01Programme
Women's Empowerment
Creating opportunities for women to grow their skills, confidence and networks — so that they can lead change in their families and communities.
A Community of Kindness
When we lift one another, we all rise.
Creating opportunities for women and young people. Building connections that strengthen communities across South Africa.
Empowering PeopleConnecting PeopleImproving Communities
Gauteng, South Africa
Our philosophy
See Listen Love Connect Empower Develop.
Our Belief
Every person deserves to be seen, heard, and valued.
Phakamisa Turco Global NPC is a South African non-profit committed to creating opportunities for women and young people, strengthening communities, and building meaningful connections across societies and cultures.
We believe lasting community development is not something done to people. It is built with them — through participation, through dignity, and through genuine human connection.
PhakamisaisiZulu— to lift up; to raise.
- 01
Empowering People.
Creating opportunities for women and young people to grow.
- 02
Connecting People.
Building meaningful connections across societies and cultures.
- 03
Improving Communities.
Strengthening communities through practical, lasting initiatives.
Our Focus
Opportunity takes many forms.
Our work is organised around three connected areas — because when women, young people and communities grow together, change lasts.
02Programme
Youth Development
Helping young people discover purpose, character and possibility through mentorship, values and positive role models.
03Programme
Community Development
Strengthening communities through practical initiatives built with local people, partners and resources — and through connections across cultures.
Featured Initiative
Empowering the Boychild.
Building tomorrow's leaders, today.
Key focus areas
- Positive masculinity
- Character and values education
- Mentorship from role models
- Bullying prevention
- Substance abuse awareness
- Supporting boys and their parents
- Preventing gender-based violence
An initiative of AwqafSA Women's Fund
For years, many projects in South Africa have focused on girls and women, while the boychild has been left behind. Empowering the Boychild was designed to meet boys where they are — at school — and answer their need to be seen, engaged with and listened to.
Each month, a team of volunteer speakers — experts, mentors and role models — spends a day with boys in Grades 6 to 8 at a township or rural school, addressing the issues they face: bullying, drug abuse, gangsterism, crime and suicide. A separate session is held with parents, who gain a free and safe network they can reach out to.
In effect, the workshops are a mentorship programme: instilling values, giving a sense of purpose, and nurturing a culture of positive masculinity that helps counter gender-based violence.
- Boys reached before Matric, when there is still time to make a lasting impact
- Grades 6–8
- Volunteer speakers and experts at each workshop
- 10–15
- Workshops held in township and rural schools since 2024
- Monthly
- A separate session for parents at every workshop
- Parents too
Source: Workshop format as documented by AwqafSA Women's Fund in the Empowering the Boychild project brief.
Our Approach
Compassion becomes powerful when we act together.
Our philosophy moves from attention to action. Like the acacia — wide canopy, one strong trunk — every step grows from the same root: a community of kindness.
- 01
See.
Recognise people and their circumstances.
- 02
Listen.
Understand their needs and aspirations.
- 03
Love.
Lead with compassion and shared humanity.
- 04
Connect.
Bring communities, partners, and resources together.
- 05
Empower.
Create opportunities for skills and confidence.
- 06
Develop.
Build practical initiatives for lasting impact.
A Community of Kindness
- 01
See.
Recognise people and their circumstances.
- 02
Listen.
Understand their needs and aspirations.
- 03
Love.
Lead with compassion and shared humanity.
- 04
Connect.
Bring communities, partners, and resources together.
- 05
Empower.
Create opportunities for skills and confidence.
- 06
Develop.
Build practical initiatives for lasting impact.
A Community of Kindness
Real-World Experience
Meaningful change begins with showing up.
Long before Phakamisa Turco Global was established, our founder was already in classrooms and community halls. Since 2024, she has organised monthly Empowering the Boychild workshops through the AwqafSA Women's Fund — bringing volunteer speakers, mentors and role models to boys and their parents.
- 2024 – presentDocumented work
Through AwqafSA Women's Fund
Monthly Empowering the Boychild workshops in township and rural schools, with a separate session for parents. The fund's 27th workshop was programmed for Henley Business School Africa in October 2026.
- Newly establishedOur organisation
Phakamisa Turco Global NPC
A new South African non-profit company based in Gauteng, founded by Ayşegül Kandaş to create opportunities for women and young people and to build connections between communities and cultures.
- Looking aheadAspiration
A growing community of kindness
Our aspiration is to widen local and international partnerships and to inspire similar initiatives — growing the community of kindness this work has begun.
Selected workshops, 2025 – 2026
Places and dates as documented in the Empowering the Boychild project brief and the 27th workshop programme (AwqafSA Women's Fund).
See all documented workshopsMedia coverage of the project
INX TV (DStv) The Citizen SAfm Rainbow FM Lesedi FM Daily Dispatch Social TV
Outlets named in the Empowering the Boychild project brief as having covered the AwqafSA Women's Fund project, including in 2025.
- Gauteng
Winterveld, Pretoria
Umvelinqangi Safe Space and Youth Development Center
- Free State
Kroonstad, Free State
Morewag
- Eastern Cape
Mdantsane, East London
Dickson Dyani Senior Primary School
- KwaZulu-Natal
Ozwathini, KwaZulu-Natal
Lukhasa High School
- Western Cape
Wellington, Cape Town
Newtown High School
- 27th workshop
Johannesburg
Henley Business School Africa
The People Behind the Purpose
A life dedicated to building bridges.
Ayşegül Kandaş — Aisha to many who know her — is a former Ambassador of Türkiye to South Africa and an Honorary Professor of Practice at the University of Johannesburg.
In April 2024 she established the AwqafSA Women's Fund with personal funds, and through it the Empowering the Boychild workshops: a growing network of volunteer speakers, mentors and role models who meet boys and their parents in schools across South Africa.
With Phakamisa Turco Global, she brings the same conviction to a broader mission — creating opportunities for women and young people, and building bridges between communities and cultures.
- Founder, Phakamisa Turco Global
- Founder, AwqafSA Women's Fund
- Former Ambassador of Türkiye to South Africa
- Honorary Professor of Practice, University of Johannesburg
The dream is to inspire similar initiatives and grow this “community of kindness”.
Get Involved
Kindness grows when we act together.
Everything we have done so far has been built by gathering like-minded people willing to share in a common pursuit: serving communities in South Africa, and humanity in general. There is a place for you in it.
Become a Partner
Schools, universities, companies and organisations can partner with us to bring opportunities to more communities, locally and internationally.
Volunteer
Give your time, expertise or story. Our founder's workshops have been built on volunteers — experts, mentors and role models who show up for young people.
Support a Project
Help cover the practical needs — such as transport, meals and materials — that make a community programme possible.
Collaborate With Us
Have an idea, a platform or a cross-cultural initiative? We would love to explore how we can build something together.
Stories & News
Stories from our communities.
Field notes and perspectives from the documented work of our founder through the AwqafSA Women's Fund. New stories from Phakamisa Turco Global will appear here as our work grows.
Workshop
Inside the programme for the 27th Empowering Boys workshop
Set at Henley Business School Africa, the programme for AwqafSA Women's Fund's 27th workshop brought together more than twenty speakers — business leaders, academics, counsellors, activists and creatives — to talk with boys about character, choices and respect.
By AwqafSA Women's FundField notesMarch 2025 – September 2026
From Winterveld to Azaadville: workshops across six provinces
Between March 2025 and September 2026, the Empowering the Boychild workshops travelled from Gauteng to the Free State, Eastern Cape, North West, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
By AwqafSA Women's FundPerspectiveFrom the project brief
Why the boychild?
Many projects have focused on girls and women while boys have been left behind. Ayşegül Kandaş explains why reaching boys early — and their parents — matters in the effort to end gender-based violence.
By AwqafSA Women's Fund
A Community of Kindness
Let's build something meaningful together.
Whether you want to partner, volunteer, support a project, or share an idea, we would love to hear from you.