What Earthchild Project does

Earthchild Project NPC is a South African non-profit company and Public Benefit Organisation founded in 2007 by Janna Kretzmar and headquartered in Cape Town, Western Cape. It delivers complementary holistic education to under-resourced primary schools in two Cape Town communities, Khayelitsha and Lavender Hill, currently operating in eight partner schools. Programmes are organised around three pillars: Connect (yoga and life-skills, including Yoga Living Classrooms, Yoga Clubs, and Crown Sisters for adolescent girls); Cultivate (environmental education through worm farming, container gardens, Eco Warriors, and Eco Explorers); and Inspire (Holiday Programme, Young Leaders, and Alumni Programme), with supporting Teacher Training and Teacher Wellness offerings.

The underlying delivery model embeds trained facilitators directly into partner schools to run programmes during class time, after-school clubs, and school holidays, alongside a free, multi-language (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa) Digital Resource Hub that distributes facilitation tools, yoga guides, environmental activities, songs, and guided audio to educators. The organisation's stated cumulative reach is 4,100 children and 158 teachers; operational metrics include 600+ Yoga Living Classroom lessons per year, 130+ after-school club sessions, and 180+ Eco Warriors extra-mural sessions annually, with partner-school gardens contributing vegetables to over 1,000 meals per day.

Revenue is sourced from individual donations (one-off and monthly, via website/EFT/credit card), corporate and foundation grants (e.g., HCI Foundation, Ackerman Foundation, Investec, Rolf-Stephan-Nussbaum Foundation, Wellness Warehouse), and a paid Visitor Programme priced at ZAR 500 per person. International fundraising is facilitated through EarthChild e.V., a German partner entity that channels EU tax-deductible donations. A five-ambassador programme (Lesley-Ann Brandt, Laura Malina Seiler, Zolani Mahola, Tamsin Sheehy, Joelle Sleebos) supports awareness and fundraising, and Earthchild Project celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2026.

Name

Earthchild Project

Legal name

Earthchild Project NPC

Website

https://earthchildproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Earthchild Project is a Cape Town-based non-profit founded in 2007 that delivers yoga, mindfulness, environmental education, and youth leadership programmes in eight under-resourced primary schools in Khayelitsha and Lavender Hill, reaching 4,100 children and 158 teachers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit holistic education services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Science & Sustainability Programs (Ecology, Climate, Conservation) (EDAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI)

Keywords

• Holistic education programmes
• School-based wellness services
• Youth leadership development
• Environmental education programmes
• Yoga and life skills

Headquarters

HQ city

Khayelitsha

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off and recurring (monthly) donations from individuals, sourced primarily through the organization's website, newsletter, social media, and community events. Donors can give via credit card or EFT. European donors may also give through EarthChild e.V. for tax deductibility.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from companies, foundations, and social impact organisations. Current donors include Rolf-Stephan-Nussbaum Foundation, HCI Foundation, Ackerman Foundation, Investec, Mordaunt Foundation, Wellness Warehouse, Yope Foundation, Nevermined, Chic Mamas Do Care, Empower, Hejhej-Mats, Tribe Sober, Laura Seiler, and Inge. Past donors include Adidas, Earthdance, Rotary Claremont, The Sophia Foundation, Transaction Capital, Yoga Design Lab, Protea Hotels, and others.
3. Visitor Programme Fees: A structured visitor programme charges ZAR 500.00 per person to participate in programmes at partner schools in Khayelitsha and Lavender Hill. The fee covers logistic and resource costs, staff time for coordination and support, and partially funds Earthchild Project's work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Earthchild Project delivers complementary holistic education programmes directly inside 8 under-resourced primary schools in Khayelitsha and Lavender Hill, Cape Town. Its core programmes cover three pillars: yoga and life skills (Yoga Living Classrooms, Yoga Clubs, Crown Sisters), environmental education (Living Classroom Worm Farming and Gardening, Eco Warriors, Eco Explorers), and youth leadership (Holiday Programme, Young Leaders, Alumni), plus Teacher Training and Wellness. The organisation also distributes a free multilingual digital resource hub (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa) for educators beyond its direct school network.

Product overview

Earthchild Project is a non-profit organization offering complementary holistic education programs to under-resourced schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs across eight partner schools in Khayelitsha and Lavender Hill, organized around three pillars: Connect (yoga and life skills), Cultivate (environmental education), and Inspire (leadership development). The core offering consists of Yoga Living Classrooms and Yoga Clubs for younger learners, Crown Sisters for adolescent girls, Living Classroom Worm Farming and Gardening, Eco Warriors and Eco Explorers for environmental education, Holiday Programme and Alumni Programme for leadership development, plus Teacher Training and Teacher Wellness for educator support. A supplementary Digital Resources hub provides free facilitation tools, yoga guides, environmental activities, and learning materials in English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa. The organization also offers Internship Opportunities for programme graduates to join the team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yoga Living Classrooms

Quantifiable outcome

• 4100 children reached through holistic education programmes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EarthChild e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarthChild e.V. is a German non-profit organization whose stated mission is to support the growth and impact of Earthchild Project in South Africa. It enables European donors to make tax-deductible donations directly to Earthchild Project, extending the organization's international fundraising reach to Germany and the broader EU.
• Rocklands Health and Wellness CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Earthchild Project's annual family gathering, providing a natural pool, space for shared lunch, and gathering areas for storytelling and team activities.
• Rooftop on BreeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCape Town venue that hosts the annual International Day of Yoga celebration organized by Earthchild Project ambassador Joelle Sleebos, with all proceeds supporting Earthchild Project.
• The Shala (Tamsin Sheehy Yoga Studio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTamsin Sheehy's Cape Town yoga studio has been an integral member of the extended Earthchild family since 2008. The Shala team offers free yoga and teacher trainings to the ECP team, organizes weekly donation classes, and hosts major fundraising events.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ikamva Labantu: Cape Town-based non-profit supporting early childhood development centres and under-resourced communities through training and resources. Directly comparable in beneficiary population, geography, and complementary education focus.
• The Salesian Institute Youth Projects: Cape Town-based non-profit delivering skills training and youth development to under-resourced youth. Comparable geography and beneficiary population, with a stronger vocational/skills orientation.
• IkamvaYouth: South African education non-profit providing supplementary tutoring and learner support to under-resourced high school learners. Comparable in mission (supplementary education for under-resourced South African youth) though methodology focuses on academic tutoring.
• Project Playground: Sweden-founded non-profit operating educational and developmental programmes for underprivileged children in Cape Town. Highly comparable in geography (Western Cape), beneficiary population, and school/community-embedded delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Christel House South Africa: Established education non-profit serving under-resourced children across South Africa through formal schooling. Comparable beneficiary population and mission; broader incumbent operating full schools rather than supplementary programmes.
• Save the Children South Africa: Large international NGO with a South Africa presence focused on child welfare and education. Overlapping beneficiary population and education focus, with substantially broader scope, scale, and resources.

Emerging players

• Mindful Schools: US-based non-profit bringing mindfulness and yoga programmes into schools. Directly comparable in core methodology (yoga and mindfulness in school settings) but operating in a different geography.
• Greenheart International: International organisation promoting environmental education and cultural exchange. Comparable environmental-education methodology but broader global scope and different delivery model.
• Soul Action: South African non-profit working with children and families in under-resourced communities. Comparable beneficiary focus and community-embedded programme model, though with a different geographic emphasis.

Others

• Earthchild Clothing: South African sustainable apparel brand and founding funder of Earthchild Project. Thematically connected through shared values and founding partnership, but operates as a for-profit fashion brand rather than an education non-profit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC97CMtonmsnyOi-to1NoJkg
• Facebookfacebook.com/EarthchildProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/earthchild-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/earthchildproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earthchild Project