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About Us

We are a small trust with a big belief — that education is the most powerful tool any person can be given.

Our Story

From a single question to a national mission.

The Jogo Charitable Trust was established in 2014, originally known as the Weco Education Trust. But the story behind it began four years earlier — with a man named Havington, a trembling hand, and a question that changed everything.

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In 2010, Beverley Gomes met Havington at the engineering business her family had taken over. He had worked there for many years. When new employment contracts needed to be signed, Havington had to ask his friend and co-worker Leon to read the documents to him. He signed with a trembling hand — marking the page with an X.

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He approached Beverley with a quiet, humble request.

"Can you teach me to write my name?"

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He wanted to open his own bank account. He wanted the people at the bank to stop looking down at him. For a father and grandfather to be entirely dependent on others — unable to help his own children — had been a source of deep shame. And yet here he was, reaching out with extraordinary courage to make an enormous change.

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Beverley said yes. A Zulu-speaking teacher named Busani was employed. Havington learned his alphabet in both Zulu and English. He learned numbers and basic maths. He learned to read newspaper headlines before his shift. He opened his bank account. He reclaimed a dignity that had been withheld from him for over five decades.

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From that single moment, Jogo Charitable Trust was born. Today we fund over R1 million a year in children's learning programmes and entrepreneur development courses across South Africa.

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It is never too late to learn. It is never too late to change.

Who We Are

A registered non-profit, built on personal connection.

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Jogo Charitable Trust is an inter-vivos Trust, a non-profit organisation and registered charity serving the needs of disadvantaged communities across South Africa. We fund education and skills development programmes for people whose lack of access to quality learning has limited their employment opportunities and their potential.

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We are not a large institution. We are a small, committed team that believes deeply in the power of personal relationships. Our beneficiaries are recommended to us by people we trust. Every intervention is face to face. Many of the people we first helped over a decade ago are still part of our lives today.

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When willingness meets opportunity, we have seen real magic happen. That is what we are here for.

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Our Promise

Passionate about People, Potential and Progress.

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Our Vision

To fund the educational and skills development needs of our nation.

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Our Mission

To enable people through education and personal development to function within our economy — and break the cycle of poverty.

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Our Purpose

To educate and prepare people for industry, creating wealth for themselves and others and repositioning South Africa as a global competitor.

Our Core Values

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Credibility
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Commitment
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Excellence
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Growth
These are not words on a wall. They are the standard we hold ourselves to in every programme we fund and every relationship we build

The Leadership Behind Jogo Trust

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Beverley Gomes
Matthew John
Yumei Shi
Varun Seth

Founder & Operations Manager

Trustee

Trustee

Trustee

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