OUR ETHOS
The ethos of Kopanang is to be a blessing to the community that we have lovingly built, to care for one another, and to support one another when bowed down with suffering.
WHAT DOES 'KOPANANG' MEAN?
Kopanang directly translated From Sotho to English, means ‘gathering together’ to learn, to rest, and to encourage one another. Today, 50 women form the Kopanang project on site, with 20 women at a sister project, Ingomusa, in Mpumalanga. Collectively, their dependents number around 600.
WHO ARE THE WOMEN OF KOPANANG?
Many of the women live on the outskirts of Johannesburg, sharing rickety shacks with their families and a single communal tap with dozens more. But at Kopanang, the sun rises on a new beginning for the women and children each day. Once a week, a different group of women come to Kopanang to sing, pray and work together. They are allocated designs and fabric, hand over products for quality assessment, and are trained in new skills. They work from home for the remainder of the week so that they can care for their children.
STRENGTH AND BRAVERY ENCOMPASSED IN THE SPECIAL PRODUCTS MADE FOR YOU
These amazing women have harnessed the intrinsic strength and bravery of one another to reshape their realities, and their work symbolizes their fearless pursuit of happiness and success in the face of adversity. Together, they have carved a path paved with opportunity and hope across the landscape of their lives.
HOW WE UPSKILL THE KOPANANG COMMUNITY
Numeracy and Literacy lessons are offered to Kopanang members, their children and the children of our sister project, Sithand’Izingane. An adult immersion program has begun an audit in preparation to mend some of the deteriorating shack homes of our families. We are currently preparing to put our entire stock and point-to-sales system onto a computer program, and skills development has begun in earnest for the unit managers and project management team.
