Jill Carolissen

What does your company do?

There is a saying by Desmond Tutu “We need to stop just pulling people out of the river, we need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in” This is the basis of the work we do at The Fathers Heart Community Development; by focusing on systemic issues & barriers that keep our children & youth in impoverished communities mired in poverty, hopelessness & inequality, we aim to dismantle structural barriers and enable youth in impoverished communities to change the trajectory of their lives; to thrive—not merely survive. South Africa’s future hinges on its ability to equip young people with the tools they need to build meaningful, sustainable livelihoods—yet for millions, this vision remains out of reach. As of 2024, 3.4 million youth aged 15–24—32.8% of this critical age group—are not in employment, education or training (NEET) (Stats SA, 2024). This represents more than a data point: it is a national emergency with devastating social and economic consequences, especially in historically margenized and impoverished communities where opportunity has been systematically denied. The roots of the NEET crisis is a complex one. It’s lies in an education system that struggles to provide quality learning, equitable access, and effective transitions to further training or employment. This crisis is further compounded by nutritional deficits, under resourced communities, parents and teachers, learners with unprocessed often complex trauma, limited access to support systems, limited or no access to responsible, responsive positive parenting and families living under toxic stress. Although most South African children are enrolled in school, only about 51% complete Grade 12, and many do so without mastering foundational skills needed for post-school success (DBE, 2023). Without quality education and supportive services which ensure there are no impediments to learning, children face considerable barriers to employment & growth. At The Fathers Heart Community Development, an orphan & vulnerable child care non-profit established in the rural community of Fisantekraal, Cape Town since 2019, we believe that providing high-quality, context-responsive education through our online schooling platform, coupled with all the relevant opportunities & resources to further education, combined with complimentary educational support services (like medical screening to identify any external factors which may be impeding learning), safe supportive environments & mentors, practical interpersonal skills development, access to nutrition (both breakfast and lunch are provided for our participants), increasing the social capital and reducing toxic stress within the family structure and providing psychosocial support for all family members, can shift this trajectory. As such, The Fathers Heart has been implementing this multi-pronged, research & evidence based, holistic solution to mitigate this multi-faceted problem. By focusing on education as a lever for equity and empowerment, and making it accessible to children by providing it in their communities, we believe and have seen via our various case studies and qualitative & quantitative data, that our targeted, systemic, holistic interventions have helped our young people break free of the poverty trap and the cycle of exclusion. This is a solution that provides lasting change and more importantly hope by accelerating quality learning and breaking generational poverty. Our current impact will be scaled to hundreds more children and youth within the next year on the completion of our Child & Youth Development Centre, which is estimated to be completed by the end of 2026.

What is your biggest success?

My greatest achievement would be to still be running a successful non profit for the past 6 years; this industry is the most difficult I have ever encountered! Coming from a corporate background to work in a community, and a non profit no less, took a lot of hard work, tears and grit. From learning & building everything from the ground up whilst on the job, learning from & with the community as my guide, collaborating with various stakeholders; it has been a humbling but life changing experience. I had the added challenge of founding an organisation a few months before COVID hit; however I was able to continue building throughout the lockdown. It was not easy, but through determination and hard work we not only survived, but grew as an organisation in terms of participants and staff and even purchased land for our child & youth development.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

My biggest hurdle& learning curve has been trying to essentially copy & paste all my corporate learnings, processes, procedures & expectations to life in the community, to life with people who have complex trauma, and come from generational poverty & lack. My type A personality had to learn that no matter what resources and opportunities & policies you bring to adults or children, unless you have helped them process their trauma, have immense compassion, empathy & patience, & willing to journey with them, sometimes for years, they won’t encounter breakthrough. And sometimes even breakthrough comes in spurts, not a waterfall. I have made it my mission to learn & research about trauma, how it effects people & how I can bring multiple modalities for trauma healing to the people I serve in communities.