Love to Langa is a U.S. based non-profit organization that has been operating in Cape Town, South Africa for 15 years supporting and initiating successful and sustainable projects within previously disadvantaged communities.
Our mission at Love to Langa is to encourage leadership within impoverished communities and empower children with the tools to learn by providing support and tuition assistance. As Nelson Mandela famously quoted in 2003, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world," showing his strong philosophy that he believed education was the key to overcoming poverty and achieving one's dreams.
Love to Langa CT office was registered and incorporated in early 2019 to solidify the US based Non-Profit Organization (NPO 279-067) in the SA Market. It has evolved from a Non-Profit Company to a Public Benefit Organization (PBO no. 930069356) with clear rules and guidelines in place as to how we on-board and assist projects.
Our mission at Love to Langa is to encourage leadership within impoverished communities and empower children with the tools to learn by providing support and tuition assistance. As Nelson Mandela famously quoted in 2003, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world," showing his strong philosophy that he believed education was the key to overcoming poverty and achieving one's dreams.
Love to Langa CT office was registered and incorporated in early 2019 to solidify the US based Non-Profit Organization (NPO 279-067) in the SA Market. It has evolved from a Non-Profit Company to a Public Benefit Organization (PBO no. 930069356) with clear rules and guidelines in place as to how we on-board and assist projects.
IDAYIMANI MONTESSORI ACADEMY
The Idayimani Montessori Academy, built by Love to Langa, is a premium, quality, sustainable center of learning in the community. It is the only school of its kind located in a former black township in South Africa. The school has been operating since January, 2024.
Montessori inspires confidence and nurtures the child's innate desire for learning, discovery, and social interaction skills in an environment where teachers are encouraging, engaging and valuing the individual child. Children are taught how to learn, preparing each child for future academic and social excellence. The Montessori approach is an integrated one: practical life and sensory activities form the foundation for learning language and mathematics with culture forming a golden thread that runs through all learning experiences.
Next growth steps:
Annual Report Message for 2024
2024 was a milestone year for Love to Langa as we opened the doors of our Idayimani Montessori Academy in January 2024 to an incoming class that would grow to over 100 students over the course of the year. The school, named in honor of our late father Mannie, embodies his motto “you can if you believe you can”. What started as a pipedream many years ago by Love to Langa to build the first Montessori school in a South African township became a reality through the undying belief of those that worked on the project. Faced with enormous obstacles including delays and cost increases from Covid and some of the wettest Cape Town winters on record, the project inexorably moved forward to completion and was a testament to the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. The vision was Love to Langa’s but the accomplishment belongs to the whole Langa community. Built with the hands of the skilled workers of Langa on land generously provided by the Archdiocese of Cape Town, the project was supported by the whole community. The result is a magnificent five classroom building encapsulating a beautiful and fully equipped playground, and containing a reception area, principals office, sick bay, teacher room, and kitchen. But as beautiful as the building is, it is not the structure itself but what happens inside the building that will really make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children in the community. All the teachers and the principal hail from Langa and have all received degrees in Montessori teaching and training, and their teaching skill and love of teaching is already apparent.
While completing the school was immensely gratifying, what was even more rewarding was seeing the immediate results and the positive feedback we received - from glowing reports from parents who expressed amazement in the transformation of their children to the following testimonial from Eric Atmore, Professor Emeritus at Stellenbosch University, Director of the Center for Early Childhood Education and one of the foremost experts in Early Childhood Development in South Africa: “This is what the best of early childhood development in South Africa is about. The Centre is an example of quality early learning at an excellent ECD centre. Having visited many hundreds of ECD centres in South Africa and in other countries, it really is “top of the league” so to speak. Spacious, well equipped, enthusiastic teachers, the children are fed and learn through play. Everything that is needed for the development of young children.”
While we have accomplished much this year and in past years, we know we have much more to accomplish in the years ahead. Our future goals include reaching full enrollment of 200 students, building a learn-to-swim swimming pool and exploring adding classrooms and grade levels to accommodate older children.
We are extremely grateful for our many generous supporters who have donated money, building materials and supplies and their valuable time – without your support none of this would have been possible. Thank You!
Darryl Edelstein, Board Member Love to Langa CT and Love to Langa U.S.
Mark Edelstein, Board Member Love to Langa U.S.
- The school presently has 120 children ages 2 to 6 enrolled and provides lunch, extra-mural activities, and aftercare. The goal is to increase capacity to 200 students by next year.
- All teachers have been trained through a Montessori Teacher Program that we sponsored for women who reside in Langa.
Montessori inspires confidence and nurtures the child's innate desire for learning, discovery, and social interaction skills in an environment where teachers are encouraging, engaging and valuing the individual child. Children are taught how to learn, preparing each child for future academic and social excellence. The Montessori approach is an integrated one: practical life and sensory activities form the foundation for learning language and mathematics with culture forming a golden thread that runs through all learning experiences.
Next growth steps:
- Learn To Swim indoor pool
- Outdoor soccer field
Annual Report Message for 2024
2024 was a milestone year for Love to Langa as we opened the doors of our Idayimani Montessori Academy in January 2024 to an incoming class that would grow to over 100 students over the course of the year. The school, named in honor of our late father Mannie, embodies his motto “you can if you believe you can”. What started as a pipedream many years ago by Love to Langa to build the first Montessori school in a South African township became a reality through the undying belief of those that worked on the project. Faced with enormous obstacles including delays and cost increases from Covid and some of the wettest Cape Town winters on record, the project inexorably moved forward to completion and was a testament to the old saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. The vision was Love to Langa’s but the accomplishment belongs to the whole Langa community. Built with the hands of the skilled workers of Langa on land generously provided by the Archdiocese of Cape Town, the project was supported by the whole community. The result is a magnificent five classroom building encapsulating a beautiful and fully equipped playground, and containing a reception area, principals office, sick bay, teacher room, and kitchen. But as beautiful as the building is, it is not the structure itself but what happens inside the building that will really make a meaningful difference in the lives of the children in the community. All the teachers and the principal hail from Langa and have all received degrees in Montessori teaching and training, and their teaching skill and love of teaching is already apparent.
While completing the school was immensely gratifying, what was even more rewarding was seeing the immediate results and the positive feedback we received - from glowing reports from parents who expressed amazement in the transformation of their children to the following testimonial from Eric Atmore, Professor Emeritus at Stellenbosch University, Director of the Center for Early Childhood Education and one of the foremost experts in Early Childhood Development in South Africa: “This is what the best of early childhood development in South Africa is about. The Centre is an example of quality early learning at an excellent ECD centre. Having visited many hundreds of ECD centres in South Africa and in other countries, it really is “top of the league” so to speak. Spacious, well equipped, enthusiastic teachers, the children are fed and learn through play. Everything that is needed for the development of young children.”
While we have accomplished much this year and in past years, we know we have much more to accomplish in the years ahead. Our future goals include reaching full enrollment of 200 students, building a learn-to-swim swimming pool and exploring adding classrooms and grade levels to accommodate older children.
We are extremely grateful for our many generous supporters who have donated money, building materials and supplies and their valuable time – without your support none of this would have been possible. Thank You!
Darryl Edelstein, Board Member Love to Langa CT and Love to Langa U.S.
Mark Edelstein, Board Member Love to Langa U.S.
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We are thankful for YOU!We are a US-based non-profit organisation. We empower leadership within impoverished communities and empower children with the tools to learn by providing them with tuition assistance.
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SAWITU ESSENTIALS magazine, May 2023
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