Community

Masicorp works for a community of close to 40,000 people living in the township of Masiphumelele, near Cape Town in South Africa. The community has been severely disadvantaged by the harsh historical legacy of apartheid and the slow pace of reform since apartheid ended in 1994.

Since Masicorp was founded in 1999, we have worked with both children and adults in Masiphumelele to provide expanded educational opportunities and skills development initiatives.  Our approach has always been to first ask the community where and how they need support — never to arrive with pre-conceived assumptions. From this approach, we know residents want a hand up not a handout and all agree that education is the route out of poverty.

Our vision is to ensure that all residents have access to quality education, training, advice, and support. To do this, we work closely with the people of Masiphumelele and with key partners, including community leaders and other non-profits.  Together we have built a constructive framework that helps residents progress out of poverty towards a sustainable livelihood through many programmes ranging from early childhood development (ECD) through to primary school and high school, as well as life and professional skills training for young people and adults.

Masicorp has no religious or political affiliations and is a tax-exempt NGO / charity registered and established in South Africa, the USA and the UK. Our headquarters are on the Chasmay Road Campus near Masiphumelele.

Uthando is a unique model of traveling philanthropy underpinned by the values of responsible tourism. Our Philanthropic Educational Excursions and experiences successfully link the local and international South Africa-focused traveling agencies to a broad range of innovative, inspiring, and well-managed community development projects.

Happy Feet Youth Project is a NPO founded in 2007 by Siviwe Mbinda in an effort to provide a safe after school environment for the children of his community. Through Siviwe’s work as a tourist guide in Langa, he saw an opportunity to further develop the mentor relationship he had with a small group of children. He paired responsible tourism and gumboots dance together as a catalyst to enable psychosocial and concrete benefits for the children.

Siviwe Mbinda established a program which empowers the children through gumboots and traditional dance to be confident and disciplined in achieving their goals both on and off the stage. The participants are required to balance their school work, participation in the Happy Feet activities, as well as how they carry themselves within the community. Siviwe Mbinda is being assisted by his near and dear ones to help him run the program.

The program includes over 100 boys and girls ages 3-22. Through dedication and hard work Happy Feet has performed at conferences, traditional ceremonies, hotels, universities, dance competitions, museums, and in parliament. The funding Happy Feet receives goes towards uniforms, traditional instruments, nutritious meals made in our very own soup kitchen, school fees and material support, and also Happy Feet outings and functions.