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.

Furthermore, during the Covid 19 pandemic, millions of children in South Africa were left without access to sufficient educational tools and support. One Heart for Kids, a South African and US registered non-profit company, aims to address these challenges.

During the Covid-19 crisis, we are raising funds for CAPS approved Key Links Literacy curriculum for under-resourced primary schools and children, as well as psycho-social support, play therapy, counselling and educational toys for at-risk kids. Help us to help them!

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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:

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.
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.
One Heart