The SOS Africa Children's Charity is a small, non-profit, UK registered, predominantly volunteer-run Somerset charity, which funds the education and care of underprivileged African township children. SOS Africa is unique because it guarantees that:  

"Every penny donated to the SOS Africa Children's Charity

will be invested in the futures of the children we support - 

All expenses are covered by Gift Aid."

Our Somerset based charity was founded in January 2003 by Matt Crowcombe, a student from Shepton Mallet and South African school teacher, Henry Matthews. During his placement at the International School of South Africa in Mafikeng, Henry made Matt aware of the widespread poverty and poor standard of education of African children which existed throughout the local townships. Henry also introduced Matt to Thabo, a young township child who attended Henry's church.

Matt and Henry grew very close to Thabo and decided that the only way to secure his future would be to provide him with an education. Therefore, with financial assistance from Matt's family, in January 2003 Thabo Mokete attended Mafikeng Primary School for the first time.

Shortly after this life-changing moment, Matt returned to the UK at the end of his gap year, founded the SOS Africa Charity in Shepton Mallet, Somerset and started fundraising to support the African children with the sole aim of providing education and care to the underprivileged children of South Africa. At the same time, Henry established an SOS Africa office in Mafikeng, South Africa. Together they ensured that SOS Africa would empower Africa's future generations through education. 

Since 2003, with the help of the local Somerset community SOS Africa has grown from strength to strength, and now has fully-established offices in both the UK and South Africa and funds the education and care of 18 underprivileged township children. SOS Africa has been involved in many charitable projects including the Hyundai/SOS Africa 2010 Football World Cup Project, which ending up being one of the largest charity projects organised during the competition.

SOS Africa now receives support from a network of volunteers, fundraisers and supporters from across the globe; with this help SOS Africa aims to fund the education, care and welfare of many more underprivileged African township children in the future, in the hope that it will help reverse the cycle of poverty which continues to haunt African societies.

We can only do this with your help...

If you wish to help SOS Africa you can do so by Sponsoring an African Child, Donating to our African Children or by Fundraising for our African Charity.

Alternatively to read more about the SOS Africa Charity Story, click here.