Guests that travel with GILTEDGE can choose to travel with purpose, supporting local NPOs and projects that make a sustainable, meaningful difference in the communities they serve. One example? The Amy Foundation is an incredible organisation working with vulnerable youth in South Africa’s Western Cape, including the impoverished neighbourhoods of Gugulethu, Philippi and Bonteheuwel.
In 2022, GILTEDGE partnered with the Amy Foundation which means guests can make a real difference in the lives of these children simply by travelling – as a percentage of each trip booked is donated to one of their programmes. Clients can also choose to visit the Amy Foundation when they’re in Cape Town, a truly unforgettable, life-affirming experience we can highly recommend.
Last week, the GILTEDGE team was lucky enough to join the Uthando Foundation on a visit to Amy’s Athlone and Gugulethu centres and had the opportunity to meet their team and see the amazing work they do first-hand.
The Amy Foundation’s work centres around academic support, life skills, and youth skills development, which is absolutely critical when you consider that only 43% of South African learners who start Grade 1 will complete Grade 12 (in other words, graduate from high school).
Their Gugulethu centre runs an afterschool programme for children, providing a safe, happy environment that allows them to overcome any shortcomings in their education. Here, learning is fun, with the team also using arts and culture (including music and dance) and sport to develop their skills and foster a love of learning and a drive for success.
Amy Foundation’s base in Sybrand Park, Athlone, is home to a Youth Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Programme (YSD), which focuses on unemployed youth aged mainly 18-35. Here, they offer skills training to school leavers and unemployed youth, including Hospitality; Beauty & Wellness; Sewing; Craft and Design; Soft Skills and Work-Readiness; Retail Readiness; Artisan Skills; and Business Skills and Entrepreneurship.
Internships are an important part of the YSD programme, and many students have the chance to gain experience in South Africa’s Travel and Tourism Industry, with stints at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Relate Trust, The Grand, The One&Only, Quay Four, Shell and the International Hotel School.
It’s just another way the Amy Foundation is addressing South Africa’s unemployment crisis – and giving South African youth a way to experience – and grab – any opportunities that lie ahead. And says Sandra Devoti, GM at GILTEDGE, it’s also what drew the GILTEDGE team to the work and ethos of the Amy Foundation:
“We have a long-standing partnership with Uthando South Africa, and when the opportunity came to become a sponsor for the Amy Foundation, we were excited because the foundation aligns with our company values to make a difference by creating a tangible, positive impact in our communities and helping build our great country, South Africa. Our sponsorship allows this resilient foundation to continue running – and provide a brighter future for vulnerable young people.”
We can arrange for our guests to visit the Amy Foundation if they are in Cape Town, but any traveller can support the Amy Foundation when they book with GILTEDGE.
Chat to us about how you can get involved and how every contribution helps keep youngsters in a nurturing environment where they can learn, play and be equipped with all the skills for future success.
Photos by Lizmarié Richardson