Russell Davies

Director

Director's Report

2024 was notable for intensive strategic reflection, new programmatic initiatives and the deepening of existing interventions. The REAP Board commissioned a major strategic review, and there is a feature article breaking this down into detail later in this report.

Other key developments were:

  • The further refinement and expansion of our Catchment Area Youth Development Programme Model (see below) – working in greater depth in specific communities, starting at school level and moving into Post-School Education and Training (PSET) and Work Placed Learning (WPL). This was affirmed by the strategic review as our main template for future growth and development.
  • The maturing of our TVET Student Support Programme, with more students progressing from NATED to Work Placed Learning and greater use of tutors. REAP has developed a WPL curriculum and support model, which includes paying stipends on behalf of employers to incentivise them to host students. REAP acted as a host employer for 5 WPL students.

TVET Student support team

  • Piloting of our Gap programme and conceptualisation of our Alternative Opportunities programme – targeting post school youth from our Post School Readiness Programme (PSRP) who have not yet entered formal PSET.
  • The continued growth of our PSRP – especially at Gobetse Secondary School in Limpopo, resulting in significantly more matriculants entering PSET in 2025.

Gobetse HS PSRP team

REAP Director Russell Davies with KZN alumni

Russell Davies with students at the orientation camp

REAP is having to adapt to changing times, and we are very much an organisation in transition. I am pleased to report that we managed to significantly reduce the 2023 deficit in 2024.  This was largely due to streamlining our management team and achieving greater efficiencies in administration and core costs. 

I would like to pay tribute to REAP staff for their flexibility, optimism, hard work and resilience during another very testing year. We now have staff based in six provinces, many working remotely as we only have offices in Cape Town (head office) and Bloemfontein. 

As ever, the REAP Board provided invaluable wise counsel and encouragement. The new leadership did a sterling job and offered unstinting support to myself and the rest of the REAP team.

I remain confident that REAP has an important role to play moving forward, engaging much more intensively and strategically with specific rural communities, seeking to bring hope and transformation to youth who would otherwise be marginalised and left behind.

Russell Davies
DIRECTOR