Beats and Books

About

Who we are

  • Our Mission

    To facilitate community transformation by creating enabling environments where children thrive musically, intellectually, and spiritually.

  • Our Vision

    Young people taking the Good News beyond their borders.

Team 2017

We love children

Sharing our talents, our skills and our experiences with them is a privilege

Meet our diligent staff

These are team members who have committed to serve for a longer period of time. All our staff serve on a voluntary basis.

Cornelius Ngosa

From Zambia

Founder

Cornelius believes that everything is possible. His background is in Project Management and youth activism. He came to South Africa in 2007 for the Leadership Experience (LXP) program. After a mission around Africa with Global Challenge Expeditions, he came back with a passion to reach children for Jesus through the integration of music, literacy and numeracy skills development. Beats and Books was born in 2011 to achieve that goal. Cornelius currently chairs the LXP Board of Trustees and is also on the Global Challenge and Oakridge Academy Advisory Boards. He is married to Primadonna and they have two adorable sons, Liron and Yosefe. 

Primadonna Ngosa

From Zambia

Literacy Campaign Director

Primadonna is an eloquent public speaker and a fluent speaker of English with a background in management accountancy. She has a deep passion for prayer and loves to connect with people one-on-one. This is reflected in the way that she shares Jesus with the girls and ladies at Beats and Books. She enjoys leading children into a deeper relationship with Jesus and a clear understanding of life through His Word.

Grace Wong

AMusA, LMusA, BMus

From Australia

Music Director

Grace Wong is a pianist and violinist. Born in Boston but raised in Australia, she grew up amongst musical siblings and they regularly travelled to give concerts together. Grace obtained her Associate and Licentiate performance diplomas in piano by the age of fifteen and gained her Bachelor degree at the University of New England in Arimdale. After years of teaching in Australia, she came to Jeffreys Bay in 2017 to establish the violin project at Beats and Books. Grace is passionate about nurturing young musicians and laying sound foundations for a lifetime of music.

Jonathan Isaacson

From Chile

Numeracy Coordinator

Jonathan has a degree in Civil Engineering. He loves computing numbers and is passing on that interest as he equips children for life applications of numeracy. Jonathan moved from Chile in 2018 together with his faithful wife Carla and their four children.

Carla Isaacson

From Chile

After-school Program Coordinator

Carla’s background is Nutrition yet she has many tools in her pocket. She diligently coordinates our after-school efforts which includes running the library and our managing our literacy activities. She is married to Jonathan. They moved to Jeffreys Bay together with their children after serving in Brazil for 8 years.

Have you got a passion for Africa?

You have heard the narratives of how Africa can be changed. Now it’s your time to impact the continent. Come on and join us!

Contact us

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is Beats and Books?

    We are a registered nonprofit company (registration number 2021/4250/84) based in Jeffreys Bay, South Africa.

    Beats and Books aims at creating environments were children can thrive musically, intellectually and spiritually.

  • How did the ministry begin?

    We had a group of young girls that loved singing together. After hanging out with them on almost a daily basis, we realised their academic gaps. So we started offering them free after-school tuition. We eventually ventured into getting music instruments and started dreaming of a place where they could come to study and be able to learn music.

  • What inspired the founding of Beats and Books?

    • The alarming rate of illiteracy in Africa.
    • Passion to see children worship the Lord in truth and in spirit.
    • The love of music and realisation that it is a powerful tool for transformation.
    • After Cornelius traveled around Africa in 2010, he saw that poverty was common and perpetuated by a lack of servant leaders.

  • Why are you doing what you do?

    • Jesus first loved us and because we are His followers, we ought to love others in the areas of their need.
    • We are not entertained when we see a child drop out of school.
    • Education avails more opportunities. The child of Africa needs that to be emancipated from all strongholds that retard us.
    • The lack of servant leaders is killing us. We want to raise servant leaders.
    • We choose to employ music becuase it’s powerfully influential. We choose the most impacting to promote the most rewarding for a child who otherwise may have no exposure to the best that there can be.

  • What impact does the ministry have on the community?

    • We facilitate community development and life transformation by reaching children who are, needless to say, vulnerable. They experience being loved and cared for.
    • Our music and literacy programs help to curb violence and drug & substance abuse at community level. Consequently, children avoid getting involved in illicit activities and stay away from trouble.
    • Children grow up becoming responsible citizens who are able to plow back into the community.

  • What are the future plans for Beats and Books?

    We hope to have the model of Beats and Books reproduced in other Sub-Saharan countries around Africa. However, we desire to acquire R1,500 000 to purchase a building for the Library and Music Academy in Jeffreys Bay before we begin venturing out.

    People can donate towards this using the various portals described on our Give page.

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