The Amy Biehl Foundation was founded in 1997 in South Africa. Over the years the Foundation has flourished in its mission to ‘Weave a Barrier Against Violence’ by emphasizing social, cultural and economic empowerment through its programmes. Currently, two of the young men who were convicted of Amy’s murder and granted amnesty, work for the Foundation to make these programmes a success. They are a living embodiment of the values, such as forgiveness, reconciliation and tolerance, which we strive to teach the youth of Cape Town through our work.

While we must never forget Amy Biehl and the life lessons that her and her parents have taught us, our focus needs to be on helping the children of South Africa. The Foundation is not only about a tragic story, but about programmes and schools, and restoring hope in disadvantaged communities so that a bright future can be had by all.

The Foundation’s mission is to prevent youth violence through a holistic approach to community development in socio-economically disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town. The Foundation works to empower youth by providing opportunities through education. It is our belief that empowered youths are not likely to commit violent acts which rob others of their human rights.

The Amy Biehl Foundation was funded by USAID until December 2005, when it came to the end of the 7 year contract.

Every year the Western Cape has an influx of up to 80,000 people from other provinces across South Africa. This influx creates huge pressures on the Province’s already thin resources and infrastructure.

Our programmes place a focus on the creative side of the children’s brains, and supplement the shortcomings of the educational systems. There are great inadequacies in the impoverished township schools in which we work, creating a great need for our programmes. During the course of the school day many students are not given the opportunity to tap into the creative side of their brain. Through our programmes, we allow our children to supplement what they learn during the course of the school day with creative programmes that let them express themselves and think freely in an imaginative environment.

Providing these students with meaningful opportunities helps to grow the economy moving forward, as the next generation will be better equipped to deal with the challenges of tomorrow.

Our programmes are designed for underprivileged youths aged 6-18 who live in Townships in and around Cape Town. We serve approximately 1 500 children per week with interactive, educational programmes which place the youths in a safe environment away from the violence and drugs that plague the Township areas. The Foundation provides the youths with positive role models and alternatives to the perils of the street.

We conduct programmes in numerous primary schools in all the townships in Cape Town, including Guguletu, Khayelitsha, Langa, Crossroads, New Crossroads, Nyanga, Mannenberg and Phillippi. The plan is to role our programmes out to other townships in the Western Cape and the other Provinces of South Africa, as funding permits.

Programmes include:

• Sport including soccer, hockey, swimming, diving, netball, surfing, cricket, kickboxing and Khayelitsha/Mitchell’s Plain Golf Driving Range

• Music including Violin, Guitar, Recorder, Marimba, Choral Singing, and Brass Band

• HIV / AIDS Peer Education

• Greening and Environment

• Creative Arts including Drama and Dance (Kwaito, Modern, Traditional and Ballet), Pottery, Art & Beading

• Youth Reading Role Models Literacy

• Computer Literacy

The Foundation has put various measures in place to ensure future sustainable income, such as:

• The Amy Biehl Cultural Township Tours supported and promoted by Cape Town Tourism
• The My Village Card – for more info, follow link to the right of this page
• Amy’s Bread – for sale at all Pick n Pay stores in the Western Cape
• Amy’s Rose – for more info, follow link to the right of this page
• Annual Fundraiser – Gala event of the year, showcasing performances by the children benefiting from our programs
• Guguletu Jazz Festival
• Regular performances at prominent events in the Western Cape e.g. The Table of Unity
• Amy Biehl Fun Run
• Annual Amy Biehl Youth Spirit Awards
• Recycling initiatives for glass, paper and tin at the office and after school care centres.

To ensure continuation and growth of our programmes, which have been running very successfully for the past nine years, we need donations and sponsorships from individuals and companies. Your support will help make a difference to the lives and future of these children.

The Amy Biehl Foundation is registered as a Non-Profit Organisation in accordance with Section 18A and Section 30 of the Income Tax Act so that donations made to the organisation are tax deductible in the hands of the donor. In addition, ABF USA is registered as a section 501 C3.