Labour Development Research Unit found an 8% difference in economic activity and connection to the labour market between youth who completed matric versus those who didn’t.

We provide targeted psycho-social support and high school level remedial interventions to drive retention in school - keeping those most at risk of dropping out in the school system.

2) Soft skills matter

Formal education is obviously important but it is not a silver bullet to solve youth unemployment. Employers are increasingly looking for soft skills, such as initiative, empathy, conflict management

We focus on developing soft skills needed to gain employment and on improving self-esteem to increase the chances of an unemployed youth finding work and sticking in it for the long term.

3) Mastery leads to self-esteem

Rugby is a high impact sport, and mastering something physically challenging is an amazing tool. Not only does it help with self-esteem it also alters the brain chemistry to adapt to and adopt new behaviours. High impact, high intensity experiences have the potential to make lasting change. This is because they are powerful, memorable experiences that stand out within a person’s life.

By undergoing tough physical activities that challenge children, we make clear comparisons with working hard and developing skills in school at and work.