With student teams from the Kellogg, Harvard, Wharton, and University of Cape Town business schools, S4S taps into the diverse skills, experience, and contacts of the world’s most promising young business leaders. We apply private sector know-how to increase the efficiency and impact of targeted education initiatives.
S4S commits to specific regions for a five-year period. We partner with reputable NGOs focused on education that have a proven track record of results, fiscal responsibility and organizational transparency. S4S assists our NGO partners through capital investment and strategic counsel while simultaneously establishing a spirit of philanthropy amongst future business leaders.
Our first partnership has been with the Ubuntu Education Fund, a South African NGO focused on sustainable community-owned and operated education initiatives. S4S continues to focus on Ubuntu’s Mpilo-Lwazi Health Education Program in the townships of Port Elizabeth. Mpilo-Lwazi is a holistic health education program that reaches over 55,000 people through the provision of health education classes in 24 township schools, youth counseling, community outreach workshops and sustainable food gardens.
In March 2005, an S4S team of 26 students traveled to Port Elizabeth to visit Ubuntu. To raise awareness and funds, the ’05 team, together with Ubuntu and community members, traveled to Cape Town to run the famous Two Oceans Ultra-Marathon.
In May of 2006, S4S expanded its value proposition to further capitalize on its unique skill set as business school students. We once again traveled to South Africa, this time with an energized group of 35 students. In development with Ubuntu, we facilitated workshops for Ubuntu staff and interested community members so as to directly support the organization's outreach efforts.
This year, S4S is looking forward to returning to South Africa in further support of Ubuntu and to possibly extending support to a new partnership.
Our goal: through education, to support job creation and health and to bring hope.