ABOUT US
In 2019 the matriculation pass rate for Grade 12 learners in South Africa was 38.9%. Provincial statistics varied (see image below) but overall, these numbers are an indication of an education system that is in drastic need of change.
In 2016, in order to respond to this national crisis, the Sustainable Development Network, a South African and US registered non-profit company, started a new programme called One Heart for Kids.
Our purpose is to host (mainly sport) events to raise funds for literacy curriculum and for community development. In these events, children, youth and families from all walks of life come together to support the One Heart cause. During the Covid-19 crisis, we are raising funds for food and other essential goods and services for at-risk children, youth and families in South Africa through crowdfunding and other types of campaigns, in line with Covid-19 regulations.
Matthew Kruger
Matthew is our marketing manager and our youth-leader, with a great heart to see communities uplifted and potential discovered through youth development.
Latest Runs:
Bastille 2016 25km
3rd place Category finish
1st Place overall in Lourensford Senecio 2016 10km trail
Spur Winter Trail Series
3rd place Category finish
Cornel Smuts
Cornel is a teacher and a coach at a local school in Stellenbosch. He's also an avid trail runner and his passion is to combine these talents to enable children to develop and grow through sport and education. He teaches and leads with great passion and commitment.
Latest runs:
Silvermine Mountain Challenge, 1st mixed teams
Otter Trail run
Epic
Niel Swanepoel
Niel is an avid trail runner, with a heart for education and improving the lives of children. Niel is also a local entrepreneur who is passionate about uplifting communities and taking strides in education and in helping children reach their full potential.
Latest runs:
Table Mountain Challenge, 3rd male
Dryland Traverse Stage race, 2nd mixed teams
Silvermine Mountain Trail Run, 1st team
Johan Sym
Johan is a pastor, teacher and social worker. Johan has experience working with children in schools as a counsellor and mentor as well as working with adults within their home environment in a training capacity. Together with his wife Edna, this couple serve their local communities through ministry, facilitation and tending to both the emotional and spiritual health of relational areas in families.
Lisa Thompson-Smeddle
Founder/Director of the Sustainable Development Network and One Heart for Kids. She has over 30 years’ experience in the NGO sector in Africa. She has managed a variety of programmes for the UNDP; DANIDA; Cordaid; the Sustainability Institute; Stellenbosch University; the SA National Department of Human Settlements, SA provincial and local government authorities, the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Peace Parks Foundation, the University of California Berkeley and more. She has recently been on contract as a sustainability advisor to Family Health International, an Umbrella Grants Mechanism managing a $93 million USAID PEPFAR grant.
One Heart for Kids is a programme within the Sustainable Development Network, a USA and RSA registered non-profit company. The SDN provides a space for NGOs, government, and professionals to network and access information and research in sustainable development, health, welfare and in the education and training sectors. The SDN promotes projects and lifestyles that will ensure that our children and their children will be able to sustain themselves now and in the future.
The SDN hosts the following programmes and platforms:
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Networking – enables NGOs access to workshops, conferences, information and other networks working together toward common sustainable development goals. The SDN provides relevant workshops, training and mentoring programmes to assist in meeting these capacity needs.
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African Sustainability Academy - The African Sustainability Academy runs research and applied research projects and offers capacity building and training programmes for non-profits, government and corporates.
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One Heart