We have started construction on our Build a House, Build a Home Project! We are building 100 homes for victims of Typhoon Haiyan as well as a multipurpose training centre.
Stay tuned for more updates! ÂÂ
On Wednesday 11th of May, we attended Ubuntu‘s Growing Up Gala. We had such a fun night and are so proud to be supporting such a great organisation. Ubuntu Education Fund provides world-class health and educational support to the orphaned and vulnerable children of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.ÂÂ
Ubuntu’s 9th London gala brought over 350 people to the iconic Roundhouse for an unforgettable night inspired by the stories of “Growing Up†with Ubuntu. The charity celebrated 17 years of transformative community development and launched Vision 2020 – their bold, five-year expansion plan. We enjoyed exquisite dining and music by the Faithettes, and heard inspirational stories from Ubuntu scholar, Zanele Nobhadula, and Board member, Ciko Thomas. Together, we raised more than £650,000 for their worthy cause, and had a good time whilst doing so. Thanks for a lovely night and for all the dedication you have to kids in the township of  Port Elizabeth!ÂÂ
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Our successful Inspired Youth workshops, held in cooperation with Pride Factor, took place in Johannesburg and Cape Town in March 2016. The one-day workshops received an overwhelmingly positive response from those who attended, the role models and celebrities who presented motivational insights, as well as the organisations and schools who brought students to the event.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the organisers of the event on Saturday,†said Gladys Ndlangamandla of Tembisa Secondary School, whose students were brought to the event by the President’s Award Group. “The feedback I’m receiving from the learners is just overwhelming.â€Â
“I have enjoyed myself and the inspiring information I got today I will always keep with me,” said Perfect Zikhali.
More than 800 teenagers and young adults attended the events and left motivated and better prepared to achieve their full potential as they aspire to become the country’s future leaders. Having run similar youth programmes in the United Kingdom, we are excited about bringing our experience and commitment to giving children the best possible start in life to South Africa.
We have held a number of Youth Leadership Summits in the UK, equipping young people with practical life strategies and emotional development tools. The South African workshops are the first to take place globally.
“The exchange rate is such that we have the capacity to make a much bigger difference in South Africa,†says Greg. “The workshop is designed around my experiences in trading and training, where the ability to master oneself has a very strong bearing on performance and success. By learning to manage emotional and reactive decision-making, you’re empowered to unlock the resourcefulness centre in your brain. This is where the magic happens and I want to give young people the same skills, which will make a huge difference as they grow up, finish school and begin careers.â€Â
Along with the motivational talks, the workshops included entertainment acts, gifts and prizes, opportunities to meet and mingle with the speakers and browse exhibits on education, mobile connectivity and youth products. Participants received vouchers to buy the food of their choice from the onsite store as well as programs, pens and a special memento!
Role-models from a broad cross-section of business, sport and entertainment contributed their time and expertise to providing youngsters from every walk of life with a memorable experience. All the participants have given the events rave reviews after hearing insights from, and interacting with, a dozen of the country’s highest profile role models.
Some of the motivational speakers included:
In Johannesburg, Sibusiso Leope, also known as DJ Sbu, got proceedings underway with a high-energy talk, followed by digital fundi Romy Heldsinger, the CEO of JAG Method, and motivational speakers Iris Cupido, the CEO of the SABC Foundation, and Sibusiso Molimi. MetroFM’s Talk Show host Rams Mobote then interviewed multiple FMX champion and stuntman Nick de Wit. The afternoon program featured the debut live performance of rising star Alexandra May’s new song before Mike Sharman, founder of the Retroviral Creative Agency, recounted his path to the top of the digital advertising world. The day ended with the thoughts of entrepreneur and the SA ambassador for One Young World, Lunga Tshikila.
“Education moved me from the street corner to a table full of decision makers. Education changes lives,” DJ Sbu told the audience, adding, “It’s not about where you come from, but where you’re goingâ€Â.
We wish to thank all those who participated and worked on organising the workshops for making this such a great event for South Africa’s future leaders!
Interested in hearing more? Check out our social media on Inspired Youth
The Greg Secker Foundation, after a successful pilot project of developing two homes for families who lost everything in the atrocity of Typhoon Haiyan has decided to embark upon an exciting and daring mission to build an entire village in the barangay of Capinhan. The village will consist of over one hundred modern homes with full access to utilities and essential services.
The community will be further enhanced by the addition of a “training centre of excellence†which aims to provide local residents with skill training and technology to make money for their community outside of traditional sugar cane farming, and ensure the upkeep and sustainability of their community.
Just before Christmas 2015, The Greg Secker Foundation team, including founder Greg Secker travelled to the Philippines to officially launch the Build a House Build a Home Project in Lemery. Secker commented  ‘it was great to return to Lemery and visit the families for whom we rebuilt new homes following the Typhoon in 2013…and also very exciting to launch the Build a House Build a Home Project.’
Two years after Haiyan struck, the residents of Lemery have not yet recovered from the tragedy, most are still sadly living in shanties or temporary shelters constructed from the basic materials salvaged from their destroyed houses in what is a desperate situation. Of course these temporary homes are at the greatest risk from further typhoons.
Greg met local villager Sabet, a single-mother living in a shanty with her six children. Sabet moved to Lemery to escape her alcoholic and abusive husband. When the typhoon struck Sabet and her children lost their shanty shelter. This was devastating to them. They have rebuilt a shelter using wreckage from the typhoon but when it rains it leaks. They cook outside amongst 3 rocks and have no toilet. They have barely enough food to survive and all the children are working as farm labourers. Sabet’s only wish is to keep her family safe.
James Mathews, Managing Director of Learn to Trade Australia said ’Sabet is truly inspiring, she and her children smile constantly in the face of adversity…Sabet is also incredibly intelligent and it was fantastic to hear how excited she and her children are about the skills and education programme the Foundation will be providing…’
Whilst in Lemery on 20th December, the Foundation team and local officials held a ceremony and forum with local people to launch the project. At the ceremony an address was given by Captain Reynaldo Sanico and Greg Secker. Mr Sanico commented “ We are so grateful to the Greg Secker Foundations’ essential intervention into our world. They are angels, with huge hearts and a chance for a brighter more sustainable future.†Representatives from the department of agriculture, the local college and the municipal health department were in attendance to offer their guidance on creating a sustainable community. The local people then had an opportunity to ask questions and contribute their ideas for making this project really effective especially for them.
On his previous trip Greg met an eight year old girl named Fatima who had been living with a debilitating growth on the side of her hip. Fatima’s parents told Greg how she could not go to school because she was bullied by other children. Greg was so moved by her bravery and determination that he organized for Fatima to have surgery to remove the growth. Greg and the team returned to visit Fatima and her family and to deliver some special gifts. Greg said ‘it was really emotional to see Fatima again, we are all so pleased, not just with her recovery, but the confidence she now has…it was great to hear how  well she is doing at school…’
The team finally enjoyed a visit to the site of the new village and even got involved in working the heavy machinery! Greg said ‘it’s great to see phase 1 of the project in progress and get stuck in’.
The Foundation aims to have the village completed by Summer 2016.
Pride Factor is proud to announce the South African launch of the Greg Secker Foundation ‘Inspired Youth’ programme which has been created to positively enhance the quality of life for young people around the world.
Focusing on education, life skills and youth leadership initiatives, the not-for-profit Foundation’s mission is to provide young people, regardless of background, with the strategies and confidence to achieve their full potential and realise their ultimate destiny.ÂÂ
Using the proven formula developed by Secker in his Success Summits for business people, adapted for teenagers by Pride Factor, the Inspired Youth Programme provides participants with access to the country’s leading young aspirational role models at motivational workshops across Africa – designed to equip them with the essential emotional mastery training to achieve the highest level of success.
Founded in 2010, the Greg Secker Foundation is committed to positively improving the quality of life of people around the world. Having run similar youth programmes in the United Kingdom, Pride Factor is excited to be bringing their experience and commitment to giving children the best possible start in life to South Africa.
“We are really excited about the Inspired Youth Programme…. we’ve seen first-hand the incredible results of similar programmes we have launched for young people in the United Kingdom and cannot wait to launch in South Africa with our partner Pride Factor†said Secker.
Dene Botha, founder of Pride Factor, the Cape Town based life-skills academy dedicated to inspiring young minds, is equally positive about the benefits the Inspired Youth Programme will provide for young people in South Africa.
“At a time when the world’s eyes are on South Africa, its questionable leadership, sky-high unemployment rate and increasing poverty, we welcome the support of the Greg Secker Foundation in inspiring our youth to become the leaders of tomorrow and build a better future for themselves and our country.†says Botha.
The Greg Secker Foundation ‘Inspired Youth’ Programme will be launched at motivational workshops in Cape Town and Johannesburg at the end of February and beginning of March respectively. Each one-day event will feature a line up of top motivational speakers and caters for up to 500 teenagers from all walks of life.
Focusing on health, wealth, relationships, leadership, entrepreneurship, contribution and purpose, participants are presented with thought-provoking options and personal insights by the speakers in presentations and Q & A sessions.
Each Christmas the Greg Secker Foundation, in conjunction with the Learn to Trade companies in the UK, South Africa and Australia work with various charities, including the Salvation Army, to provide Christmas care packages and hampers to those who need it most. This year was no exception…On Tuesday 22nd December, Greg Secker, Founder of the Learn to Trade Group and the Greg Secker Foundation along with some of the team from the Learn to Trade Philippines office visited the House of Refuge Foundation Inc (HORFI) in Manilla to deliver some surprise Christmas gifts for the children who live at the refuge.
HORFI’s mission, which began almost 30 years ago, is to care for street children who have been abandoned, neglected, or maltreated. It not only provides these children with a home and basic needs but its philosophy is to nourish the spirit, mind and body through formal and informal education and also the arts. During the visit Greg and the team saw a wonderful display of award-winning martial arts from some of the residents of HORFI. Secker said ‘My Grandmother was an orphan so without the work of orphanages I wouldn’t be here today…it was a heart-warming day and the children were wonderful, the martial arts exhibition was fantastic…it is incredible what can be achieved when you give children an environment in which they can thrive’
Since its inception HORFI has served more than 1000 children and currently cares for 37 children aged 4 to 17. HORFI’s Directress Glady Banau told the team about her latest mission, which is to build a new clinic at the Refuge. Ms Banau runs the centre and looks after all of the children living there, she said ‘It is vital we have the facilities to provide the children with good medical care and so we are trying to raise 2.3 million to build a new infirmary.’ Greg and the team were so moved by her dedication that it was a no-brainer but to offer to help Glady with her new mission. Secker said ‘it’s critical that these kids can receive the health care and vaccinations that they need…I asked her how much she needed and Glady told me she had raised about 1 million so far…we decided right there and then that the right thing to do would be to donate the rest of funds required…’
The visit was a huge success and brought smiles, laughter and tears of joy to everyone and the donation from the Foundation has allowed building of the clinic to begin immediately.
The Greg Secker Foundation helps raise over £750,000 raised at Ubuntu Education Fund Gala to launch first comprehensive paediatric HIV clinic of its kind in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Greg Secker will take to the skies of London, raising money for charity in a series of Flying Trader events.
The Greg Secker Foundation featured in South Africa’s Waterfront Magazine.
