About Us
Africa is an amazingly beautiful continent, but it has sadly become synonymous with poverty. Africa is by far the poorest continent on the planet with many of the world's poorest countries coming from there. Poverty has huge negative effects on society. Poor education, crime, gangs, sexual assault, teenage pregnancies, HIV, alcohol and drug addiction are common where there is poverty. Children are the most affected by the issues associated with poverty. Children have no choice as to where they live or how to change the circumstances in their lives.
Metro Kids Africa is a non-profit organization that seeks to serve children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, “Helping Children Create a Better Future”. Thousands of children are served weekly through, after-school and school programmes, child sponsorship, home visits, compassionate care, camps and teenage mentorship programmes. Metro Kids Africa is founded on Christian principles and believes that a relationship with Jesus Christ will bring long-lasting life change.
Metro Kids Africa is a partner organisation of Metro World Child (formerly Metro Ministries) based in New York, USA. Metro World Child was founded in 1980 and played a huge role in inspiring the Senior's. After visiting Metro World Child in New York and operating kids clubs in the UK, James and Janet believed the same programmes would help children in Cape Town and other areas of Africa.
We currently work in two countries. We started in South Africa in 2005 and Uganda in 2014. HIV, AIDS, and child-headed homes are common in both, but each country has it's own problems.
South Africa sadly has violent crime prevalent in many townships. Inequality of wealth and high levels of unemployment are major issues. Then there's poverty, alcoholism, drug addiction and the absence of a father in many children's lives. What’s more, South Africa has one of the worst rape statistics against children in the world. This is what the majority of children growing up in South Africa face.
Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world with 48% of the population under the age of 14 years. It is a poor country and has been rated one of the most corrupt. Most people live in rural areas where they spend hours each day walking to collect water.
James, Chief Executive Officer
James has a true father’s heart for children, teenagers and young adults. He inspires all who meet him with his gentle care toward those around him. James has a passion to reach the young people of Cape Town and beyond and travels the world sharing about the work of Metro Kids Africa and inspiring others to make a difference in their communities.
James and Janet Senior
Janet, Chief Operations Manager
Janet looks after the day-to-day running of operations. Her desire is to see Metro Kids Africa operate with good organisational structures in place while not forgetting the love and care that is essential to the work of Metro Kids Africa. She focus’ mainly on the child sponsorship programme, funding, special projects and overseeing the staff and volunteers.
In 2004, James and Janet Senior and their four young children left the United Kingdom for South Africa after deciding to make huge life changes and work amongst the disadvantaged children in South Africa. Having met Bill Wilson many years ago and been inspired by the work Metro World Child does, the Senior's began similar programmes in Cape Town, founding Metro Kids Africa in 2004. In 2008 Metro World Child invited Metro Kids Africa to become a partner organisation.
Metro Kids Africa seeks to form relationships with local churches and people, provide training and support and help the local community reach their own children. In this way, children have good role models within their own areas and have someone they can access easily, which helps develop healthy relationships that will produce lasting change.
Metro Kids Africa grew in Cape Town and as other communities were impacted the staff team grew to 7 staff members.
In 2014 James and Janet were invited to go and teach how to reach children using the same curriculum and programmes in Uganda. This has flourished and grown incredibly fast and is impacting the youth living in various parts of Uganda. Read the whole story.
Staff in South Africa
Staff in Uganda
South Africa
Unathi is the South African Manager. She was one of the first volunteers to help Metro Kids Africa begin its first programme. After completing an Early Childhood Development Diploma she came on staff in 2016. She has been manager since the beginning of 2019 and has a passion to care for the staff and share Jesus with the children from her community. Unathi oversees every aspect of the work in South Africa and maintains all programmes to a high standard.
Ncedisa is on the leadership team. Ncedisa was in the first group of teenagers who were mentored and part of the Leadership Development programme. It is fantastic to see her now lead the teenagers and help them grow in their relationship with Jesus. She is also responsible for the care of the children on the sponsorship programme and works with the Metro Kids Africa accountant looking after the day to day cash needs.
Vuyo is on the leadership team. He has immense energy and always brings a smile to the children’s faces. He loves to be a brother and father to the children and teenagers. Vuyo is responsible for photography and social media, camps, the teaching of songs for the children and the Metro Kids Africa vehicles.
Siphokazi was an intern with Vuyo in 2015. She went on to become a staff member and is a great asset to the team with her administrative skills enabling programmes to flow smoothly. In particular Siphokazi is responsible for the sponsorship programme.
Nosi has a quiet strength that inspires the teams of teenagers that she leads. She began leading the team in her area when she was 17 and is a great role model to young people around her with her passion for Jesus and her Christian life. She makes up and delivers all the food parcels for the children.
As a child, Tham-Tham attended the very first Sidewalk programme that Metro Kids Africa did. Now she is responsible for all the props that are needed for the children’s programmes. She is a fantastic artist and her abilities add great visual props for the children. Tham-Tham is currently working towards gaining a Diploma in Financial Management and works closely with the Metro Kids Africa accountant to oversee the daily needs of the finances.
Inga has joined the South African team on a full time basis and we are thrilled to have her with us. She is a talented leader, is keen to learn and loves to help with the writing of plays for the holiday clubs.
Nomaphelo has been with Metro Kids Africa since she was a little girl. At ten years of age she was interpreting for James at the Sidewalk programme in her area. She is a natural leader and is an inspiration to many children and teenagers. Nomaphelo has the fun responsibility of planning all the games for the children.
Uganda
David is the Ugandan Manager and was the first person to come on staff in Uganda in 2014. He has a huge vision to impact children with the love of Christ and help them grow into young people who will impact their nation for good. He is a Registered General Nurse and this training has helped him care for the staff and children he is responsible for. David is gifted in communication with all people and this plays a huge part in him managing Metro Kids Africa Uganda well.
Joy is the Assistant Manager of the Ugandan team. He is always full of fun and makes the children smile. Joy is always busy and looks after 20+ schools each week training the teachers and assisting them to teach the Metro Kids Africa curriculum. Joy always asks question whenever James visits for staff training and has an enquiring mind which stirs him to search for the truth and helps him be a good teacher.
Judith is Principal of a school that began partnering with Metro Kids Africa in 2014. She is a gifted teacher and plays a huge role in training new schools when they begin their partnership with Metro Kids Africa. Judith has a perfectionist nature and loves to organize the staff and programmes. The Metro Kids Africa office is based in a room at Grace Learning Centre, the school Judith is Principal of.
Florence worked at the first school we partnered with and is married to Pastor David. She loves children but was very shy with adults. As she began to teach the Metro Kids Africa curriculum it began to impact her life to such an extent that she developed a new belief in herself and became more confident. Florence now leads with strength and this has had a positive effect with the schools she is responsible for. These schools have become some of the most vibrant schools Metro Kids Africa works with.
David was a pastor of a church but he saw such a positive change in his wife Florence that he wanted to be involved with Metro Kids Africa. He is now on staff and has come to believe in the importance of reaching people whilst they are young. He has a particular heart for mentoring the teachers at the schools Metro Kids Africa works in. He loves travelling around Uganda representing Metro Kids Africa and finding new partners to work with.
Viola is David’s wife and is a great support to him and the responsibility he carries as the Metro Kids Africa Ugandan Manager. Her gift is in organization and she will be involved in the launching of the child sponsorship that will happen in Uganda in the near future.
Cathy oversees Metro Kids Africa programmes in schools in Central Uganda. She shows immense commitment, travelling 5.5 hours each way to 1 of her schools weekly. She is the youngest member of the team and has a great empathy with the children.
Stephen works near the Democratic Republic of Congo border overseeing schools in this area. He loves to sing and dance and this passion adheres him to the children at the programmes he works with.
William works near the Rwanda border with schools in this rural area. Children walk miles to school and are rewarded with smiles and a fun loving programme led by William which they love to attend.
James has come on staff recently and is loving his new role. He lives near Jinja and is responsible for overseeing schools in this area. Jinja is a 7 hour journey from the Metro Kids Africa Uganda office and having James on board has helped the Ugandan staff with their work load.
Our Vision and Mission
Metro Kids Africa's vision is to see communities transformed by raising up leaders, teachers and pastors from the streets and from the poverty stricken neighbourhoods of Cape Town and beyond; empowering and developing children, one by one, that they may bring hope to the next generation, bearing fruits that will change the nation.
Metro Kids Africa is committed to serving children and young people who are born into difficult circumstances.
Families do not want their children's lives to be damaged by the issues around them, but instead want their children to grow up in safe communities with young people becoming responsible adults. Metro Kids Africa's goal is "To Help Children Create a Better Future". Everything Metro Kids Africa does is with this in mind. All programmes and activities that Metro Kids Africa staff and volunteers engage in are aimed at enabling children and young people to have the tools to make good choices, which will help them grow into responsible adults who will be role models in their communities.
How Do We Do This
- We teach Christian-based life skills and values each week at programmes thousands of children attend. We conduct after-school programmes, school sessions, camps, small groups and personal mentorship programmes.
- We establish personal relationships and mentorships through the One By One child sponsorship programme and weekly home visits.
- We donate compassionate care food parcels, clothing and school supplies to those families who are in great need.
- We work together with other non-profit organisations and churches for the benefit of the children and young people.
