TEARS Foundation
The Leader’s Journey
Overview
TEARS Foundation is a South African nonprofit organisation that provides access to crisis intervention, advocacy, and support services for survivors of sexual violence, domestic abuse, and genderbased violence.
Operating at the frontline of one of the country’s most urgent social challenges, TEARS works tirelessly to restore dignity, safety, and hope to vulnerable communities.
Challenge
Managers at TEARS were inundated with work in a stressful, highpressure environment.
While deeply committed to their mission, many lacked formal management training to help them balance workload, lead teams effectively, and sustain their own resilience.
The organisation needed a structured programme to equip managers with foundational management skills without disrupting their demanding weekday schedules.
Solution
Leverage Leadership designed and delivered the Leader’s Journey, a full Generic Management NQF 4 qualification.
Key features included:
- Weekend Delivery: Sessions were run on Saturdays to accommodate managers’ weekday workload, demonstrating Leverage’s flexibility in meeting client needs.
- Core Management Skills: The qualification covered decisionmaking, communication, problemsolving, accountability, and team leadership.
- Practical Application: Managers were encouraged to apply concepts directly to their daily work, bridging theory with practice.
- Supportive Environment: Facilitators provided consistent guidance, ensuring participants felt supported throughout the journey.
Outcome
The programme delivered meaningful impact:
- Managers gained confidence in applying structured management tools to highpressure situations.
- TEARS strengthened its leadership pipeline, ensuring managers could sustain the organisation’s mission while managing teams effectively.
- The weekend format showcased Leverage’s ability to accommodate client needs, reinforcing our philosophy of partnership and adaptability.
- TEARS managers completed a nationally recognised qualification, enhancing both personal growth and organisational resilience.
Participant Voices
Feedback highlighted the programme’s impact on knowledge gained, workplace applicability, and support received:
- “The communication throughout the programme was excellent. The facilitators brought deep knowledge and practical understanding, and the support from Yolande was a true gem.” – Angela
- “We learned in detail about budget and monetary education. The session was lively and enthusiastic, making financial concepts practical and relevant.” – Mmaphuti
- “Group coaching sessions were helpful, providing practical guidance that supported my preparation for assignments and the final exam.” – Angela
- “Knowledge is power, and passing this knowledge on will help the team greatly. Communication and leadership tools are directly applicable to TEARS.”
- “The facilitator was very knowledgeable and professional, encouraging participation and linking content creatively with videos and discussions.” – Angela
LeverageForward
The Leader’s Journey reflects Leverage’s belief that leadership is not reserved for titles but is a discipline for all. By accommodating TEARS’ unique needs and investing in this passion project, Leverage demonstrated its commitment to social impact in South Africa.
TEARS now has managers equipped with the skills to lead confidently, manage effectively, and continue driving change in the communities they serve.