Inspire. Equip. Explore.
Give her the gift
of a future.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
– Isaiah 43:19
Our Impact.
Why IseeU
Every morning young women from the Cape Flats face an overwhelming challenge – they wake to a community with some of the highest rates of gangsterism and drug addiction in South Africa. They also face an epidemic of gender based violence alongside a failing education system. It is within this wild and unstable environment that our young women formulate their identity, their sense of potential and their dreams for the future.
IseeU Trust was launched eight years ago in Cape Town by two women who overcame hurdles to opportunities through mentors, skills and a professional network. IseeU offers a three-year mentorship programme supporting young female students from Grade 10 to 12, who are from the Cape Flats.
We believe that building a future starts with being seen. The name of the organisation was inspired by one of the young women participating in the programme in the early years – she explained that she felt seen, for the first time in her life.
Invest in her future.
What we do
Inspire.
We inspire our mentees to dream. We inspire purposeful living. We inspire self-belief & agency. We inspire possibility.
Equip.
We equip mentees with tools, skills and self-knowledge to navigate post-school life, as well as knowledge about opportunities and how to connect to them.
Explore.
We expand our mentee’s world view by encouraging them to explore all the opportunities available to them.
152
Young Women accessed our three year programme
7
Full time trained, weekly
volunteer mentors
39
Job shadowing
opportunities in 2023
Build her future.
How you can help
Sponsor a mentee
Ensure a mentee can access opportunities and build a future to achieve her full potential.
Become a Mentor
Are you a professional woman? We train mentors to help young women grow.
Skills Sharing
Our workshop facilitators offer diverse working experience, from finance to photography.
Women economics is smart economics
Investing in the education of young women has a cascading effect.
Women tend to invest more in their families and communities when they have access to resources and opportunities. They prioritize education and healthcare for their children, which can break the cycle of poverty and contribute to a healthier and more educated workforce. And when their families are economically stable, they are less likely to be drawn into criminal activities.
Women also play key roles in building and maintaining social cohesion within communities. They lead community development projects, social initiatives, and mentorship programs that foster stability.
And educated women are more likely to have fewer children and invest more in their education and health. This can lead to a demographic dividend, where a smaller youth population relative to the working-age population can boost economic growth.
Finally, empowered women serve as role models for other young women in the community. Their success stories inspire others to strive for education and economic independence, creating a positive cycle of empowerment.
Build our Community.
Shared Value for Business
The IseeU Trust is a registered Public Benefit Organisation and can be your BEE Level 1 partner. Donations to IseeU, not only help to create a more stable and thriving community, but are eligible for Section 18a Tax certificates.
Other ways your Business can partner with us:
-
- Skills Based Volunteering: encourage your women staff to become mentors or facilitate workshops
- Offer job shadowing or internship opportunities to the young women on our programme
- Encourage matched employee donations
