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Why South Africa?

Apartheid Methodically Impoverished Black South Africans

With Our Help, Today’s Teens Are Breaking the Cycle of Poverty and Violence.

During Apartheid, black South African communities were destroyed and residents were forced to move to distant townships without electricity, water, or decent schools.  

70 years later, not much has changed on the ground – but everything has changed in the teens who live there.

South Africa’s teens spend an overwhelming amount of time and energy just to survive and then to stay in school – in child-headed households, the eldest leaves school to support the rest. Desperation and hopelessness normalize violence.

Hunger is Constant

Parents are Absent or Exhausted

Physical Violence is Everywhere

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

~ Nelson Mandela

Finishing 12th grade doubles a teen’s monthly and lifetime income in South Africa. Completing a diploma/associate’s degree is worth 5x as much. Achieving a Bachelor’s degree results in an 8x income raise – approximately R13 million / $1 million over an average South African lifetime.

Monthly and Lifetime Income
by Education Level (ZAR)

Monthly and Lifetime Income
by Education Level ($)

Don’t ask us – Ask the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and McKinsey. They studied millions of 15 year olds worldwide starting in 2000-2015. 

What Does this Mean?

Consistent across all continents, students who believed they could succeed and took responsibility for their performance rose above all other challenges, including difficult home life and the fewest resources. Nothing defeats a spirit or mind that pushes itself. 

Again, don’t ask us – Ask any parent of a teen how easy it is to get them to do ANYTHING they don’t want to.

Infinite Family’s Mentored Teens Rise to the Challenge