March did not go exactly as planned. That is not a complaint: it is an honest account of what building something real actually requires. Adjustment is not failure. It is evidence that the standard is being held.
Girls on Fire: delayed, not derailed
The Girls on Fire camp has been moved to April. Two things drove the decision: operational logistics around the Cape Town Cycle Race, and a delay in releasing funding.
The alternative was to push ahead with something compromised. That is not the standard GCC operates to. These camps are not nice-to-have experiences. They are intentional spaces where young women are challenged, supported and reminded of who they are and what they are capable of. That does not happen by accident, and it does not happen when things are rushed.
A note on support: During the month, a group of women from across the world stepped in and contributed toward making this camp possible. No long proposals. No drawn-out processes. A clear recognition of the need and a decision to act. That kind of backing changes what is possible.
The camp is still actively raising funds to ensure it lands the way it is meant to. If you have been watching from the sidelines, this is the moment to step in.
106 teachers. Real reach. Real pressure.
While the camp timeline shifted, the work did not slow down. GCC returned to Cape Town this month and trained a total of 106 teachers, working directly with educators on the ground.
What those classroom visits made clear is worth saying plainly. Class sizes in the schools GCC works with do not start at 30. They start at 37 and often climb to 60 or 70 in a single classroom, with one teacher. That is the reality of the system, and expecting meaningful engagement, individual attention and emotional support to happen consistently under those conditions is unrealistic.
These teachers still show up every day. Not just to teach, but to manage, support and hold spaces that are often far larger than what any one person should carry. There is also a real safety dimension to this work. Walking into those classrooms daily, in environments that are not always stable or predictable, takes courage that goes largely unrecognised.
“The system, as it stands, is not enough. Teachers and learners deserve more tools, more support, more practical ways to make learning possible.”
Tarryn Hallaby, Founder & CEO, GCC FoundationGCC is not here to criticise for its own sake. The organisation exists because the gap between what the system offers and what young people need is real, measurable and addressable, if the intervention is structured to last.
An afternoon worth remembering
One of the month’s highlights was an afternoon spent with the boys in the 12-month mentorship pathway. No formal agenda. No stage. Conversations, games, ice cream and the kind of deeper connection that structured schedules sometimes crowd out.
When you create that kind of space, you start to see what is actually there. Not the labels, not the assumptions — the potential. These young men do not need saving. They need access, guidance and people who take them seriously. That is the work.
Building more than pathways
The team also took time this month to connect as a group — an afternoon around a braai, no agenda, real conversations about where each person comes from and the different paths that led to GCC. That kind of investment in a team is not separate from the mission. It is part of it.
The month also included early exploration of potential premises for a GCC community centre — a permanent space where young people can gather, where belonging is the foundation rather than the aspiration. That work is at an early stage, approached with both excitement and care.
On a personal note: GCC’s first radio interview this month, sharing the organisation’s work in the Deep South. It is one thing to build. Finding a public voice and inviting others into the vision is a different kind of step, and this felt like the beginning of that.
March was full. The Girls on Fire camp is coming in April, stronger and more intentional for the extra preparation time. The teacher training continues. The mentorship work deepens. The bigger vision is very much in motion.
If any of this resonates — whether through volunteering, funding or opening doors. There is a place for you in it. Get in touch.