4africa brings good change to Africa

The partners of the 4africa NGO and tutors from Nucleo de Arte e Cultura (NAC) visited Turffontein Primary School, Rosettenville Primary School and Regents Park Primary School on May 12.

The visit entailed shooting footage for a short documentary to get sponsors in Europe to grow all 4africa projects further. These primary schools are home to several students who attend the NAC study centre after school.

The start of the journey

4africa was founded in 2011 after a visit to Worcester, Western Cape, by 20 people from Switzerland. They did voluntary work in informal settlements for Youth with a Mission.

“I spoke to the guys in the group, and two helped fund the organisation. There was no specific goal, and we just knew we wanted to do something meaningful,” said Matthias Kloeti, the co-founder of 4africa.

He added, “We did not have any funds at the time, so we started the organisation with funds from our own pockets, such as funds from my parents and sister.”

The first 4africa project was a laptop for a student, and out of that, many connections with schools in Worcester were formed, leading the founders to invest in South Africa.

4africa officially registered in Switzerland on March 11, which means if anyone gives donations, they will receive tax reductions, which is a great benefit for the donors.

“We couldn’t imagine that the organisation would grow that quickly. We are partnered in six countries – Malawi, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Cameroon and Nigeria,” said Kloeti.

How 4africa works

The main objective of the founders and members in Switzerland is to raise funds for the projects in the six African countries. “The questions we ask are, which projects are running and what kind of funds do you need? Then based on the specific projects, a yearly budget is done so those managing the projects are informed on the type of funding they will receive to carry out the project successfully,” said Kloeti.

The three primary sources of funding are individuals, companies and churches. 4africa has no employees, and everyone who works for them does so voluntarily.

“Although the organisation is small, we are content with the pace of its growth,” said Kloeti.

4africa’s Partnership and helping hands

“We did not need to go out to look for any of these projects. When we started in Worcester in 2010 and 2011, we lived at the base camp for Youth with a Mission. Many people from all over the world came there for training, and they were well-connected with each other, therefore, many projects came out of those first connections.

“We work with different fields such as sport, education and health. There is also an emergency fund for unforeseen circumstances. It is currently used to attend to the needs of those affected by the recent cyclone in Malawi,” said Kloeti.

“The partnership in Johannesburg began when my wife, Rita, and I went to watch our son play in the Roller Hockey World Championship in Spain. We met Jock Coimbra from South Africa, the president of the hockey team.

“We noticed the South African team hockey sticks differed from the Switzerland team hockey sticks. When we approached the president, he highlighted that the hockey sticks were made of wood and wore down when played on concrete. It was then that we saw the team was in need. We sponsored the team with new hockey sticks, and that was the start of the connection with Johannesburg.

“Our particular involvement started with the sport, which grew into an educational programme. We saw there was a need, and the programme helps up to 82 learners with their school work. There is great reception and encouragement to continue from the parents and learners. The programme runs Monday to Thursday from 14:30, and the children get a meal. Our only intention is to make a difference by improving their reading and writing skills,” said Jock Coimbra, a partner of 4africa.

“Regents Park Primary Schools’ partnership with Jock Coimbra and 4africa started in 2020. The school’s computer lab was refurbished, there is Wi-Fi across the entire school, a new server and firewall were installed, and the European Commissioner and Jock Coimbra donated two smartboards.

“This partnership has a great impact on the further development of the school and learners by ensuring we strive to make a difference. Thank you to supportive parents, the Gauteng Department of Education, 4africa, Jock Coimbra, my staff, the European Commissioner and the school management team.

The motivation

Kloeti was touched by the fine line dividing the rich and the poor. He said you could be in an informal settlement, and in five minutes, you were in a shopping mall, something he had never seen before. He was immensely affected, and it stemmed from his Scouts background.

“I decided we should not leave Africa the way we found it when we came,” said Kloeti.

“My motivation to start the organisation was people. I always had a heart for people and those in need, and that’s what I saw when I visited Africa. There is a large number of those in need,” said Kloeti.

He said he knew he had the skills to unite people and raise funds, and it motivated him to find resources and people to carry out this vision. Kloeti takes the opportunities presented to him in his workplace at a bank and everywhere he goes to tell people about 4africa. The network is gradually growing through word-of-mouth.

What’s next for 4africa?

“With the assistance of my friend who works at a travel agency, we are gathering about 15 people to travel to South Africa to volunteer for two weeks. It was not 4africa’s goal to travel with groups. However, the travelling will broaden our network, and more people will be positively impacted by this,” said Kloeti.