Mamelodi Initiative
based in Mamelodi Township, South Africa
Created in 2010, the Mamelodi Initiative in Mamelodi, South Africa provides young people with educational opportunities and resources while building local leadership. The program includes after school and school vacation programs that offer a variety of engaging opportunities, from academic learning to computer literacy to sports and holiday camps. The Mamelodi Initiative effectively fosters the curiosity and imagination of the youth it works with -- helping empower them to be change-makers.
Mamelodi’s continued deep grassroots commitment to support the youth it serves, plus its volunteers, staff, and community, has shown meaningful long-term and short-term impacts on the lives of young people. The depth and breadth of Mamelodi’s academic and social programming, produced through community collaboration and offered throughout the year, has positively impacted the lives of many young persons in Mamelodi. Learners demonstrate increases in academic performance, they learn leadership and community organizing skills, and they become better equipped to handle challenging social situations.
In 2026 the Mamelodi Initiative will use its 2025 Creativity grant a) to support the salary of the Operations and Finance Director, b) to implement and fund a learning management system which will expand Mamelodi’s ability to track their impact as they continue to grow and serve more youth, and c) to upgrade office equipment with a high power printer.
The Mamelodi Initiative was the brainchild of 2009 Creativity Foundation Legacy winner Richard Kelley.
