The Kolisi Legacy - Exclusive Rachel Kolisi Interview
The Kolisis may live in France these days, but that doesn't mean they don't still have a vested interest in South Africa. The Seeff team was recently lucky enough to chat with Rachel Kolisi about the Kolisi Foundation in preparation for our BLUE Magazine Winter Edition.
Siya and Rachel first got the Kolisi Foundation going in April 2020, and it has three main areas of focus that are based on their lived experiences and the issues they wanted to see addressed in South Africa. The Kolisi Foundation specifically focuses on food security, gender-based violence, and education and sports development.
"There is a lot of work that gets done by the Kolisi Foundation on a daily basis, but we believe in having various areas of work, and it really helps us have a holistic approach to our vision and mission and what we're trying to achieve. I think one thing that was a blessing during Covid was learning how to work remotely and from afar. I know of many individuals that are managing to run organisations remotely and, so far, it's allowed me to manage the Kolisi Foundation from France, but I also try to return to South Africa often to spend time with our team, which is made up of brilliant people who do an incredible job of holding things together when I'm away." said Rachel
Despite only being in existence for four years, the Kolisi Foundation has already been involved in a number of successful initiatives. The Siyaphakama Programme serves six schools within a 1.2km radius of the township where Siya grew up, including the primary school he attended.
There are already 3,000 children in the feeding programme that has been designed with help from Nelson Mandela University students and various dieticians to ensure the children receive multiple nutritious meals every day. And it doesn't just stop with food:
"Something that we're starting in the six schools this year is improving their infrastructure. We're going to be building our first field and multipurpose courts at two of the schools, with the goal being to have all six schools fitted with multipurpose courts and fields within the next couple of years."
While the Kolisi Foundation has already achieved so much, they're nowhere near done yet. If you want to get the full story and read the rest of our interview with Rachel Kolisi, visit our latest BLUE Magazine Winter Edition 2024.
20 Jun 2024
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