EST. 2014 by late Nomawethu Tswina
Our Story
Building People. Creating Opportunity. Serving Communities.
Swethu Foundation is a South African nonprofit organisation founded by Amanda Tswina, Pascal Schlieske, Nomana Tswina and Abundance Tswina, united by a shared commitment to serving people, developing opportunity and strengthening communities.
Swethu was created from the belief that meaningful community development requires more than short term assistance. It requires compassion, practical action, skills, opportunity and a genuine commitment to people.
Our work brings together community support, skills development, employment opportunities, healthcare outreach, youth development and Christian values, creating practical ways to support people both in their immediate circumstances and in building a stronger future.
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
A central part of Swethu Foundation’s work is ensuring that families in need have access to food.
We provide daily food deliveries to the Groendal community in Franschhoek, with a particular focus on children and families who work hard every day but still struggle to meet their basic needs.
We believe that needing support should never take away a person’s dignity.
Our food programme is about making sure children have something to eat and families know that their community has not forgotten them, while continuing to work towards longer term solutions that create stability, skills and opportunity.
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CREATING LONG TERM OPPORTUNITY
While meeting immediate needs is important, Swethu Foundation is equally committed to addressing the circumstances that make support necessary in the first place.
Through practical skills development, employment pathways, professional exposure, mentorship and entrepreneurship, we aim to create opportunities that allow people to develop their abilities and work towards greater economic independence.
Our projects are designed to connect people with real skills and real environments where they can learn, contribute and grow.
DEVELOPING HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES
Swethu is also developing a programme of medical and physiotherapy outreach initiatives, bringing qualified professionals and healthcare related support closer to communities.
The vision is to establish partnerships that can provide community education, preventative health initiatives, physiotherapy support and appropriate connections to healthcare services.
This work forms part of our wider belief that strong communities require support across many areas of life, including health, education, employment, family and wellbeing.
INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION
Young people are an important part of Swethu’s future.
Through youth development initiatives, practical activities, mentorship and programmes shaped by the principles and teachings of Jesus Christ, we aim to create spaces where young people can develop character, purpose, confidence, practical abilities and a strong sense of responsibility.
We believe that investing in young people means investing not only in their future employment, but in the kind of people and communities they will help build
Pascal Schlieske, the foundation’s CEO, brings business, commercial and food industry experience, with a focus on developing sustainable projects, partnerships and operational structures that allow Swethu’s initiatives to grow responsibly.
Executive Director
Our Leadership Team
OUR FOUNDING TEAM
Swethu’s founding team brings together different experiences and perspectives.
Amanda Tswina, an interior designer and former medical student, brings a combination of creative thinking, design, people focused development and an understanding of environments that support wellbeing and growth.
Nomana Tswina, a physiotherapist, brings a healthcare perspective to the foundation and is helping develop Swethu’s future medical outreach work.
Abundance Tswina, a carpenter and preacher, contributes to the foundation’s youth development work, combining practical skills with Christian principles and a desire to help young people discover purpose, discipline and opportunity.
Together, the founders bring different skills to one shared vision: to serve people with dignity while creating practical opportunities for lasting change.