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Acacia Global presents 2023 Leadership Award to Maxwell Funo

Maxwell Funo accepts Acacia Global’s 2023 Leadership Award in December.

Maxwell Funo is the principal at Mkhanyiseli primary school in KTC township situated in Nyanga Cape Town, South Africa. Maxwell has been teaching at the school for 25 years and was promoted to be the principal in July 2021. He received his degree at the University of Cape Town in Education Management and Leadership Development.

Mkhanyiseli primary school dates back to 1950, and its community has been facing the harsh realities of unemployment for years. Maxwell stated that he “strongly believes that the poor background of these learners should not be a determining factor of their destiny.” Maxell has a strong vision for the future of the school and it’s students. He is a tireless advocate to provide them with the resources needed to make their education meaningful and possible.

Mr. Funo is very passionate about e-Learning and recently won a competition sponsored by Microsoft Partners in Learning (MSPiL) in the categories of ‘Collaboration’ and ‘Innovation in a challenging context,' representing South Africa in the Middle East in Morocco.

See this summary for more about Acacia Global’s work in 2023.

Ubuntu is Acacia Global’s guiding principle: “We are because you are, and you are because we are.” Never has this been more true than now, when the Coronavirus pandemic is impacting lives all over the planet.

South Africa has declared a national state of disaster and people are being encouraged to maintain a social distance from each other. Anyone who has visited the townships outside of Cape Town knows how difficult that will be when you often have multiple family members living in one or two rooms.

Last summer, many of our supporters made donations to Nelson Mandela Day to purchase bicycles for a neighborhood watch group to patrol the streets of Guguletu. In this crisis, those bikes are now being used by volunteers to deliver food and medicine to families. Those donations are now giving back in ways that we could never have imagined last summer – not only keeping people safe, but keeping them healthy and fed as well.

Collectively, South Africans and Americans have endured wars, apartheid, racism, 9-11, and the AIDS pandemic. We will get through this crisis…together.

 

“Do your little bit of good where you are;
it’s those little bits of good, put together,
that overwhelm the world.” 

Desmond Tutu

 
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Acacia Global

Acacia Global is a U.S.-based nonprofit that partners with non-governmental organizations and community leaders in South Africa to develop the next generation of leaders, meet basic human needs, and address social justice issues.

Founded in 2012, Acacia Global is led by a board of directors who have been involved for nearly 20 years with HIV/AIDS, nutrition, income-generation, education, and leadership development programs in the townships outside of Cape Town, South Africa.

Over the course of our work we have developed deep relationships with individuals and nonprofit organizations that make positive change in communities profoundly affected by poverty, disease, and a lack of educational and economic opportunities.

The places we work

South Africa has a population of 55 million people. Approximately 10 percent of these people control 90 percent of the country’s wealth. Despite the country’s reputation as an economic powerhouse on the African continent, fully one-half of all South Africans live in poverty. More than one in four people are unemployed and, in the townships, nearly seven in 10 young people are without a job. The lack of employment and quality education opportunities impacts daily life in the townships. Thousands of black Africans live in informal settlements. There is limited access to clean water and sanitation. Disease, mental health issues, and violent crime are major issues affecting poor communities.

The townships are also home to incredibly dedicated and talented community activists and leaders. The individuals and organizations with whom we partner are unwavering in their determination to improve the lives of the hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children who call townships like Khayelitsha and Guguletu home.

 
 

Learn. Earn. Lead. And Listen.

We got involved in South Africa when a pandemic — AIDS — threatened the future of the African continent. Today, two pandemics — COVID-19 and systemic racism — require us to think and act differently. It’s time for us to listen.

 In August 2020, Acacia Global hosted a listening session featuring important voices from the Black community here and in South Africa: Twin Cities actor T. Mychael Rambo and South African activists Vuyiseka Dubula, and Mandla Majola.

The parallels between the U.S. and South Africa are striking, from the impact of COVID-19 on the BIPOC communities to the on-going failure to address the injustices of apartheid and system racism. To donate to our presenter’s causes: Penumbra Theater Next Generation Program and South Africa Projects: AEDC and MCSJ

Please follow this link to hear a recording of the conversation.

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Are you age 70½ or older? You can donate to Acacia through your IRA.

If you’re age 70½ or older, the law requires that you withdraw a certain amount (the Required Minimum Distribution, or RMD) from your IRA each year. You can avoid paying income tax on any withdrawal from your IRA if you have the check written to a non-profit registered as a 501(c)(3) organization, which makes the organization exempt from federal income tax.

 You must be at least 70½ years old at the time the gift is made, and the check must be written to the non-profit (though it can be sent to the donor for transmittal to the non-profit). Donors cannot receive goods or services or any personal benefit in return for the gift.

 If you are considering such a gift, we suggest that you speak with your financial planner for further information.

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Contact us

Jane Letourneau, Board President & program director
jane@acaciaglobal.org • 612.720.2225

Acacia Global

71 Covey Run Drive • Hailey, ID • 83333

To make an online donation, follow this link 
to our secure PayPal account.

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