1. What is Our Vision?

The world has changed. A university degree or costly higher education is no longer the only pathway to success. Today, having practical skills is essential—whether to secure employment, start a business, or create new opportunities.

We aim to empower people from all walks of life—young adults beginning their careers, stay-at-home parents balancing family life, or individuals seeking a step-up and needing a fresh start—through skills development and counselling services. Our goal is to foster employability, entrepreneurship, personal growth, and overall well-being.

But we know that learning a skill is only the beginning. What happens after? That’s where we come in. We walk the journey with our students, offering counselling, mentorship, and life coaching where needed. Because we believe it takes a whole, supported person to go out and make a lasting impact in the lives of others.

 

2. What is the mission of Peak Foundation?

At Peak Foundation, our mission is to create a space where people from all walks of life can learn, grow, and thrive. We aim to provide a personal and meaningful learning experience that fosters equality, self-actualization, and a sense of purpose. Guided by values of inclusivity, empowerment, and integrity, we equip individuals with knowledge and skills that bring greater meaning to their lives and communities.

 

3. How was Peak Foundation started?

Lee has been a therapist since 1996, building her experience both in South Africa and abroad while working in salons, spas, hotels, and restaurants, as well as running her own business. Craig brings years of expertise in the hospitality industry as a chef, food & beverage manager, and lodge and operations manager. He later pursued studies in NLP Life Coaching and earned a degree in Counselling.

Together, they share a deep passion for helping people grow—both personally and through skills development—regardless of their circumstances. This passion led to the creation of Peak Foundation. At the end of 2023, they felt called to relocate from Cape Town to the Garden Route to establish the foundation.

Their belief is simple: everyone deserves the opportunity to build a livelihood. While quality education is often locked behind high fees, Lee and Craig are committed to offering the same standard of training at an affordable rate, making skills development accessible to all.

 

4. Our Projects and Training

Our training courses are open to everyone—whether you’re an individual wanting to learn the art of massage for the first time, or someone looking to refresh skills gained years ago. We pride ourselves on offering personalised training that can be adapted to meet the needs of different groups and organisations.

If you run a youth development initiative, a centre supporting abused women, or any community-focused project, we can bring our courses to you. Craig also works broadly with people from all walks of life, with a special focus on men—equipping them with the resources and support to grow into stronger husbands, fathers, and role models.

What you see on our social media platforms is just a glimpse of what we do. If our advertised courses don’t seem to fit your organisation, reach out—we’d love to explore how we can shape our offerings to support your unique vision and needs.

 

5. How can someone apply or sign up for your courses?

If you would like to know more or sign up for a particular course, please send us an email on info@peakfoundation.co.za or Craig@peakfoundation.co.za or give us a call or whatsapp on 069 390 8432. We will then send you a registration form which you can fill in and return online.

6.  I work full-time, can I still do a course?

Absolutely! We know many of our students have work or personal commitments, so we try keep our courses to be as flexible as possible. If there’s a course you’d like to join but your schedule is a bit tricky, just reach out to us — we’ll do our best to find a solution that works for you.
 

7. Is your counselling services just for the students?

No, our counselling services, with our registered counsellor are for anyone. Some of courses include complimentary mentorship/counselling/life coaching for our students whilst they are on the course, thereafter they qualify for a reduced rate per session. The counsellors door is also open to anyone who needs help whether in-person or online. Please watch our social media platforms for events or any group classes we will be hosting .

 Remember: “There is no need to suffer silently and there is no shame in seeking help.” Catherine Zeta Jones

 

8. How is Peak Foundation funded?

     Our courses are funded in two ways:

• Self-funded: Individuals can pay for their own training directly.
• Sponsorship: You can choose to sponsor a student—whether it’s someone you know personally or a deserving candidate we connect with through our partner organisations.

This model allows us to make quality education accessible while also giving others the opportunity to invest in changing lives.

9. Where We Operate

We are based at Blackwaters River Lodge, along the N2 in the beautiful Goukamma Valley between Sedgefield and Knysna. From here, we proudly serve the surrounding communities of Knysna, Sedgefield, Karatara, Buffelsbaai, and Rheenendal.

For students traveling from further afield or overseas, accommodation is available at the lodge (subject to availability). Get in touch with us for room rates and booking details.

10. How to Partner with Peak Foundation

We believe that stronger communities are built when people and organisations with shared goals work together. That’s why we value building meaningful partnerships and relationships.

If you think we could be a good fit—or if you’d simply like to start a conversation about how we might collaborate—we’d love to hear from you.

Not part of an organisation? You can still get involved! Whether through a once-off sponsorship or on-going support for one or more students, your contribution can make a lasting impact. We even welcome sponsorship towards students taxi fair.

  

11. Can I Volunteer with Peak Foundation?

While we don’t have formal volunteer programmes in place yet, we are always open to the idea. If you’d like to contribute your time, skills, or support in a volunteer capacity, we’d love to hear from you—get in touch to explore possibilities.

 

12. How do I stay updated or get in contact with Peak Foundation?

You can email us on Info@peakfoundation.co.za or if you would like to contact our counsellor directly craig@peakfoundation.co.za. Alternatively, you can call or whatsapp us on 069 390 8432. You can also follow us on our fb page.  Peak Foundation Facebook Page   

 

13. What Challenges Does Peak Foundation Face?

Like many new organisations, our biggest challenge is visibility—getting our name out there. You can help simply by liking and following our page, and by sharing our posts to spread the word.

Another key challenge we’ve identified is transport for our sponsored students. Reliable access to classes is essential, and our dream is to have a dedicated vehicle to provide safe pick-ups and drop-offs. To make this possible, we would like to secure our own minibus or partner with a local taxi service.

If you would like to contribute—whether by donating towards our transport fund, offering services at a reduced rate, or connecting us with someone who can help—we would love to hear from you. Together, we can remove barriers and open doors to opportunity.

14.  How Has COVID-19 (and Other Crises) Affected Our Work?

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a major shift in the way people live and work. One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that relying solely on someone else for income is not always sustainable.

That’s why, while our courses prepare students for employment, we also place strong emphasis on empowering them to become their own bosses. We want to equip individuals not just with skills, but with the confidence, mentorship, and ongoing support to build independent, resilient careers.

We know that many people are still recovering financially from the impact of COVID-19. Although there is a cost to our courses, we’ve kept fees as minimal as possible—because we believe accessible training can open the door to real career transformation and long-term stability.