Who we are

The foundations
of Topsy

The Topsy Foundation began with the shared vision of Duke Kaufman, Silja Eatock, and Doug Maritz to support children affected by HIV/AIDS in rural South Africa. Drawing on their combined leadership - Silja’s early direction, Duke’s founding vision, and Doug’s strategic backing through Ogilvy & Mather - Topsy grew into a compassionate force for change, offering healthcare, education, and food security to vulnerable communities.

From transforming an abandoned miners’ village into a haven for children, to forming vital partnerships with funders and organisations like Rise Against Hunger, Topsy’s holistic approach continues to uplift lives in Mpumalanga and beyond.

Grounded in resilience and collaboration, Topsy remains dedicated to creating lasting impact and hope - one community at a time.

What we do

Family and community
at the heart

Topsy supports Early Childhood Development in Mpumalanga’s rural communities through a number of key child-centred approaches. Our aim also is to strengthen families and communities: their involvement creates a sense of ownership that supports long-term sustainability.

Total support in the
critical early years

Early
Learning
Nutritional
Support
Parental
Skills
Health
Screenings
Psycho-social
support

Our Five Pillars

Our Early Childhood Development model looks at the child’s development in its entirety: stimulation and early learning, psycho-social support and services, access to sustainable sources of nutritious food, regular health screenings, and skills development for Early Childhood Development practitioners, parents and primary caregivers.

Learn and Thrive

We provide access to quality, age-appropriate early learning through Early Childhood Development centres and our Play and Learn centre. This helps improve children’s capacity to learn and thrive in their school-going years.

Feel Happy and Safe

We assist with birth registrations, access to child support grants and child protection. This serves to improve the emotional wellbeing and safety of children.

Eat Nutritious Food

We provide training on healthy foods and help establish vegetable gardens for individuals and communities.

Be Healthy and Grow

We facilitate medical and health services such as growth monitoring, hearing and vision screening, treatment for minor illnesses and referrals for specialised care. We also have an on-site pharmacy and x-ray facilities.

Nurture and Support

We provide education and psycho-social support to parents and caregivers.

01

Unlocking potential through
Early Childhood Development

02

Breaking the cycle of poverty through
child development, nutritional support health monitoring and skills training

03

Training and support
for parents and caregivers