As thousands of learners will soon prepare to return to school in 2026, one reality remains painfully clear: bullying continues to erode the safety, confidence, and wellbeing of South African children. In classrooms, corridors, WhatsApp groups, and playgrounds, too many learners are navigating fear instead of focusing on their education, this became evident in our recent article about Milnerton High School students who bullied a fellow learner.

Umthetho Anti-Bullying NPC is stepping forward, and they are calling on passionate South Africans to step forward with them.

The organisation is preparing its Back-to-School National Anti-Bullying Campaign 2025/2026, a nationwide awareness and intervention initiative that will run across all nine provinces. To make this impact possible, Umthetho is recruiting committed volunteers to serve as Provincial Champions and Facilitators.

This is more than volunteer work.
It is a chance to directly contribute to safer schools, empowered learners, and stronger communities.

Why This Matters : Bullying remains one of the most under-addressed threats to learners’ mental health and academic progress. It creates lifelong emotional consequences, fuels violence, undermines confidence, and heightens school dropout rates.

A national, coordinated response is overdue, and Umthetho’s campaign aims to fill this gap through grassroots activation, school partnerships, and community involvement.

But awareness campaigns don’t run on passion alone. They require people, real people who are willing to show up.

Umthetho is inviting volunteers from any of South Africa’s nine provinces who:

• Are passionate about ending bullying, violence and abuse in schools
• Care deeply about protecting and empowering young people
• Can commit time for planning, outreach and sessions
• Are willing to undergo Umthetho’s orientation and training

To join the movement, please email your CV and a short motivation (including why you want to volunteer and the province you live in) to: cv@umthetho.co.za. Subject line: Volunteer Application – Your Province, the closing date for all applications is 29 December 2025.

Please note: This is voluntary work, with the possibility of compensation once Umthetho secures the necessary funding.