MIET Africa is a not-for-profit organisation based in South Africa with a strong presence in the SADC (Southern African Development Community) Region. It realises its purpose of improving the lives of children by contributing to quality teaching and learning. MIET Africa prides itself on being an African non-governmental organisation (NGO) and an innovator of education approaches that address the many challenges faced by children and youth in the Region. It has pioneered many models and programmes, and its influence extends across Africa and beyond.
The purpose of MIET Africa is to improve the lives of children by addressing barriers to learning.
Its strategic direction is guided by the following objectives:
- Developing and implementing innovative education approaches – A pioneering organisation in education development, we identify obstacles to teaching and learning and design and test innovative ways of removing these;
- Establishing partnerships to strengthen education delivery – MIET acknowledges too that it cannot achieve its vision alone, it is through strong and trusting partnerships that success is achieved. Government is a critical partner for the sustainability and scale-up of our pilot projects and hence our key partners are education ministries, at provincial and national level in South Africa, and at national level in other African countries. Other important partners include school communities, NGOs, other government departments, local and international development agencies, United Nations organisations and corporates;
- Influencing policy in education – MIET’s role is not to deliver quality education, but rather to support government in its mandate to do this. Hence, the organisation focuses on influencing the development and strengthening of policy where it pertains to education. In this MIET is able to maximise our impact.
MIETfocus areas
MIET Africa focuses on supporting education development, as well as health and socio-economic development where they impact on education.
The organisation has developed a holistic and comprehensive approach to addressing barriers to learning and development to promote quality teaching and learning for all learners, and sccess, retention and achievement of learners in the education system. To achieve this mandate three focus areas have been identified:
Quality Teaching and Learning
Regarded as the ultimate goal of all education endeavours, quality teaching and learning is about ensuring improved learner performance and education for all. MIET Africa is committed to working with ministries of education to design innovative approaches to support the strengthening of education systems/institutions to provide quality teaching and learning for all learners.
This is achieved through:
- Relevant research and development (into causal factors and needs);
- Conceptualising, piloting and implementing relevant developmental programmes/projects;
- Meaningful and inclusive partnerships (with relevant partners from within and outside government); and
- Implementation of innovative approaches (including use of technology-based solutions and learner-centred methodologies).
Care and Support for Teaching and Learning
Care and Support for Teaching and Learning emerged out of the Schools as Centres of Care and Support model that MIET developed. It entails supporting the transformation of education institutions in SADC member states into inclusive centres of learning, care and support, where every learner, especially the most vulnerable, can learn. Key to achieving this is the reduction of the impact of intrinsic and societal barriers that impede the achievement of the Education For All targets and Millennium Development Goals. This is achieved by mainstreaming care and support into all levels of the education system.
Youth Development
The challenges facing the youth in the SADC region are multi-faceted and include; high unemployment rates and an acute shortage of skills, high drop-out rates, health issues such as HIV and AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, social ills, such as high rates of youth pregnancy and substance abuse. As a result, MIET Africa has taken the decision to have a comprehensive youth programme dedicated to addressing in a targeted way these challenges.
Intervention programmes will target youth in high schools, out-of-school youth, and the youth in tertiary institutions. Partnering with tertiary institutions, SETAs, youth formations, and other relevant stakeholder groups, initiatives will aim at expanding opportunities for youth to engage in appropriate education programmes, find employment, create employment and consequently participate in the wider economic and social development of our country.
Initiatives include:
- Skills development programmes;
- Life skills programmes; and
- Economic and entrepreneurial development programmes.
MIET values and principles
MIET Africa’s work is underpinned by the following values and principles:
- Respect for human rights;
- Inclusiveness;
- Integrity;
- Professionalism;
- Caring;
- The best interests of the children, especially the vulnerable, are paramount;
- Partnerships are established for maximum impact; and
- Approaches adopted are relevant, appropriate and participatory.
Ownership by government is recognised to ensure scalability and sustainability.
MIET People
The people of MIET Africa are its greatest asset. They drive the organisation’s vision and mission with passion, dedication and professionalism.
MIET Africa's Board of Trustees governs the organisation, drafts policy and determines its strategic direction. In addition, the Board oversees the maintenance of adequate accounting records and the preparation and integrity of the annual financial statements. It also ensures that the organisation has sound internal financial controls, and that the audited annual financial statements accord with the accounting policies of the Trust. There are currently ten trustees, under the leadership of the chairperson, Dr John Volmink.
The trustees have appointed a senior management team responsible for the execution of policy and for the implementation of our activities and operations. This team is led by the chief executive officer. The latter is supported by a chief operations officer and four other directors.
An internal audit committee oversees MIET Africa’s finances and addresses issues of governance. MIET’s external auditors are RSM Betty & Dickson (the South African member firm of RSM International). The organisation has always received an unqualified audit report, and its annual financial statements continue to meet the reporting requirements of all funding partners.
MIET Africa has a team of skilled and committed staff members, of whom about 67 percent are female and about 60 percent are black. It also also uses the services of experienced and highly competent contract staff as the need arises.
To view MIET Africa in the Prodder NGO Directory, click here.
