Laapeng Foundation

Laapeng Foundation is rooted in Mpumalanga's Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge districts — some of South Africa's most rural, under-resourced, and HIV-affected communities. Operating from their KaBokweni Industrial base in Mbombela, the foundation works as a sub-recipient under NACOSA (the Networking AIDS Community of South Africa), which distributes Global Fund resources to frontline organisations. This means Laapeng's work is embedded in a carefully monitored national HIV and GBV response framework — not a peripheral operation.

Their February 2026 blog post describes completing a three-day induction for field workers and management for the AYP Programme, preparing teams to serve communities on the ground in Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge. A January 2026 post documents their Senior Social Worker addressing the intersection of disability and GBV on Ligwalagwala FM Radio — reaching rural audiences who cannot attend in-person services. Laapeng Foundation is an active, field-deployed organisation.

Their core values — Ubuntu, Integrity, Empathy, Confidentiality, Equality, Diversity, Growth — shape both the services they deliver and the environment in which they deliver them.

What They Offer Youth, Women, and Communities

My Journey Programme — HIV/STI/TB Prevention + GBV Prevention (Ages 10–24) The flagship programme targeting all youth aged 10–24 provides a comprehensive, layered service package with two primary goals: reducing new HIV, STI, and TB infections, and actively preventing gender-based violence. The programme ensures strong links to treatment, care, and support services for those already affected. This is the programme Laapeng delivers as NACOSA's sub-recipient.

AGYW/AYP Programme — Adolescent Girls and Young Women The Adolescent Girls and Young Women programme combats HIV infections in the highest-risk demographic — adolescent girls and young women — while simultaneously addressing GBV, keeping girls in school, and building protective factors in communities where girls are most vulnerable.

"She Shines Forward" — Women's Empowerment Campaign This campaign provides young girls with essential supplies and mentorship — fortifying their confidence, aspirations, and capacity to claim their rights and make safe choices.

GBV Awareness and Response Laapeng actively raises awareness about gender-based violence and combats it through community education, radio outreach (including the Ligwalagwala FM partnership), and the linkage of survivors to appropriate services — including psychological support and places of safety.

Substance Use Disorder Awareness and Rehabilitation Aftercare Recognising the close link between substance abuse, HIV risk, and GBV, Laapeng provides community education on the dangers and consequences of substance abuse, and dedicated support for people who have completed formal rehabilitation — helping them sustain their recovery through structured aftercare.

Skills Development, Learnerships, Internships, and Bursaries Through SETA partnerships and the EPWP/IDT programme, Laapeng has provided 61 learnerships, 172 EPWP placements, 62 skills programmes, and 6 bursaries — and sent 49 service users to rehabilitation centres. These programmes build the economic independence that is foundational to escaping both poverty and abuse.

Community-Based Job Creation — EPWP In alliance with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) and the Independent Development Trust (IDT), Laapeng introduces youth to varied job opportunities — reducing the economic vulnerability that drives GBV.

Disability and GBV — Intersectional Awareness Laapeng is one of few organisations explicitly addressing the intersection of disability and GBV — an area of profound need and profound neglect, particularly in rural communities. Their January 2026 radio broadcast on this topic demonstrates active, ongoing commitment.

Laapeng Foundation: Factory No. 8, KaBokweni Industrial, Mbombela, Mpumalanga. Phone: 013 796 0021 / 013 741 1327. Email: admin@laapeng.co.za. Serving Nkomazi and Bushbuckridge communities.