Equip African Teens to Succeed

When most people think of Cape Town, they often note its many natural wonders: Table Mountain, Garden Route, beaches, whales, and even adorable penguins. Well, we've found another set of wonders just 30km southeast of the city's center - Khayelitsha's teens! Infinite Family's newest LaunchPad has landed in partnership with Velokhaya Life Cycling Academy to provide a one of a kind skills development environment for the teens in Khayelitsha township. Launching this partnership was very special because it included Infinite Family team members from the US - Amy Stokes and Phi Nguyen, and SA - Zoleka Maphalala and Mpho Modisakeng. But having US Director, Kevin Travis, and one of our early Video Mentors, Anna Morris, also attend made it feel like a real Family affair.

One of the newest members to the Family, Pick n Pay, was the lynchpin in proposing and driving the partnership with Velokhaya. Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, Director of Transformation for Pick n Pay, reaffirmed the unique and powerful opportunity that the LaunchPad would give to the teens in Khayelitsha, “We’ve seen so many milestones being reached at Velokhaya with young cyclists coming through the programme to excel in cycling as a sport. But the reality is that not all students will become professional cyclists. We’re very excited this new mentorship opportunity will not only equip the children to graduate from high school, but it will also allow them to qualify for advanced studies and have access to further opportunities in life.”

LaunchPads are only made possible with the support of our partners, both corporate and nonprofit, and this one was no different. Infinite Family thanks Pick n Pay, BT, European School Munich, and Velokhaya for all believing in Infinite Family and in all South African teens and their drive to build a better future for themselves.