Stories from the road of adventure, resilience, and impact. BRAVE was founded by a group of ten year old girls from one of the most dangerous communities in Africa who experienced gang violence, poverty, sexual assault, lack of opportunities, and entrenched gender inequality every day. Unable to participate in a running program after school, they decided to create their own safe space, then start exploring their country. Today,
A story about role models, resilience and black girl magic.
A story about loneliness, reflection and personal growth.
A story about gang violence in Cape Town, and a call for peace.
BRAVE is a registered South African NPO and is awaiting approval as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the United States. BRAVE uses an innovative, unconventional model, taking girls living on the frontlines of some of the most violent and impoverished communities in Africa on life-changing road trips to empower and inspire them to become girl leaders and decision makers. Creating girl leaders who are educated, resilient , safe and empowered leads to lower birth rates, improved reproductive and maternal health and lowered HIV transmission, and increased economic opportunities for girls, and everyone. Your support will help us continue our work and expand our capacity to reach even more girls and their families.
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The Safe Space Art Room was a collaboration between the learners and faculty of Red River Primary School and Cecile and Boyd Foundation. Rock Girl is proud to be the inaugural recipient of the first grant from the Foundation, that has since set up similar art rooms in schools around South Africa.
In November 2011, the Safe Space Art and Study Room was unveiled by Olympic Champion Elana Meyer and then United States Counsul General to Cape Town, Erica Barks-Ruggles. The room hosted artists including Heath Nash,
Paul du Toit, Tracy Lynch, Sam Scarborough and others, who worked side-by-side with the leaners on some incredible works of art.In 2014, Rock Girl partnered with Cecile and Boyd on their mobile Art Room in a container, which is a World Design Capital project. And in 2016, Cecile and Boyd Foundation sponsored the refurbishment of our first BRAVE mobile studio, located in an overland truck shared with Greenpop. The Rock Girls also created a library, murals, and advocated for bullet-resistent fencing and the demolition of their asbestos-contaminated school building.
In November 2016, as a result of the advocacy efforts of the Rock Girls and their families, the Western Cape Department of Education built and opened a brand new school for Red River Primary, that includes a library, Safe Spaces for girls and boys, and sports fields, all contained within a bullet-resistent fence.
The first 60 girls who joined as Rock Girls in grade 5 all successfully matriculated to grade 8 to start high school, an incredible success given 40% of girls in South Africa drop out after grade 7.
