5 February 2026
Closing The Gap
By The Love Trust
Johannesburg, South Africa, 02 February 2026: Early intervention is a term often used when seeking solutions to rectify a potential shortfall in a learner's life. This is usually used in reference to auxiliary services like Occupational and Speech therapies, but what if we flipped the narrative and looked at early intervention not as just an added benefit, but the entire solution?
Non-profit organisation The Love Trust built its vision around the belief that intervening in the lives of disadvantaged pre-primary learners could effectively uplift entire communities. When the organisation’s Nokuphila School opened its doors to Grade 000 learners in 2010, its laser focus was on Early Childhood Development (ECD).
Year on year, the organisation has scaled up, making impressive strides with a tightly run ship that now caters for Grades 000 - 9, including nutrition, transport, sport, and social-emotional learning (SEL) programmes, setting their learners up for success beyond the classroom.
What is the gap, and who qualifies?
Fundraiser at The Love Trust, Mmatsie Motimele explains that its current ‘Close The Gap’ campaign refers to multiple gaps, including the income gap and education gaps. “The children we serve come from the most vulnerable households, where access to quality education, food and basic resources is not guaranteed. By making private-quality education accessible to these learners, we are closing the income, education and opportunity gaps that would otherwise define their futures.”
Guided by the belief that lasting change begins with education, Motimele says they work closely with welfare organisations to identify and support beneficiary learners and their families.
As an entirely donor-funded institution, The Nokuphila School offers a high-quality curriculum comparable to that of a privately funded school. With a strong focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), including coding and robotics, as well as enriching cultural programmes such as recorder lessons, the school helps bridge the digital and opportunity divide. The Love Trust has the difficult task of selecting learners in Thembisa and surrounding areas, with enrolment prioritised for families earning under R4,000 per month, many of whom rely on social grants as their primary income.
The critical cost of progress
Nokuphila School currently has 405 learners enrolled and provides them with more than just academic instruction. Each learner receives all-inclusive care, ensuring they can thrive. This includes their education, learning resources, daily nutritious meals, a transport programme, extracurricular activities, and social welfare support.
Annual cost per learner:
R49,569 per child, per annum
Annual cost breakdown:
Scholar transport: R2,891,451
Daily transport to and from school via an independent bus company
Nutrition: R652,421
Two nutritious meals and a snack daily, per learner
Educational resources: R188,235
Stationery, textbooks, and essential learning materials
As a commitment to their child’s education, parents contribute between R150 and R300 per month, with the balance of the costs being made possible through donor funding.
Being intentional about sustainable change
Systemic change is created when education comes full circle. “One of our current teaching interns started at Nokuphila as a Grade 000 learner at just three years old, from a vulnerable household. Today, he is back in the classroom, giving back, because he experienced firsthand how access to quality education can change the course of a life. This is what sustainable change looks like.”
This former learner has chosen to give back by shaping the next generation, having an intimate knowledge of the long-term impact of access to excellent faith-based education. This serves as a powerful example of how investing in one child can strengthen an entire community.
Caption: Closing the gap on fully funded education for Nokuphila learners.
*Interested donors are encouraged to donate as little as R150 per month and all donations qualify for a Section 18A tax certificate, with contributions made before 28 February qualifying for the current tax year.
For more information on #CloseTheGap, please contact The Love Trust directly via Mmatsie Motimele on mmatsiem@lovetrust.co.za or by calling (010) 023 7370.
About The Love Trust
Founded in 2009, The Love Trust is a South African not-for-profit organisation (NPO) with a vision to nurture future generations of service-oriented leaders. We provide vulnerable children with quality Christian education that emphasises academic excellence, spiritual strength, and moral integrity. Together with our loyal partners, we create a resilient organisation that benefits the communities we serve, changing the lives of children by instilling self-belief and providing a haven for holistic development.
Our core focus areas in education include:
Delivering quality Christian education from grades 000 to grade 8 at our Nokuphila School in Thembisa, Midrand.
Training disadvantaged South African women as accredited early childhood development (ECD) teachers, qualified to teach Grades 000, 00, and Grade R school children nationally.
Providing dynamic practical experience through a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programme for ECD, Foundation and Intermediate Phase teachers at our Nokuphila School.
The future is bright for the learners of Nokuphila School, as our first intake of Grade 8 students began in 2024, and we are excited about some of the goals we have set for the organisation and look forward to continued growth in our programmes.
