In this enlightening talk, discover how a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach to education is transforming the lives of vulnerable children in South Africa. Through the story of Tarique, a young boy drawn to gang life in a volatile environment, this talk reveals how addressing attachment and self-regulation in the classroom can lead to growth, belonging, and flourishing for children facing extreme adversity.

The MathMoms initiative, based in Cape Town, uses mathematics as a tool for healing and empowerment. By creating a nurturing environment and incorporating techniques like Somatic Experiencing, TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises), and breathwork, MathMoms helps children build resilience, self-regulation, and confidence. With the guidance of community members trained as mentors and maths tutors, children in the program are not only learning math but also developing critical life skills that give them agency over their futures.

This talk is a powerful exploration of how education can evolve to meet the emotional needs of children in trauma-filled environments, showing that when children feel safe, connected, and seen, they can achieve so much more. Watch to learn how we can foster emotional growth and resilience in education, and how even a subject like mathematics can become a pathway to healing and empowerment. Judy-Ann Cilliers is a political philosopher and the Communications Manager for MathMoms, a Cape Town-based NPO that builds confident communities one maths-empowered child at a time.

Her academic background examined xenophobia to understand how identity and belonging can contribute to violence and prejudice, and contrast that with how nurturing belonging can grow resilience and work against prejudice and violence.

This background informs her work at MathMoms, which creates structures of belonging in vulnerable communities and around at-risk youth to build resilience. MathMoms employs and up-skills previously unemployed individuals to become mathematics tutors to foundation phase learners in their communities, thereby building healthy intergenerational relationships and creating opportunities for children and adults alike.

She identifies as a reader and student of literature. The most important lesson stories teach us is that without the imagination, there can be no justice. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx