• Empowering Scholars...
    with skills for higher education readiness
  • Opening Doors…
    to higher education access
  • Promoting Equity and Sustainability…
    by lifting a community of schools

We are The Umkhumbane Schools Project.

We are an education equity NGO working to promote social transformation through improved education access and outcomes in the historic Cato Manor township and informal settlement area of greater Durban, South Africa.

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Empowering Scholars
Learning for Higher Education Readiness

Our learner-focused programs help young people to develop life-skills and to succeed in subjects such as mathematics, sciences, and other "gateway" learning areas which hold the key not only to higher-paying jobs, but also to fully-participatory citizenship in the 21st century.

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Opening Doors
Access to Higher Education & Development

Our academic advising, career exposure workshops, and higher education application assistance help learners to set their sights on bright futures, transform their dreams into goals, and gain access to opportunities for post-secondary study. 

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Advancing Education Equity
ERGO: A New Kind of NGO

Our innovative model of NGO-schools partnership brings the strengths of a small, local nonprofit on-site to work within a community of schools, unlocking new sources of funding, fostering program coordination and resource-sharing, and serving as a point of connection between our cluster and a broader world of engagement and opportunity.

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Blogs

Notes From The Field.

When I first started attending the science Expo workshops with The Umkhumbane Schools Project, I was super anxious. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces. But as the time passed I got to know each and every one and got close to them. Although we always fought over food  --   especially those divine banana cakes. We always fooled around, maybe too much so we forgot to work, but thanks to our mentors and Mrs. Bishai, we always got things done.

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They were bright. They were curious and attentive. Some described themselves as “very shy.” Others said they were “very confident.” All were part of a special group of twenty Umkhumbane Schools Project (“USP”) girls who attended a Girls of Tomorrow/Girls In Science workshop at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Science and Technology Education Centre (“STEC”) during our recent April holidays, as part of a special partnership among the USP, STEC, and Peace Corps South Africa.

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