JOHANNESBURG, 24 APRIL 2025 – As South Africa celebrates Freedom Day on April 27th, Afrika Tikkun reflects on its year of achievements in disability inclusion, while announcing plans to double its impact by 2026, underscoring that true freedom requires accessibility and equity for all citizens.
Over the past year, Afrika Tikkun, an award-winning child and youth development organisation, has successfully implemented and maintained inclusive education programmes that now serve 20 learners with disabilities in mainstream classrooms at all five of its Centres of Excellence across the country. This accomplishment follows the organisation’s commitment to inclusion that began last year with a pioneering initiative at the Wings of Life Centre in Diepsloot, where facilitators were rigorously trained to welcome children with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome into mainstream educational settings.
Committing to doubling the organisations reach to 40 learners with disabilities by 2026, this Freedom Day holds special significance. “While South Africa commemorates 31 years of democracy, freedom remains incomplete without true equity and accessibility for all. Freedom is not merely the absence of oppression or the veneer of democracy—it is the deliberate creation of a society where every individual, regardless of circumstance, can genuinely thrive. This is the foundation of our work, and nowhere is it more powerfully manifested than in our commitment to inclusion, especially for our most vulnerable: children and youth with disabilities,” said Marc Lubner, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Afrika Tikkun
By creating classrooms where able-bodied and learners with disabilities learn side by side, we are nurturing a generation that understands tolerance, empathy, and acceptance from the earliest age, adds Lubner. The benefits are mutual: learners with disabilities are empowered, and their peers gain a deeper understanding of diversity and humanity.
“Disability and inclusion cannot stop at the classroom door,” said Lubner. Throughout the past year, Afrika Tikkun has not only focused on classroom inclusion but has also established and maintained vital support groups for parents and caregivers, providing crucial psychosocial support and counselling. Afrika Tikkun also runs economic empowerment initiatives, such as a successful candle-making programme, which equips families with practical and sustainable income-generating skills. These programmes address the emotional and financial challenges that so often accompany disability, ensuring that families are supported at every level.
Afrika Tikkun’s comprehensive approach to inclusion has consistently focused on transforming communities by fostering the values of Ubuntu and acceptance that South Africa’s democracy was built upon. The organisation’s regularly held Disability and Inclusion Symposiums bring together community members, experts, and advocates to share stories, develop solutions, and dismantle the barriers that still exist for people with disabilities. The impact of these initiatives extends far beyond the individuals directly involved. By normalising inclusion and breaking down stereotypes, we are laying the foundation for a society where diversity is celebrated, not marginalised.
“Our work represents the unfinished business of freedom. Inclusion is not charity—it is justice,” added Lubner. “As we mark another Freedom Day, we acknowledge that Freedom is about ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, has access to opportunities that allow them to live vibrant, fulfilling lives. Our work is a call to action: freedom is incomplete without equity and accessibility for all,” concluded Lubner.