After 35 Years, Leader Learns Real Community Empowerment

Standing in an empty classroom where children once laughed and learned, Deon Snyman realized something profound about his 35 years in community development. The quiet building in Koringberg, South Africa, had once buzzed with after-school programs serving hundreds of kids, but funding cuts forced its closure in 2026.

Snyman, managing director of the Goedgedacht Trust, was there to install electricity meters. As he walked through the silent rooms, memories flooded back of children doing homework, volunteers helping with meals, and the beautiful chaos of a place where kids felt safe.

The center didn't close because it failed. South Africa's nonprofit sector faced a funding crisis, forcing Goedgedacht to make painful choices about consolidating programs and letting staff go.

Those decisions were rational and necessary, but Snyman carries the weight of every retrenchment conversation. He still changes direction in the supermarket to avoid former colleagues, unsure what to say despite knowing the choices were unavoidable.

Then came an unexpected turning point. Goedgedacht's board commissioned a comprehensive 700-page evaluation examining everything from governance to sustainability.

The findings hit home. Too much responsibility had accumulated in Snyman's office, and stronger systems with distributed leadership might have better prepared the organization for financial pressures.

His first instinct was defensiveness, but something shifted. After 35 years of measuring success by programs delivered and children served, he began asking different questions.

Why This Inspires

Snyman's willingness to examine his own leadership reveals something rare and beautiful. True empowerment means building capacity within communities, not creating dependency on outside organizations or charismatic leaders.

The empty building in Koringberg doesn't represent failure. Hundreds of children received meals, homework help, and caring adults who knew their names during those years of operation.

But the real measure of success isn't how many programs run while funding lasts. It's whether communities gain the tools, confidence, and ownership to continue the work themselves when outside support changes.

Snyman is now rethinking how organizations can genuinely share power with the communities they serve. That kind of honest reflection from a seasoned leader points toward more sustainable, community-led development.

The children who passed through those doors in Koringberg carry those experiences forward. And the lessons Snyman learned in that quiet classroom may help countless other communities build something even more lasting.