A first for the Sustainability Institute: our inaugural Annual General Meeting, or as we call it, Annual Reflection Gathering.
Write it down and it happens. We began the year with a plan to host our first AGM and we did it. On the 23rd of July we opened our doors to share the wins, the growing edges, and everything in between with the people who support and care about our work. What came through as each of our programme co-ordinators shared their successes and challenges was the sheer breadth of what “sustainability” means in action:
- Nourish programme — our living micro food system served 26,740 meals in 2025, with children in our care receiving 98% of their recommended daily nutrition. Over 2,200 people joined us through 55 educational workshops and community lunches.
- Food Gardens — 120 school children spend 14 learning hours a week reconnecting with soil, biodiversity and the seasons. Every year we plant and grow 35,000 seedlings, look after 15 rotating crops, with a 95% yield.
- Children’s House — our nature-based Montessori approach is helping 41 children build focus, confidence and empathy, with therapy support reaching 12 children who needed it most.
- Youth Hub — creating the conditions for young people to heal, build confidence and bridge the gap between school and employment. Young people aren’t problems to be fixed — they’re leaders to be developed.
- Learning Partnerships — 500 students from institutions including a leading business school and the SA Reserve Bank engaged in place-based and online learning that goes beyond information transfer, toward real transformation.
- KHSA network — seven years of building an agroecology and organic knowledge network across five regions, reaching close to 24 million people with knowledge on organic agriculture. Knowledge only has value once it moves and is used.
As Heidi Newton-King our Board of Trustees Chair reflected: this year sharpened our thinking and strengthened our relationships. As Vanessa von der Heyde our Director put it, this was the opportunity to showcase how much the SI achieves through its multi-faceted approach to place-based learning and positioning as Africa’s national and continental reference point for imagination-led transformation.
Behind every statistic is a person and the work of the SI shows how these people matter. Thank you to our staff, trustees, funders, partners and community for a year of resilience, courage and growth. Download the full Annual Impact Reflection report here.