| FUTURE AFRICA |
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| FACE |
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| FUTURE AFRICA |
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| FACE |
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| COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT |
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| TS |
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| CONTENTS |
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| Inside the FACE Programme: ......................................................................................................................................... Community Engagement in One Health |
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| Youth in STEM (YiSTEM): ................................................................................................................................................. Building the Future Through Science Education |
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| Youth in STEM (YiSTEM) .................................................................................................................................................... Robotics and Coding: |
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| Donate4Education .......................................................................................................................................................... |
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| Animal Health Care Training and Awareness ......................................................................................................... Pet Health Care: Building Resilient Communities |
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| One Health in Action ..................................................................................................................................................... Strengthening rural livelihoods through animal health and community collaboration. |
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| Produced by Future Africa at the University of Pretoria, with contributions from interns Sanele H. Skosana & Mosima J. R. Chewa. |
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| WHO ARE WE |
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| INSIDE THE FACE PROGRAMME: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ONE HEALTH |
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| WHAT DO WE DO |
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| Generate evidence to drive context-specific decision making |
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| Develop youth capacity that is relevant to existing challenges |
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| Mobilize multi-stakeholder groups for community action |
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| WHY IT MATTERS ( ONE HEALTH PHILOSOPHY ) |
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| KEY PROGRAMMES |
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| Strengthens resilience and wellbeing by linking human, animal and environmental health with education and community action. |
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| Youth in STEM (YiSTEM) Career Exposure |
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| Ga-Mampa Animal Health and Vaccination Project |
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| Donate4Education Campaign |
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| IN |
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| Youth in STEM (YiSTEM): |
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| Building the future through Science Education |
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| What is YiSTEM |
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| Future Africa started the Youth in STEM (YiSTEM) initiative in June 2022 to encourage school learners to engage with science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The initiative creates educational programmes, provides mentorship and offers exposure to STEM principles and career opportunities. Leveraging the networks of the One Health Chair, learners are exposed to various research environments and different career pathways. |
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| The YiSTEM programme connects learners directly to scientists, researchers and laboratories. Hosted at various locations, both in rural and urban areas, the initiative includes hands-on workshops in robotics and coding, career expos, university campus tours, and interactive training in areas such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, virtual reality and animal health awareness. |
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| These sessions aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice, enabling learners to understand how science applies to real-world challenges, such as disease prevention, technological innovation and environmental care. |
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| Where we worked |
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| Kgalema Secondary School (Limpopo, Ga Mafefe Polokwane) |
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| Nokotlou Secondary School (Limpopo, Ga Mafefe Polokwane) |
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| National Zoological Gardens’ (Gauteng, Pretoria) |
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| Thando Primary School (Gauteng, Soshanguve) |
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| Bokamoso High School (Gauteng, Hammanskraal) Robotics |
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| HS Hercules (Gauteng, Pretoria) |
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| Mbuyane Secondary School (Mpumalanga, Kabokweni) |
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| Learners voices |
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| Robotics and Coding session feedback – Omphile Khalo |
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| The impact of YiSTEM has been remarkable. Learners have described the experience as both “fun and educational”, with one remarking that it “made me feel special and excited to learn more”. Feedback from the teachers reported that the programme has broadened their students’ worldviews and motivated them to pursue science careers, particularly in veterinary and environmental sciences. |
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| Beyond the learners, YiSTEM also benefits communities by nurturing curiosity, confidence and a sense of purpose among youth who are often under-represented in STEM. The programme continues to strengthen the bridge between education and opportunity, ensuring that the next generation of African scientists and innovators is well prepared to build a sustainable future. |
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| Beyond the Classroom |
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| Building confidence |
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| Nurturing curiosity |
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| Supporting YiSTEM |
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| Bridging Opportunities |
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| The Challenge |
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| As South Africa advances into the fourth industrial revolution, digital literacy and computational knowledge have become essential skills for future participation in the global economy. Recognising this, the Department of Basic Education introduced coding and robotics into the national curriculum to nurture and develop logical thinking, creativity and problem-solving skills from an early age. |
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| However, despite the growing momentum, many schools face considerable barriers. A 2024 scoping review revealed that more than 16 000 South African schools still lack computer resources, and many teachers have yet to receive training in coding language and basic robotics. Other secondary challenges, such as electricity access, infrastructure readiness and school security, also persist. These gaps threaten to deepen the digital divide between urban and rural school learners, limiting equitable access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) opportunities and future careers in technology. |
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| Robotics and Coding: Inspiring Innovation through Hands-On Learning |
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| The intervention |
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| To help close this gap, the Future Africa Community Engagement (FACE) One Health programme launched the Robotics and Coding initiative in 2022 under its broader Youth in STEM (YiSTEM) programme. The initiative introduces learners from under-resourced schools to basic robotics and coding through hands-on learning experiences. |
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| It has worked well with rural schools such as Kgalema and Kgadimo secondary schools, as well as urban schools around Pretoria townships and the inner city, including Bokamoso High School (Hammanskraal), Uthando Primary School (Soshanguve), Hoërskool Hercules (Pretoria West), and the National Zoological Gardens’ ZooClub in Pretoria. Through interactive lessons, learners engage with robotics kits and coding tools under the guidance of UP mentors and facilitators. These sessions introduce programming concepts while helping learners to connect theory to real-world applications such as smart agriculture, clean-energy solutions, maritime rescue operations, automation in the motor industry, and solving environmental problems in their own communities. |
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| Impact |
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| To date, more than 320 learners have participated, with many being introduced to these subjects for the first time. |
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| While the results of transformative impact often take time to be seen, the robotics and coding initiative is already revealing small but promising signs of change. Feedback shows that it is helping to shift how learners perceive science and technology, with participants reporting increased confidence, curiosity and a stronger interest in STEM subjects. |
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| “This lesson taught me how real rescue technology works and made me think more like an engineer,” said a high school learner after a session. |
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| Teachers have also noted renewed enthusiasm for STEM subjects, as well as stronger collaboration and problem-solving in the classroom. |
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| “Mr Tedson’s dedication is unmatched,” one teacher noted. “He exposes our learners to knowledge beyond the classroom, and the feedback shows his efforts are not in vain; they are learning skills that will shape their future success.” |
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| While the long-term pay-offs will take time to fully materialise, these early shifts signal a step in the right direction: to equip learners with digital skills and nurture the next generation of problem-solvers and leaders who can help shape Africa’s technological future. |
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| DONATE4EDUCATION |
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| Dr Tedson Nkoana, researcher and community engagement officer for the Research Chair in One Health, reflects on the Donate4Education campaign. |
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| What inspired the establishment of the Donate4Education campaign? |
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| The campaign began in 2023 after we had engaged with two under-resourced schools from the rural community of Ga Mafefe, Limpopo, and became aware of the resource shortfalls that made it difficult for learners in STEM subjects to do practical demonstrations at school. |
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| The inability to experience science practically can negatively impact learners’ understanding and comprehension. Teachers also don’t have the resources to close this shortfall and require all the support they can get. We did not have the funding to start the campaign, but we have a network of people in STEM subjects within UP and our other partners, who always have old equipment at their disposal. We knew we could make a difference by serving as a link between under-resourced schools and our partners, who had the resources but lacked the means to distribute them. People sometimes donate clothes, and we don’t say no, as these come in handy for learners who come from disadvantaged households. |
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| How does the campaign operate in practice, and what kinds of donations are typically made? |
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| We have a donation call once a year (around November) when people usually get rid of old stock. We target laboratories, offices and, to some extent, private schools. Our donation requests include laboratory equipment (suitable for high school level), stationery, books and educational toys and games. |
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| What challenges has the campaign faced since its inception, and how have these been addressed? |
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| As mentioned, the campaign operates without direct funding and is coordinated by me, along with my other projects at Future Africa, leaving me limited time to actively seek new donors. |
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| What is the long-term vision for the Donate4 Education campaign? |
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| Having a larger donor base will enable us to donate to more schools in the future. |
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| Why is this initiative important for the community? |
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| A quality learning experience is, unfortunately, expensive. Under-resourced schools are usually situated in poor communities where parents often can’t afford to support their children’s learning outside of what the school can provide. The Donate4Education campaign is a much-needed relief for parents who want a quality learning experience for their children but cannot afford it. |
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| How can other individuals or organisations contribute to and support the initiative? |
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| Interested donors can gather items that they would like to donate (lab equipment, stationery, books, toys) and contact me at tedson.nkoana@up.ac.za. They can also drop donations off at our dedicated donation boxes at the Future Africa offices and the Department of Zoology at UP. |
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| What have been some of the key milestones or achievements of the campaign to date? |
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| We were able to create a science room for one of the schools, Kgadimo Secondary School (Ga Mafefe, Lepelle Nkumpi), to enable learners from Grades 10 to 12 to do practicals in life sciences. We also partnered with NGOs that have a countrywide footprint, so that donated items that are in abundance can have a wider reach. |
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| Donate4Education has donated STEM learning materials and has ensured a wider national impact of these donations through collaborations with NGOs such as Maharishi Institute and Protec STEM (Johannesburg), and S4HD (Westonaria township). |
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| Donate4Education |
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| Access to quality scientific books, equipment and laboratory tools is a major challenge for many learners and schools in under-resourced communities. Without access to laboratories or proper technical resources, school learners from disadvantaged areas struggle to fully engage in STEM pathways, limiting their potential and development. |
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| The Donate4Education campaign aims to address this gap by mobilising resources, building partnerships and delivering tangible support to educational institutions. |
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| How to donate: |
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| Interested donors can collect suitable items (laboratory equipment, stationery, books, and toys) and contact tedson.nkoana@up.ac.za, or drop donations at the dedicated collection points at Future Africa and the Department of Zoology, University of Pretoria. |
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| Pet Health Care: Building Resilient Communities |
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| Rabies is one of the deadliest zoonotic diseases, claiming the lives of both humans and animals. Yet it is entirely preventable through vaccination and timely treatment. In South Africa alone, 344 laboratory-confirmed animal cases were reported countrywide; human fatalities also persist, most commonly due to exposure to infected dogs in hotspots like Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Free State or Lesotho border. |
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| Lack of awareness, inadequate vaccination of companion animals and poor access to post-exposure care in rural communities all contribute to the ongoing risk. Studies show that while many people have heard of rabies, important knowledge gaps persist around fatality, source animals and appropriate medical response. In areas such as Limpopo, rabies continues to be endemic, posing a risk to both people and livestock. |
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| In response to these challenges, the FACE One Health programme has launched an awareness and advocacy initiative in the rural community of Ga-Mampa village in Limpopo, one of the key sites where the One Health team conducts bat pathogen research. Other research areas include Gauteng. |
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| Launched in 2024, the initiative includes vaccination and sterilisation campaigns for dogs, educational workshops, and community outreach activities designed to shift mindsets around animal care, zoonotic risks and public health. Workshops feature mini-presentations on rabies and bats, illustrating the connections among animal, human and environmental health. Together, these activities raise awareness, promote practical action and strengthen local capacity. |
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| “The community of Ga-Mampa is happy with this programme,” a community member said. “The people in the village regard themselves as lucky to have the team from UP.” |
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| The campaign not only improves the health of domestic animals but also enhances community knowledge and agency. |
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| By embedding rabies awareness and dog health practices into everyday life, the programme reduces risks to children, livestock and households, contributing to healthier, more resilient communities. |
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| Sustained support and expansion of these programmes are vital to maintaining progress and protecting vulnerable populations. |
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| Programme: Animal Health in Ga-Mampa |
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| Future Africa Community Engagement in One Health |
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| One Health in Action: Strengthening Rural Animal Health in Ga-Mampa |
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| The One Health approach recognises the close connection between human, animal and environmental health. In rural communities where livestock plays a central role in livelihoods, improving animal health can have a direct impact on food security, household income and community wellbeing. |
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| In the rural village of Ga-Mampa in Limpopo, South Africa, researchers from the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Viral Zoonoses, together with the Future Africa Research Chair in People, Health and Places (One Health), have been working with local farmers to address animal health challenges affecting livestock in the community. |
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| During fieldwork in the area, the researchers observed that the cattle and goats in the area were affected by ticks and other livestock health concerns. This prompted deeper engagement with the Ga-Mampa Livestock Committee to better understand the challenges farmers face in managing animal health in a rural setting. |
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