The Ithemba Institute

The Ithemba Institute is an educational facility in the heart of Soweto, comprising a high school with an associated FET college and training facility situated in the heart of Soweto. At Ithemba, our goal is nothing short of nation building, and we strive to give disadvantaged learners life-changing technical skills in STEM subjects (such as electrical and mechanical engineering, IT, mathematics etc.)

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the school, with our parent community severely affected and mostly unable to pay school fees. At the same time, our income from doing training for companies has also completely dried up, with most training delayed into next year. The school employs 24 teachers who, in a normal year, will provide thousands of hours of training to the leaders of tomorrow. Now our beacon of hope to the community is at risk as we face a short-term crippling debt crisis, and all of the school’s staff have selflessly gone without pay for several months in order to try and keep the doors open and see out the school year. While we can see the light and a brighter tomorrow as our world returns to normal early next year, we are desperate to survive and stay afloat until then. Your contribution to keeping the dream alive will be appreciated!