Shared goals and long-term vision deliver local impact.
Infinite Family works with visionary multi-national and local corporations to expand video mentoring to teens in Africa’s underserved township communities. Together, we deliver the childrens’ first access to computers and all of the information available on the Internet.
As strong corporate citizens, these companies recognize the need for adult role models in the communities where they operate, and the unique potential of video mentoring to help teens perform better in school, cope with life’s challenges, and prepare to become self-reliant and successful young adults.
Our local partners — school and community based organizations (CBOs) — know the teens in their communities and what they need to create better lives. The capacity and commitment of these critical partners are top priorities in our decision to start new mentoring labs. We train and support the local staff to run our mentoring labs, creating several part-time jobs at each site and spreading technology literacy and management skills to community residents.
Nkosi’s Haven
Nkosi’s Haven is a pioneer HIV/AIDS NGO. Started in 1999, it was one of the first organisations to address South Africa’s orphan crisis. Located in the south of Johannesburg, Nkosi’s Haven offers holistic care and support for destitute HIV/AIDS infected mothers, her children, and resulting AIDS orphans (infected or not). Nkosi’s Haven is named after Nkosi Johnson, the young AIDS activist who passed away on International Children’s Day on June 1st 2001, who dearly wanted a facility that would care for struggling mothers and their children. He had been separated from his mom because of the HIV diagnosis and he never wanted that to happen to any other child. He also wanted HIV positive people to be cared for without discrimination or prejudice. Nkosi’s Haven was Infinite Family’s very first CBO partner in South Africa. Visit the Nkosi’s Haven website here.
Alexandra Child Care and Support Centre
The Alexandra Child Care and Support Centre, is a community based organization located at Realogile High School in the Alexandra Township on the northside of Johannesburg. ACCSC provides daily child care so that teens may drop off their younger siblings and attend school, and a mid-day meal to all children who come to the centre after school. ACCSC manages Infinite Family’s first LaunchPad mentoring lab.
Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy
Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy is a not-for-profit organisation based in Khayelitsha, Cape Town. Velokhaya uses cycling-based programs to involve township youth in a positive, after-school activity. They chose the sport of cycling because it was a sport which township children wanted to participate in – and one which, until the formation of the Academy, had excluded a large percentage of South Africa’s population. Visit the Velokhaya website here.
What’s Good for Teens — is Good for Companies and Communities Too
Employees want to get involved, but their lives are busy and complicated.
Infinite Family provides employees with a way to get involved and give back, without leaving the office. At the same time, video mentoring provides a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on local youth while bringing positive social benefits that strengthen schools, families and communities.
By 2020, 75% of the world’s employees will be young people, (i.e. Millennials and Gen Z).
43% of Millennials and 61% of Gen Z employees plan to switch jobs within two years, valuing experience and personal development.
87% of employees feel greater loyalty to socially engaged employers.
92% of surveyed corporate human resources executives agree that contributing business skills and expertise to a nonprofit can be an effective way to improve employees’ leadership and broader professional skill sets.
21% of first-generation college students said that encouragement from a mentor was a “very important reason” for going to college.
Parental trust improved in 73% of community-based mentorships.
Mentored teens were 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs and alcohol than their control counterparts.
Employee Video Mentoring only takes 30 minutes per week for 32 weeks per year (that’s only 2 days annually) and:
Enriches employee cross-cultural competence and confidence, sharpen leadership skills, broaden global perspectives and enhance motivation.
Turns 1000s of years of employee work and life experience into assets that will help teens build better lives.
Defeats failure and dependence with self-reliant role models.
Maximizes employee volunteering impact without the commute!
Save
Save
Save
We Make it Easy to Make a Difference
Infinite Family knows that our partners count on us to help them make a sustainable impact in the communities where they work — and to provide unique workplace experiences for their employees. Our team has the skills, systems and expertise to manage community teams, support employee teams and report on teen progress to management.
Infinite Family works with each of its partners to develop a partnership that aligns with their unique needs and capabilities. Contact us to discuss the partnership opportunities for your business, institution, faith community, or professional or other membership organization.
Employee or Member Mentoring
Infinite Family provides organizations with an innovative and meaningful way to make employee or member volunteerism a shared, global effort through video mentoring. The benefits to employees or members are significant – employees who mentor are happier in their jobs and have increased leadership skills. Members who volunteer together develop stronger bonds to each other and the organization that supports them in their shared volunteerism.
Programmatic Support
To get more directly involved in Infinite Family’s work with African teens, companies or organizations can support Infinite Family’s work programmatically in a number of ways, including: Sponsor an incoming or existing class of Net Buddy mentees at one of our mentoring labs; Organize in-person or video workshops or learning field trips for our Net Buddies; Support on-going training and career development opportunities for our Net Blazer alumni; Expand our professional video library with career guidance videos based on the experience of your employees; Bring a mentoring lab to a school in your community; and Piloting new technology and infrastructure enhancements that ensure Infinite Family continues to drive video mentoring to new and existing African communities in need.
Matching Gifts & Cash for Doers Programs
Many companies match their employees’ charitable contributions, and also provide non-profit partners with financial support based on their employees’ volunteer commitments. Learn how you can double your impact today, contact Amy Stokes.
In-kind Contributions
In-kind contributions of Internet or cellular bandwidth, design, technology, training, software, and computers and accessories are key to our success providing video mentoring to African students. Learn how employees can double their impact today, contact Amy Stokes.
Save
Save
Leadership gifts propel African teens toward jobs in the Fourth Industrial Revolution economy.
Talk to Us Today About the Legacy Impact You Wish to Make
Major donations advance Infinite Family’s mission to propel South Africa’s teens to school and life success.
Infinite Family can receive major gifts as one-time gifts of cash or securities, as pledges payable over a period that you define or as planned gifts. You decide if your gift will be restricted or unrestricted. Gifts to Infinite Family provide tax benefits in the United States and South Africa. Infinite Family is a Level 1 BBBEE contributor in South Africa.
Install a LaunchPad and Provide Internet Access
Produce and install a LaunchPad computer lab in Alexandra, Johannesburg or Khayelitsha, Cape Town.
Infinite Family marshals and manages the resources required and supports local schools and organizations that run our mentoring labs, usually under extreme circumstances.
Nkosi’s Haven
Alexandra Child Care and Support Centre
Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy
Employee or Member Mentoring
Programmatic Support
