This year has shown us that the landscape of support for NGOs is changing in ways that are likely permanent.  Funding streams, expectations and partnerships are evolving, bringing both challenge and opportunity.  We must be ready to adapt and innovate, while holding fast to the human work at the centre of everything we do.

We value the vital role public and private funders play in enabling impact.  At the same time, growing administrative complexity can slow the very change it intends to enable.  Offered in the spirit of partnership, a thoughtful review of procedural barriers would help ensure resources reach communities faster and more effectively, without compromising accountability.

What We Celebrate

MoreThanMeerAs does more than teach skills; we create the conditions for people to discover their own strength and capability.  By combining hands‑on support with confidence building, participants move from surviving to striving; that shift from “I am limited” to “I am more than” is where real change begins.

Through mentoring, connecting makers to local buyers, and working with employers to open opportunities, we are seeing early sales become sustainable businesses and small wins become community‑level impact.  These are the moments we celebrate: people reclaiming dignity, collaborating with neighbours, and laying the foundations for local economies that can employ and sustain their own communities.

The Heart of Our Work

The moment someone says, “I am more than,” everything shifts.  That realisation  that identity, dignity and possibility are not fixed is the most satisfying outcome we deliver.  Authentic connections change people.  Our model succeeds because it combines skills, confidence and community support in ways that can be replicated across the Western Cape, and beyond.

Gratitude to Our Partners

A special thank you to Pool Family Trust for investing in people; your focus on programme readiness has effects with immeasurable long‑term value.  We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Leichers, APL, and all our other donors and partners for their ongoing belief in MoreThanMeerAs.  Your support makes these life‑changing outcomes possible.

Looking Ahead

As we move into the New Year, MoreThanMeerAs will scale what works: replicable, person‑centred programmes that build skills, foster entrepreneurship and shift perceptions.  We will deepen employer engagement, streamline partnerships, and continue to advocate for practical, partnership‑minded approaches to funding that speed impact without sacrificing rigour.  Our aim is simple and bold: to create more pathways where people discover they are more than their circumstances across the Western Cape and beyond.

We are excited about new opportunities on the horizon.  The Pool Family Trust just announced partnering with us, with funding and capacity building programmes for 2026.

From 1 January we will also welcome a Development and Communications Officer whose priorities will include income‑generation partnerships, strengthen our social media platforms, and actively seek new funding opportunities to scale impact.

Thank you to everyone who walked with us this past year. Your trust, time and investment are the fuel for the change we celebrate, and we look forward to building on this momentum together.

From all of us at MoreThanMeerAs, we wish everyone a blessed Christmas and a peaceful Festive Season.  May this time bring rest, warmth and good company.

Wishing you a relaxing, joyous break with friends and family, and may you return in the New Year refreshed, revitalised, and ready to meet what lies ahead with renewed confidence and purpose.

Andri Eloff
CEO