Empowering women and improving children’s educational readiness, thereby reducing wealth inequality and fostering sustainable community development.
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Women and kids in the Eastern Cape confront insufficient healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities. One to One Africa’s community-based approach enables them to respond with newfound strength.
South Africa’s Eastern Cape has long grappled with stark inequalities, with women and children particularly affected. Backed by the Julius Baer Foundation, One to One Africa has launched the Enable-i project to empower these underserved groups on multiple fronts, from early child-hood development to women’s health and economic inclusion.
At the centre of the project stands a community hub that serves diverse functions, including trainings for women aimed at income generation and activities for children that stimulate their cognitive growth. Since its launch, Enable-i has successfully established partnerships with government bodies and companies, coordinated with the provincial treasury to host key topical dialogues, conducted factory visits to assess and identify training opportunities for women.
Quick Facts
- O. R. Tambo District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Project support: 2025-2029
- Grant amount: CHF 2,810,000
- This project is co-funded
- Supporting women’s resilience and economic opportunities while providing early childhood develop- ment activities to their children.
From deprivations and separation...
Women’s experience in the Eastern Cape is all too often characterised by scarcity – of jobs, infrastructure, proper health and psychosocial services, etc. – and the need to endure it alone.
...to resources and collaboration.
One to One Africa employs women from the local population to go door to door and address these service gaps in communities, in addition to efforts to create job opportunities in collaboration with area businesses.
Our approach is fundamentally about empowerment. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the clients we serve, equipping them to enhance their own agency. We refer to those we help not as beneficiaries, but as clients, underscoring our role in providing a service that empowers them to take charge of their own lives. This philosophy is integral to every service we offer, ensuring each client can actively shape their own development and success.
OUTPUT
Through the programme, 80 women per year are engaged in income generation and 150 children receive early childhood development support.
OUTCOME
A newly established community hub will drive local collaboration and ownership of programme activities. By 2027, over 240 women annually will be able to increase their financial independence.
HIGHLIGHT
An upcoming wealth dialogue in collaboration with provincial government bodies and leading businesses will focus on improving inclusion and support for disabled persons.
A partnership for community resilience
- South Africa remains one of the most unequal societies in the world, with the Eastern Cape among its poorest and most underserved provinces.
- An estimated 67% of adults live in poverty – the majority in rural areas, where women are disproportionately affected due to lack of education, employment opportunities and healthcare.
- Early childhood development outcomes are equally concerning: only 38.1% of children in the Eastern Cape are developmentally on track by age five.
- Attracted by its focus on impactful initiatives, One to One Africa approached the Julius Baer Foundation to leverage its expertise and support in fostering economic empowerment and educational advancements in underserved communities.
- Together, they have initiated the Enable-i project to tackle poverty cycles in the Eastern Cape by empowering women through income-generating opportunities and supporting young children’s cognitive development – laying the groundwork for lasting, community-led change.
- Going forward, the project’s focus will emphasise development of its new community hub, enhancing people’s access to markets and implementing educational programmes that maximise resilience and growth.
About One to One Africa
Since 2021, One to One Africa has been at the forefront of providing critical services in South Africa’s most isolated rural communities, transforming lives by addressing the profound gaps in healthcare, education and psychosocial support; and pioneering the Mentor Mother model to empower women and families affected by poverty and chronic illnesses such as HIV.
Learn more about One to One Africa
