Empowering Children, Igniting Change: Building a Legacy of Transformation
Legacy is driven by a powerful mission: to bring God’s love, hope, compassion, and justice to Stellenbosch. Starting in Kayamandi, this inspiring organisation focuses on empowering children and igniting a positive change within their communities.
Through Legacy’s innovative programmes, the organisation introduces the community to tools for employability, spiritual wellness, emotional support, psychosocial and basic needs, health and physical exercise.
At the heart of their approach is the value of genuine connections. Viewing networking not as a mere transaction, but as a deeply personal endeavour.
“If we know each other and know what everyone [is] dreaming and doing, we do not have to recreate the wheel, we can cover each other’s backs and together have a larger footprint,” says managing director, Louise Fourie.
Collaborative partnerships are important as it not only provides support and room for
collective discussion, it also amplifies collective impact. To achieve this, Legacy actively participates in various community driven network groups such as the SCAN Afterschool and Recreation Working Group, ABBA, and the Kayamandi Network.
In the context of Kayamandi, there is still work to be done. Legacy recognises the
importance of covering more ground in Kayamandi and collaborating with more NPOs to create a greater impact.
A significant milestone for Legacy in the past year was the ‘First Responders’ training
conducted by Thando Trust in partnership with Legacy facilitators. This transformative year-long journey focused on understanding the profound influence of trauma and suffering on human behaviour. Through this training, dedicated staff members gained valuable insights into their own life experiences and how these experiences shape their interactions with the children they serve.
“As management, we could see the growth and the changed behaviour. This is important in an environment where trauma is part of daily [life],” says Louise.
Legacy remains committed to fostering a compassionate and trauma-informed approach in their work. Personal growth and self-reflection is significant in creating safe and nurturing environments for the children they serve. Through ongoing training and collaboration, Legacy strives to make a lasting difference in the lives of both our staff and the communities with which they engage.
