SHE - Catalyst Foundation

We are led by vulnerable girls across Africa, to understand and remove the barriers preventing them from accessing an education.

Each beneficiary selected as part of our S.H.E Programme receives a uniquely formulated, holistic support plan based on her personal situation and needs.

Welcome to the S.H.E Programme!

We work collaboratively with vulnerable girls across Africa, their families, teachers, and local social services, to break down the barriers that girls in particular face when accessing education.

Our Mission

To be recognized as a global
enabler of education and
gender equality – offering
tangible and sustainable impact
to the girls that we work with.

Our Vision

To become the leading
voice and ambassador
of girl-child education
across Africa.

Our Core Values

Family

Consistency

Impact

The Birth of the S.H.E Programme: Jaya’s Story

Mayda Mapondera

(C.E.O. & Co-Founder
Catalyst Foundation)

For a long time, my husband and I both knew that we wanted to support vulnerable individuals, in some way shape or form.

In 2015, upon visiting my mother-in-law’s farm in Zimbabwe, a young local girl from the area approached my mother-in-law to say goodbye. She no longer had a family that could look after her, as her grandmother who was the only person fending for her at the time, sadly passed away. Due to this young girl’s situation, and the need to survive, she decided that she was going to take matters into her own hands and seek employment as a maid, at just 13 years old!

My first thoughts were that she could become a victim of: child rape, HIV/AIDS, child marriage or child pregnancy! Everything in me needed to stop this young girl from leaving.

After speaking to this young girl and getting to know her more, I soon learned that her name was Jaya, and that she had dreams of going back to school and completing her education, but was unable to do so, due to her difficult situation. As a result of Jaya’s determination to go back to school, I decided to take her under my wing and turn her dream into a reality. I managed to find Jaya a place to live, and I was able to send her back to school – taking care of all her expenses which included her school fees, textbooks, stationery, school uniforms, health checks and general well-being.

The dream of supporting many more vulnerable girls like Jaya was ignited, and this led to the birth of the Catalyst Foundation – S.H.E (Secure, Hope, Empowered) Programme in 2021, which focuses on empowering girl-child education across rural communities in Africa.

Click here to learn more about Jaya’s inspirational story.

Globally, there are more than 130 million vulnerable girls who are currently being denied their right to an education, the opportunity to try and become the best version of themselves, and to have choices about their own futures.

As a result of not going to school, girls become vulnerable, and may become victims of:

and sadly the list goes on ...

This is where we come in and try to bridge the gap, as we believe that every girl-child has the right to an education!

Secure

Hope

Empowered

(Our three stages of intentional impact)

Stage 1: Once our beneficiaries have been selected through our ‘Thorough Needs Assessments’, and are inducted into the S.H.E Programme, the aim is for each one of them to start feeling SECURE, due to us removing the barriers that used to prevent them from accessing an education.

Stage 2: After feeling secure, we believe that this will lead to our beneficiaries having HOPE for their futures, as theynow have a future to look forward to.

Stage 3: By the time our beneficiaries reach the end of the S.H.E Programme, the last stage of impact is for them to feel EMPOWERED, ready to take on the world and initiate a positive impact on society.

Be the reason why a girl is
safe and can go to school today

Our Beneficiary Selection Process

Before joining our programme, we go out into the rural communities that we work in and prospective girls (young marginalised/orphaned girls below the age of 18 years old) are put forward by the local authorities, and chosen school authorities, for us to consider.

Each prospective girl and her family then undergoes a ‘Thorough Needs Assessment’, in order for us to gauge an understanding of the family dynamics, their wider issues at hand, and to see if they meet our criteria for support. ‘Home Visits’, ‘Health Check Examinations’, ‘Psychosocial Evaluations’ are also carried out on all chosen beneficiaries, to gain a full understanding of their lives.

Based on these assessments, once successful and inducted into the S.H.E Programme, all new beneficiaries will receive their allocation of basic supplies, as part of their uniquely formulated support plans. This enables them to have everything that they need to begin their journey of empowerment, through the programme, and be able to continue thriving in the classroom – barrier free.

An Example Beneficiary of the S.H.E Programme

This girl is 9 years old, and she lives with her 92 year old grandmother, as sadly her father passed away when she was still an infant. Her mother abandoned her for a better life in neighbouring South Africa, and has never returned. Due to her family’s financial instability, she would sometimes go two to three days without eating.

Along her two hour daily commute to school, she was frequently abused by older boys. Her teachers at school noticed that she had a lack of basic supplies, and when they started monitoring her, she informed them of the abuse that she was going through, and that she “didn’t have anything – not even underwear to wear!”

Despite this girl facing all of these barriers, she is reported to be very intelligent – usually finishing ‘Top 5’ in her class at school.