The Alcardo Andrews Foundation

About the Alcardo Andrews Foundation (AAF) 

The AAF was established in March 2015 by Avril Andrews, in response to the murder of young Alcardo Andrews in Hanover Park. Before the formal establishment of the Foundation, Alcardo himself kickstarted a programme to provide psycho-social support and parent training for young fathers and fatherless children in Ottery and Hanover Park. This promising young leader was murdered shortly after he established these programmes and ran these programmes. 

Initially, the AAF sought to feed the hungry in Hanover Park. The Foundation now runs 3 distinct development pillars, a testament to the legacy Alcardo started. 

1. Moms Move for Justice 

This programme was developed to support mothers who have lost their sons and daughters to gang violence and crime in Hanover Park. It provides psycho-social support for mothers to progress from a point of pain to healing and purpose. Our general belief is that mothers need healing and support in order to be the nurturer and support for their families after they’ve experience such tragedy and trauma. 

We also provide: court support to families attending court for varying reasons related to violence in our communities; house-visits with families and; healing dialogues in Hanover Park and other communities. 

2. Youth Support & Youth Drop-Out Programme 

This programme provides the support structure for young people that have either dropped out of school, are in need of mentoring and tutoring or young people that are in need of expression and healing. 

We support young people as young as 8 years old that have experienced gang violence, experience gang life, gender based violence young people that are under-performing in schools and young people that have dropped out of school for any of the above or other reasons. We provide: feeding; one-on-one mentoring and tutoring; arts based expression and workshops such as jewellery making, dancing, and other forms of art which allows young people to speak about their emotions and transition to a place of healing and support and; other forms of psycho-social support. 

We also provide support and referrals for young people that have experienced gender based violence, including rape and molestation. 

3. The Father’s Heart Programme 

This programme provides direct psycho-social support and parent training for the fathers of children that have experienced gang violence, crime and gender based violence in Hanover Park. Fathers that have suffered from the above, never mind the incremental intergenerational trauma of being persons of colour in South Africa, are in need of support and healing. All fathers that have participated in this programme are currently playing a role in actively supporting their children, each other and the community of Hanover Park to shift 

and transform violent behaviour. They have become role models actively changing our community to heal and work together against the recurrence of these violations against others.