About the Thari Programme
Launched in 2017 by the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (CRF) and implemented by the Adopt‑a‑School Foundation, the Thari Programme addresses social issues such as violence, abuse, and neglect that severely impact learners’ educational outcomes. It is active in eight schools in Botshabelo (Free State) and one school in Diepsloot (Gauteng) and has grown into an evidence-based model beyond its initial five-year pilot (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
In Tswana, “Thari” means the blanket used to carry and protect a child—capturing the programme’s core mission to shield and uplift vulnerable youth (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Programme Pillars
1. Psychosocial Support
Child and Youth Care Workers offer tailored care through the Isibindi Ezikoleni Model, addressing emotional distress, trauma, abuse, and crisis situations. This service supports both children and their families, reaching over 700 registered children as of August 2024 (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
2. Safe Parks
These non-formal spaces offer after-school care, recreational life skills development, traditional storytelling, homework support, and structured play (e.g., chess, Scrabble). Safe Parks are open during holidays and weekends, and by mid‑2024 over 2,700 learners had accessed them (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
3. Multi-sectoral Community Forums
Engaging stakeholders—from government (Education, Health, Social Development, Justice) to NGOs, community leaders, SAPS, and UNICEF—the multi-sectoral approach builds local support systems that tackle intertwined social issues like substance abuse, bul‑lying, teenage pregnancy, and gang activity (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Impact at a Glance (as of August 2024)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered (psychosocial support) | ~1,438 |
| Safe Park service activities | ~3,222 |
| Learners participating in awareness campaigns | ~16,656 |
| Family members indirectly supported | ~1,133 |
These numbers reflect consistent growth and the strong potential for program scaling (adoptaschool.org.za, cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Key Program Activities
- Biennial Conferences like “Bridging the Gap” (2019, 2022) showcase partnership outcomes, research findings, and lessons from Botshabelo and Diepsloot (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
- Positive Parenting Dialogues engage parents, learners, educators, and experts to promote healthy parent–child relationships and address adolescent challenges directly (May 2024 event in Botshabelo) (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
- Annual Career Expos in Diepsloot expose learners to post-school opportunities and pathways to education/employment (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
- Child Protection Week Campaigns & Sport Tournaments raise awareness about school-based violence, promoting systemic change through dialogue and prevention (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Why It Matters
By embedding psychosocial support in schools and mobilizing the community, Thari creates healthier, safer, and more inclusive learning environments. It addresses root causes of poor educational outcomes—such as abuse, neglect, and violence—and brings together stakeholders across sectors for sustainable impact.
The programme demonstrates how targeted community-engaged models can bridge systemic gaps, support vulnerable learners, and lay the foundation for broader replication in other underserved regions.
Next Steps & Opportunities
- Thari continues implementation in Diepsloot and Botshabelo, refining its model with key learnings from the evaluation period. It has entered at least its 7th year of sustained operation as of late 2023 (adoptaschool.org.za).
- Plans are underway to scale the model, subject to further resourcing and partnership expansion.
- CRF and Adopt‑a‑School welcome support—whether financially, through program collaboration, or to facilitate expansion to additional communities. Interested individuals or organizations can reach out via info@cyrilramaphosa.org or the Adopt‑a‑School contact lines: 011 592 6560 / 6430 (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org, cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Summary
- Programme: Thari — safe, supportive school-based network for children and women
- Focus: Psychosocial care, safe after-school spaces, multi-sector networks
- Locations: Botshabelo (Free State) & Diepsloot (Gauteng)
- Progress: Thousands of learners and families supported; over ~16,600 campaign participants
- Future Goals: Model scaling, new funding partners, deeper systems impact
Thari is not just a patch—it’s an anchor. By protecting and empowering vulnerable children in education, it paves the way for healthier, more resilient communities. Want help exploring how similar models can reach your province or school? Let me know—I’d be glad to support.
Here’s a comprehensive overview of the Thari Programme — a scalable, multi-sectoral intervention designed to foster inclusive, safe, and psychosocially supportive learning environments in South Africa’s most vulnerable communities.
About the Thari Programme
Launched in 2017 by the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation (CRF) and implemented by the Adopt‑a‑School Foundation, the Thari Programme addresses social issues such as violence, abuse, and neglect that severely impact learners’ educational outcomes. It is active in eight schools in Botshabelo (Free State) and one school in Diepsloot (Gauteng) and has grown into an evidence-based model beyond its initial five-year pilot (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
In Tswana, “Thari” means the blanket used to carry and protect a child—capturing the programme’s core mission to shield and uplift vulnerable youth (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Programme Pillars
1. Psychosocial Support
Child and Youth Care Workers offer tailored care through the Isibindi Ezikoleni Model, addressing emotional distress, trauma, abuse, and crisis situations. This service supports both children and their families, reaching over 700 registered children as of August 2024 (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
2. Safe Parks
These non-formal spaces offer after-school care, recreational life skills development, traditional storytelling, homework support, and structured play (e.g., chess, Scrabble). Safe Parks are open during holidays and weekends, and by mid‑2024 over 2,700 learners had accessed them (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
3. Multi-sectoral Community Forums
Engaging stakeholders—from government (Education, Health, Social Development, Justice) to NGOs, community leaders, SAPS, and UNICEF—the multi-sectoral approach builds local support systems that tackle intertwined social issues like substance abuse, bul‑lying, teenage pregnancy, and gang activity (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Impact at a Glance (as of August 2024)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Children registered (psychosocial support) | ~1,438 |
| Safe Park service activities | ~3,222 |
| Learners participating in awareness campaigns | ~16,656 |
| Family members indirectly supported | ~1,133 |
These numbers reflect consistent growth and the strong potential for program scaling (adoptaschool.org.za, cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Key Program Activities
- Biennial Conferences like “Bridging the Gap” (2019, 2022) showcase partnership outcomes, research findings, and lessons from Botshabelo and Diepsloot (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
- Positive Parenting Dialogues engage parents, learners, educators, and experts to promote healthy parent–child relationships and address adolescent challenges directly (May 2024 event in Botshabelo) (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
- Annual Career Expos in Diepsloot expose learners to post-school opportunities and pathways to education/employment (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
- Child Protection Week Campaigns & Sport Tournaments raise awareness about school-based violence, promoting systemic change through dialogue and prevention (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Why It Matters
By embedding psychosocial support in schools and mobilizing the community, Thari creates healthier, safer, and more inclusive learning environments. It addresses root causes of poor educational outcomes—such as abuse, neglect, and violence—and brings together stakeholders across sectors for sustainable impact.
The programme demonstrates how targeted community-engaged models can bridge systemic gaps, support vulnerable learners, and lay the foundation for broader replication in other underserved regions.
Next Steps & Opportunities
- Thari continues implementation in Diepsloot and Botshabelo, refining its model with key learnings from the evaluation period. It has entered at least its 7th year of sustained operation as of late 2023 (adoptaschool.org.za).
- Plans are underway to scale the model, subject to further resourcing and partnership expansion.
- CRF and Adopt‑a‑School welcome support—whether financially, through program collaboration, or to facilitate expansion to additional communities. Interested individuals or organizations can reach out via info@cyrilramaphosa.org or the Adopt‑a‑School contact lines: 011 592 6560 / 6430 (cyrilramaphosafoundation.org, cyrilramaphosafoundation.org).
Summary
- Programme: Thari — safe, supportive school-based network for children and women
- Focus: Psychosocial care, safe after-school spaces, multi-sector networks
- Locations: Botshabelo (Free State) & Diepsloot (Gauteng)
- Progress: Thousands of learners and families supported; over ~16,600 campaign participants
- Future Goals: Model scaling, new funding partners, deeper systems impact
Thari is not just a patch—it’s an anchor. By protecting and empowering vulnerable children in education, it paves the way for healthier, more resilient communities. Want help exploring how similar models can reach your province or school? Let me know—I’d be glad to support.
