Fellow Profile Default
Ashoka Fellow since 2024   |   South Africa

Grace Matlhape

Smart Start
Grace is improving the educational outcomes of children from underserved and marginalized communities in South Africa by recruiting, training and equipping unemployed individuals from local townships…
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This description of Grace Matlhape's work was prepared when Grace Matlhape was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 2024.

Introduction

Grace is improving the educational outcomes of children from underserved and marginalized communities in South Africa by recruiting, training and equipping unemployed individuals from local townships to operate their own SmartStart centers that provide quality early learning programs.

The New Idea

Grace Matlhape, founder of SmartStart, is transforming early childhood education in South Africa by mobilizing unemployed women and men to become trained Early Childhood Development (ECD) practitioners running affordable, quality preschools in underserved communities. Her organization provides theRead more

The Problem

According to well-established research, early childhood education is a critical foundation for a child's future development, providing a powerful base for lifelong learning, cognitive abilities, and social skills. Despite the unmistakable evidence of its importance, many governments worldwide haveRead more

The Strategy

Grace Matlhape, founder of SmartStart, is taking an innovative approach to break this cycle by creating a new pathway for unemployed individuals without qualifications to become ECD practitioners and launch their own microenterprises in underserved communities. Her organization provides theRead more

The Person

Grace was born and raised in the Free state, during the middle of apartheid in a community with prevalent poverty and inequality. Although fortunate that her circumstances were better than those around her in her community due to her parents being educated professionals, she was often aware andRead more