Amy Foundation, formerly Amy Biehl Foundation Trust

The Amy Foundation, formerly the Amy Biehl Foundation Trust, is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and enriching the lives of township youth.

The foundation offers after-school programmes (ASP) in Gugulethu and Bonteheuwel; programmes are spread across three centres and attract students from ten schools in the area. Programmes include dance, music, soccer, netball, martial arts, literacy, numeracy, greening and environmental activities, and life skills including AIDS awareness and leadership development. Our ASP centres are located at Bonteheuwel High School, Mimosa Primary School, and Siyazingisa Primary School, and we have plans to open more centres when we have the funding.

The foundation also offers youth skills development (YSD) programmes to youth aged 18 to 35 with a valid ID and matric, focusing on youth that are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). We offer three-month free vocational skills courses in Beauty, Hospitality, Technical Skills, and Sewing and Design held at our main offices at 2 Dagbreek Street, Sybrand Park. Our courses are taught by experienced facilitators, a few of them graduates of our programmes. We also offer soft skills training programmes that focus on self-esteem and leadership development, as well as teaching entrepreneurial skills. The foundation provides lasting support for graduates of our programmes, including one-on-one business coaching sessions and assistance in creating CVs and business advertisements. We also connect our learners to internship and employment opportunities with many of our partner organizations/companies.

To fund our programmes, we offer cultural tours through the townships focusing on the history of the foundation and the role it plays in the community. These tours visit our programme locations to view and meet the people the foundation is impacting. We offer the opportunity to have lunch at Amy’s Bistro made for you by the Hospitality learners. We also offer educational/volunteering tours, where groups are able to volunteer at our programmes for a day and share their skills with our learners. Our tours are a wonderful way to see the townships surrounding Cape Town and make a difference in the lives of youth at the same time. We also sell Relate bracelets, masks, buffs, and Amy dolls handmade by our Sewing and Design learners. We offer opportunities for international and local volunteers and interns, and every donation of money, time, or resources makes a difference to our goal of changing lives.

Highlights:

Foundation offers after-school for children in Gugulethu and Bonteheuwel.
Also offers vocational training programmes in beauty, hospitality, technical skills, and sewing and design to township youth.
Cultural tour offers a tour of the townships and our programme locations and activities.
Educational/volunteering tour offers an opportunity to volunteer at our programmes for a day.
Lunch available for tours at Amy’s Bistro, food made by our hospitality learners.