I am a social entrepreneur and for more than three decades I have strived to serve the nation through unwavering commitment to social justice, education, and human development. As Founder and CEO of Education Africa, I have dedicated my life to alleviating poverty through education, innovating large-scale, sustainable projects that have impacted millions across South Africa and beyond. From pioneering inclusive education models to forging partnerships across sectors I have succeeded in consistently bringing communities together, even during the most turbulent times in SA’s history. I consider myself to be a patriot who has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to build bridges, transform lives, and serve my country with vision and courage. Through education, music, innovation, social justice and unity, I have contributed not only to the present of South Africa, but also to its future. For more information on myself, please refer to www.jamesurdang.net as well as my recently published memoir, “It Always seems Impossible”.

Education Africa is a registered NPO which aims to assist disadvantaged Africans in obtaining a quality relevant education in order to become productive elements in the local job market. Our focus is to break the cycle of poverty through educational interventions. Our mission is Making real change Happen by Implementing Poverty Alleviation through Education. Our motto is Educate • Equip • Empower.

Key Projects:

• Early Childhood Development (ECD) Project: We address the need for qualified ECD teachers and provide training, resources and ultimately SAQA-accredited NQF Level 4 ECD Qualification to our students from disadvantaged areas. We also run a Trainer Intern programme to meet the ever-growing need for qualified trainers while the ECD Teacher Mentorship programme offers structured and continuous professional development for ECD teachers. Our ECD Project focuses on achieving school readiness among preschoolers and the need to empower women.

• Masibambane College was founded by Education Africa and partnered with St John’s College. This school has established itself as a centre of educational excellence and is a prime example of how quality educational institutions can be built and run effectively in poor communities. We are proud of Masibambane’s excellent academic standards and the fact that we are contributing to the development of young leaders in our country.

• Marimba Project: A four-dimensional project comprising Marimba Hubs; the Education Africa International Marimba Festival; the Sounds of Celebration Concert; and the Education Africa All Star Marimba Band. This project facilitates marimba training workshops as well as the provision of equipment for our Marimba Hubs and our Preschool Marimba Hubs. Our All Star Marimba Band inspires audiences with their skill, creativity, and passion for music. Additionally, we host a growing number of musicians who compete in our Festival and our Concert

• Social Architecture Students of architecture and volunteers from all over the world come to South Africa to design and construct pre-schools using sustainable materials.

• Walter Sisulu Scholarship Fund gives access to quality, relevant education to impoverished learners excelling in mathematics and science, allowing them to complete their schooling at a quality institution.

Vision: My goal is to create an endowment fund to ensure that Education Africa’s work continues for generations, so we can continue to provide quality and meaningful educational opportunities for disadvantaged South Africans. I have also already started to the process of creating a social franchising model for the Education Africa ECD project with the aim to extend across the continent, transforming Education Africa into a truly pan-African force for change.