While many nonprofits do great work that impacts the lives of many people, not all nonprofit organizations receive an adequate amount of spotlight for their work. This article puts a spotlight on MIET AFRICA, a nonprofit organization based in Durban, South Africa, with a mission to better the lives of all children by providing them with access to quality education. 

History

While it is a nonprofit today, the MIET AFRICA organization began as a research initiative funded by the Independent Development Trust that aimed to understand the use of popular culture and media in learning and education. The organization specifically focused on schools in the rural parts of what is now KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). 

In 1996, the Media in Education Trust (MiET) was established. Under the leadership of Thuli Dlamini, Wilna Botha and Lynn van der Elst, MIET AFRICA came to be soon after. While MIET AFRICA is based in South Africa, its reach expands throughout and beyond the African continent. Two of the organization’s primary funders are the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE). 

Who They Help

When it comes to the people they are looking to provide support to, MIET AFRICA’s target population is youth from the SADC region, the area of the Southern African Development Community, which extends from the DRC in the north to South Africa in the south. MIET AFRICA has currently partnered with 15 African countries and impacted the lives of over 200,000 children. 

Oftentimes, many of the children who MIET AFRICA helps are living in poverty. About one-third of the people in the SADC region live in poverty. The connection between poverty and education is quite strong. 

Areas of Focus

MIET AFRICA has several focus areas: 

• Addressing barriers to learning and development. One of MIET AFRICA’s main goals is to dismantle the systemic barriers that prevent all children from being able to learn.
• Enhancing the quality of education. Through research and innovation, MIET AFRICA aims to strengthen schools in order to ensure that children are receiving the best education possible.
• Youth development. While MIET AFRICA’s main goal is to address education-related issues, they acknowledge that SADC youth face a lot of barriers that impact their lives more generally.

From health issues to high unemployment rates, MIET AFRICA aims to provide children with the best opportunities in order to advance their development.

Programs

In order to fulfill the goals of each focus area, MIET AFRICA has developed a total of 37 programs since its founding. At the moment, 12 programs are still running: 

• The Amani Project
• The Boys’ Vulnerability Study
• The Creative Arts Support Programme
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in African Schools
• Inclusive Education in Action (uThukela)
• Strengthening School-Based Health, Education and Nutrition Systems
• Maths 4 All
• The Professional Learning Communities Establishment Programme
• The Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Programme
• The ReadytoWork Programme
• Safeguard Young People SYP
• Prevent Violence in Schools. Learners Take Action

Here is some information about a few of these programs.

• The Amani Project – This program teaches children about music, emotional intelligence and gender equity. It is funded by the U.S.-based organization Children in Harmony, which “believes that making music with young people can lead to a more equitable and just world.” 
• Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in African Schools – This program aims to prioritize water, sanitation and hygiene in schools by teaching children about hygienic practices and providing them with hygiene products such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap. Partnering with UNICEF and the Mpumalanga Department of Education, ideas such as group handwashing stations have been implemented in schools to promote proper hygiene and sanitation.
• Adolescent Girls and Young Women (AGYW) Programme – This program aims to empower and decrease risk for young girls and women and is funded by the Global Fund. This program has four goals: 
  1. Increase retention in school.
  2. Decrease HIV incidence.
  3. Decrease teenage pregnancy.
  4. Increase economic opportunities.

These are just a few of the many excellent programs MIET AFRICA has implemented in order to directly impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the SADC region.

Looking Ahead

Many approaches are being taken to make education accessible to all children. Hopefully, the work of organizations such as MIET AFRICA can work as a catalyst for change in the circumstances many children must endure.

– Nicole Alexander
Photo: Wikimedia