For more than a decade, the partnership between the Prescient Foundation and the Sakhikamva Foundation has helped create opportunities for young South Africans to discover their potential through technology, education and skills development.
This Women’s Month, Fatima Jakoet, founder of the Sakhikamva Foundation, is reflecting on the journey that led her to establish the Sakhikamva Foundation in 2010, and the importance of creating opportunities for young South Africans to discover what they are capable of.
Her own career has taken her across very different worlds, but a common thread has remained: a determination to challenge limitations and create pathways for others.
“I founded the Sakhikamva Foundation to help bridge that opportunity gap. I wanted young people to see possibilities beyond what they encountered in their immediate environment and to understand that careers as pilots, engineers, scientists, programmers and innovators were within their reach.”
Based in Constantia, Cape Town, the Sakhikamva Foundation has expanded its educational outreach to communities including Tokai and Ruyterwacht, supporting learners, teachers and schools through education, skills development and career exposure.
Despite many challenges including working in traditionally male-dominated environments and having to establish her credibility, make her voice heard and be recognised as a leader, Fatima says what has kept me motivated is seeing the transformation in a young person when they discover something they did not know they could do.
“A learner may arrive at a programme believing that robotics, coding or aviation is not for them, but leave saying, ‘I can see myself doing this.’ That shift in confidence and possibility makes every challenge worthwhile.”
Fatima is also motivated by what she describes as a responsibility to create pathways for those who come after her. Her personal motto, “Giving wings to the dreams of others”, continues to guide her work.
For Fatima, Women’s Month is both a celebration and a reminder that there is still work to be done.
“It celebrates the courage, resilience and contribution of women who have changed our communities and our country. At the same time, it reminds us that we still have work to do to ensure that girls and women have equal access to education, leadership and economic opportunities.”
Her message to young women and girls is clear: do not allow circumstances or other people’s expectations to determine the size of your dreams.
“You do not have to wait until you feel completely ready before taking the first step. Be curious, ask questions, seek out mentors and never be afraid to enter spaces where people like you have historically been under-represented.”
Fatima believes young women have an important role to play in shaping the future.
“STEM needs your ideas, your creativity and your perspective. You belong in the laboratory, in the cockpit, in the engineering workshop, in the technology company and at the leadership table.”
Her work has been strengthened by the long-standing partnership between the Sakhikamva Foundation and the Prescient Foundation. The partnership, which has been in place for more than a decade, has supported coding and robotics programmes, digital learning initiatives and school partnerships.
“The continuity of this support has enabled us to do more than host once-off activities. It has helped us build meaningful programmes, maintain relationships with schools and give learners sustained exposure to coding, robotics and digital learning,” says Fatima.
The partnership has also helped bring these opportunities to schools that may not otherwise have access to the necessary technology or resources.
“Most importantly, the Prescient Foundation shares our belief that a learner’s potential should not be limited by the school they attend or the community in which they live. Together, we’ve used technology as a tool for inclusion and opportunity..”
For Fatima, the true measure of success is not simply what young people achieve, but what they go on to do for others.
She points to the journey of the Astrovo robotics team, whose members progressed from having limited exposure to robotics to becoming national champions and international competitors.
“What makes me proud is that they have become mentors, ambassadors and role models who use what they have learnt to serve others.”
That, she says, is when success becomes truly meaningful.
“Seeing a learner who was once hesitant stand in front of an audience, explain a complex engineering solution and then help a younger child build their first robot captures exactly what we hope to achieve. Success becomes truly meaningful when it creates opportunities for others.”
Looking ahead, Fatima wants the Sakhikamva Foundation to continue building accessible pathways from the classroom into further education, entrepreneurship and meaningful careers. She hopes to expand the Foundation’s STREAM (science, technology, robotics, engineering, aerospace and mathematics) programmes by strengthening teacher development, establishing more sustainable learning hubs and ensuring young people have access not only to equipment, but also to mentorship, competitions, workplace exposure and long-term support.
Ultimately, Fatima wants today’s learners to become tomorrow’s leaders and mentors.
“I want the young people we support today to become the scientists, pilots, engineers, educators, entrepreneurs and mentors who will open doors for the generation that follows them.”
For a woman whose personal motto is “Giving wings to the dreams of others”, there could be no more fitting legacy.
Nicole Pinto, CEO of the Prescient Foundation, says the partnership also reflects the Foundation’s belief in the transformative power of education.
“At the Prescient Foundation, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to realise their potential, regardless of their background or circumstances. Our partnership with the Sakhikamva Foundation has enabled us to support programmes that do more than teach technical skills. They build confidence, inspire curiosity and open doors to future possibilities. Fatima’s passion for empowering young people continues to create lasting impact, and we are proud to be part of that journey.”
