๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ, ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐
(Image: Jumpstart Club of the Domican School for Deaf Children in Cape Town preparing to establish a food garden)
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ?
Jumpstart, powered by Gift of the Givers, is a 100% free and inclusive youth development and leadership programme for registered high schools. All school types are welcome: public, rural, independent, Model C, faith-based, and technical schools. With a strong focus on inclusivity, the programme also ensures accessibility for learners with special needs, including those who are blind, deaf, physically disabled, or neurodivergent. Launched in 2025 as a pilot, the programme was designed to remove barriers to youth empowerment, offering learners, regardless of background or learning environment, access to meaningful opportunities. Jumpstart was active in 10 high schools across five provinces in 2025, with plans to expand by onboarding 25 additional schools in 2026 to include all nine provinces.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐
Each school that joins the programme establishes a Jumpstart Club – a gateway to the full programme, giving learners free access to mentorship, skills training, entrepreneurship guidance, project support, and start-up funding. Clubs are required to implement at least three learner-led projects per year that will benefit their school or community and drive social good.
๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ
In just 10 months, Jumpstart reached over 8,000 learners and 268 educators nationwide. Jumpstart Clubs across the country led over 30 incredible projects: food gardens, feeding schemes, recycling initiatives, classroom improvements, environmental clean-ups, and awareness campaigns, among others. Learners were encouraged to think critically, act ethically with empathy and compassion, and take responsibility for positive change, preparing them to be resilient and future-ready in a rapidly evolving world.
๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ
โOur youth are our countryโs greatest asset,โ says Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder and CEO of Gift of the Givers. โLeadership is not defined by age but by purpose, compassion, ethics, and accountability. We need a generation that leads with empathy, vision, and integrity.โ
๐๐จ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐
Applications for the Jumpstart 2026 cohort are now open. Learners can gain skills, mentorship, and lead projects that make a difference in their schools and communities. To learn more and to apply for the 2026 cohort, visit: www.jumpstartza.com
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