Back to the home pageOwnership is not an outcome we hope for at the end of a programme cycle. It is an integral measure that our strategies rest on from day one. Below are the authentic stories of educators, schools, and partner networks moving closer to self-sustained impact.
Mikateka Primary School
Ivory Park, South Africa
Ivory Park, South AfricaAt Mikateka Primary School, coding and robotics began in 2024 as an after-school program introduced and resourced by TNF. What started as an extra-curricular offering has evolved into an internal academic priority owned by the school itself.
“Perhaps the most powerful indicator of transformation is found in language. When the principal speaks about coding and robotics, she no longer refers to TNF as the owner. She speaks of it as ‘OUR programme’.”
Mikateka has actively sought out additional partnerships (including Mathew Goniwe) and opened its facilities to community organisations in exchange for financial contributions to sustain coding kits. What was once supported is now sustained.
Willow Crescent Secondary
Gauteng, South Africa
Willow Crescent Secondary didn’t wait for permission to integrate coding and robotics into its timetable — they made it happen through direct engagement with the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE).
1. The School
Made the case to GDE for formal curriculum integration, assessment support, and recognition in everyday teaching.
2. Ecosystem Partner
Sifiso Ed (implementation partner) continued showing up post-contract to bridge gaps out of deep investment in the school’s trajectory.
3. Government (GDE)
Responded to a prepared, credible request by formally including the school in the official pilot programme.
Rebuilding Unity at Delrado Primary School
Eldorado Park, Gauteng
Like many schools, Delrado Primary’s biggest barrier to improvement was not just resources, but internal cohesion and strained staff morale. As the school reflected:
“We could not uplift the school because we ourselves did not feel uplifted.”
Through the Self-Help Group (SHG) model (implemented with TNF and The Share Trust), task team members created an internal mechanism for collective problem-solving and practical tools for rebuilding collaboration. Teachers signed up to rebuild how they work together, proving that sustained change begins with people choosing to work differently with each other.
Khulani Nathi Innovation Fund (KNIF)
What trust makes possible: backing grassroots changemakers with unrestricted multi-year capital, flexibility, and co-learning ecosystems.
Citizen Leader Lab
Expanding leadership development and support to under-resourced schools in Mthatha, Eastern Cape.
SLED (Sign language education and development)
Strengthening teacher training and inclusive education for Deaf learners via digital learning platforms.
Digify Foundation
Equipping young people with practical digital skills and connecting them to real earning opportunities.
The Valley Trust
Connecting rural youth in KwaZulu-Natal to integrated pathways in education, employment and entrepreneurship.
Together, these organisations reflect the breadth of locally led solutions KNIF supports - from safer, more inclusive schools to digital skills, teacher development and youth pathways. While their approaches differ, they share a belief that lasting change begins with communities leading their own solutions.
For KNIF, success is measured not by the number of grants awarded, but by the confidence, capacity and momentum of the organisations driving education forward. As grantee partners expand their work, KNIF is investing in the connections, learning and collaboration that strengthen the wider ecosystem. Their impact stories will continue to unfold in the years ahead.
Explore the Full Grantee Community
Learn more about the organisations driving locally led change across South Africa.
Visit KNIF Landing Page