Cape Town, South Africa — In classrooms across South Africa, teachers are expected to do more than teach.
They are often asked to support learners facing trauma, poverty, violence, anxiety, barriers to learning and emotional distress, while also carrying the pressure of large classes, academic outcomes, administrative demands and their own wellbeing.
For many teachers, the weight has become too heavy.
The Difference Institute, a Cape Town-based organisation focused on teacher wellbeing and learner support, has launched a BackaBuddy campaign to help sponsor teachers to attend creative, play-based and experiential workshops designed to strengthen emotional regulation, trauma-informed teaching and inclusive classroom practice.
The campaign, The Difference Institute, has raised R14,000, reaching around 47% of its R30,000 goal, with support from 17 donors.
The campaign hopes to raise enough to support 100 teachers in 100 days, reaching at least 3,500 learners through the adults who spend their days guiding, teaching and caring for them.
Teachers Are Carrying More Than The Curriculum
In South Africa, many public school teachers interact with anywhere from 35 to more than 300 learners a day. Every interaction matters.
A teacher’s presence can inspire, motivate and create safety. But when teachers are overwhelmed, under-supported and emotionally exhausted, classrooms can become difficult spaces for both educators and learners.
“Our teachers are not okay,” founder Julia Daniels shares. “In many schools, they feel overwhelmed, stressed and ill-equipped to deal with the challenges confronting them in their classrooms every day, in addition to the enormous pressure to produce academic outcomes.”
Across the country, concerns about teacher burnout, overcrowding and retention continue to grow.
The Difference Institute believes that while one organisation cannot solve systemic inequality, it can help teachers feel more supported, better equipped and less alone.
Helping Teachers Hold Space For Learners
Learners are struggling too.
Many children arrive at school carrying experiences of violence, trauma, poverty, grief, anxiety and barriers to learning. In many communities, school needs to become more than a place of academic instruction. It needs to be a refuge.
The Difference Institute’s workshops are designed to help teachers navigate these realities with more confidence, empathy and practical tools.
The workshops use creative, play-based and experiential methods to support teachers with emotional regulation, connection, curiosity, imagination and classroom wellbeing.
They are grounded in research in critical pedagogy, psychology and neuroscience, and are professionally accredited so teachers can gain continuous professional development points.
The aim is to help educators facilitate learning in trauma-informed, inclusive and neurodiversity-affirming ways, while fostering empathy, kindness and a renewed enjoyment of learning.
The Goal: 100 Teachers In 100 Days
The campaign’s goal is clear: sponsor 100 teachers in 100 days.
Each 3-hour workshop costs R300 per teacher, meaning even a small donation can help place a teacher in a space of support, reflection and practical learning.
If 100 teachers attend, The Difference Institute estimates that at least 3,500 learners could be impacted.
For many learners, one teacher who feels more regulated, connected and equipped can change the tone of a classroom.
For teachers, the workshops offer more than training. They offer breathing room, community and practical strategies they can carry back into their schools.
As Archbishop Desmond Tutu once said: “The tidal wave of change begins with a million ripples.”
This campaign is about creating those ripples, one teacher at a time.
Real Impact In Classrooms
Teachers and school leaders who have attended The Difference Institute’s workshops have already shared how meaningful the experience has been.
“The workshop evoked a renewed sense of hope,” shared Tammy-Lee, a teacher from the Cape Flats. “Sometimes we as educators become despondent and see a learner as ‘naughty’ when in actual fact the child is communicating a need with us.”
Rodger, a principal from Stellenbosch, said the workshop helped teachers feel empowered and motivated to explore new approaches.
“Teachers left the workshop feeling empowered and motivated to explore innovative approaches in their classrooms,” he shared. “This newfound confidence and enthusiasm have translated into tangible improvements in our teaching practices, ultimately benefiting the academic and personal growth of our students.”
More Than A Workshop
The Difference Institute’s work extends beyond once-off sessions.
The organisation also hosts free community support and conversation spaces for teachers and support staff in the education ecosystem, facilitates communities of practice, develops targeted resources for teachers and schools, and supports leadership teams.
Its broader mission is to help build classrooms where teachers feel supported and learners feel seen, understood and able to learn.
The campaign also invites people to nominate a teacher, school or themselves for sponsorship.
Community Support Needed
The BackaBuddy campaign has already raised nearly half of its target, but continued support is needed to reach more teachers before the campaign closes.
Every R300 can sponsor one teacher to attend a workshop.
Every donation helps strengthen the adults who are holding classrooms together under difficult conditions.
Every share helps the campaign reach someone who believes teachers deserve support too.
To support The Difference Institute’s campaign, visit their BackaBuddy campaign page.
For more information about The Difference Institute, visit their website or contact them at [email protected].
