A New Name for Our Next Chapter

After more than 20 years, we are excited to announce that we have changed our name. KLM Foundation — formally, Kgwale le Mollo — is now Kusasa Scholars.

Kgwale le Mollo comes from a Sepedi proverb: "Ge o swere kgwale, ke swere mollo" — roughly, "if you have a bird, I have fire." It is a proverb about partnership, about what becomes possible when two parties bring what they have to a shared purpose. That idea still guides us. But after two decades, we felt it was time for a name that represents our purpose, simply and symbolically. One that captures the spirit of our work in a single word.

Kusasa means tomorrow. That is what we have always been investing in.

Since 2005, Kusasa Scholars has supported 33 scholars through a full five-year scholarship to attend Uplands College, one of South Africa's top independent secondary schools. Those scholars have gone on to South Africa's leading universities and are building careers in law, business, finance, science, and the arts. Behind that number are 33 remarkable young people who arrived at Uplands from rural villages and refused to let where they came from limit where they were going.

South Africa's education crisis is deep and persistent. Of every 100 children who enter primary school, only 4 will complete a university degree. We believe, as we always have, that finding the right young people and giving them a genuine chance makes a difference — to them, to their families, and to the communities they come from and will one day lead.

We carry this new name with gratitude for the donors, partners, mentors, and friends across South Africa and the United States who have made 20 years of this work possible. Here’s to the next 20.