Development Talk » initiative

admin — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:19:06 +0000

: Masande Drama Group entetained at the celebration: Photo: Development Works

Catholic Welfare and Development (CDW) has re-launched its Bonne Esperance Refugee Shelter for Woman and Children. They recently celebrated this momentous occasion with a special post –Refugee Day gathering.

The celebration kicked off with CDW Director, Lungisa Huna giving a brief history of Bonne Esperance and linked the work they have done to the Cape Townbased development organization’s mission of unleashing the ability of individuals and supporting community independence. Representatives Vanessa Coulson and Chae Li Diong from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) grabbed the audience’s attention as they spoke of the international lawful situation, relating to refugee and why the role of amenities like Bonne Esperance are vital to the local refugee response.

There was an especially memorable moment when a Home Affairs representative addressed the serious challenges asylum seekers face during the application process and how Bonne Esperance has assisted with addressing backlogs. It was mentioned that Bonne Esperance made sure that “no stones are left unturned” when it comes to helping foreigners in need. Survivors of conflict, trauma and dislocation from their home countries and former Bonne Esperance residents, also made appearances at the launch to testify to the Shelter staff’s commitment.

According to a press release for the event, through Bonne Esperance, vulnerable women are supported and the cycle of violence is breached and young people are guided towards heartwarming lives. The Shelter also encourages local integration that includes getting South Africans to understand reasons behind refugee migration intoSouth Africaby facilitating educational training in response to the racism, xenophobic attacks that surfaced in May 2008. To date Bonne Esperance has assisted approximately 20 000 people; opened its doors to the defenseless and helped them transition into a reconstruction and healing phase ; as well as assisted over 60 families with rehabilitation and reintegration into communities around Cape Town.

To learn more about the Bonne Esperance Shelter please visit their website by clicking here.

Dance for All: An invitation to help make dreams come true!

admin — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:19:47 +0000

: Dancers showcase their skills. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

Many South Africans have dreams, desires and interests that they are unable to pursue, due to the limited availability of information in their community. Faced with this challenge, they often lose hope and begin to believe drugs and alcohol abuse as well as violence and crime are the only things that help them to feel fulfilled. With increased focus on personal development and access to information it would be possible for community organizations to help community members fulfill their dreams and avoid the pitfalls of substance abuse and violence in their own lives.

Dance for all, an Athlone based Outreach Programme, looked at the challenges facing community members and came up with a solution. They aimed to offer children in historically deprived communities with an opportunity for enjoyment, upliftment and promotion of self – esteem through the medium of dance, as well as training for young people who hope to become professional dancers. This has lead to the development of a unique, indigenous dance company that embodies creativity and culture. They also offer these classes at other service points in the surrounding townships of Gugulethu, Nyanga, Khayelitsha and Langa.

Eight dance teachers from the United States (US) are expected to come and share their dancing skills with participants. The list of visiting teachers includes founder of the LEAP programme at St Mary’s College Claire Sheridan, a regular visitor to Dance for All, Kristine Elliot, Geren Scribner, Lucy Van Cleef, Olivia Ramsay, David Tamaki, Annie Colbeck and Alejandro Piris Nino. They will work with students over the next two weeks designing and producing an on-site dance that includes movement classes, repertory and choreographic workshops.

Anyone who is interested in this amazing dance experience is exclusively invited to two performances offered by this initiative from Friday 08 July at 16:30 or Saturday, 9 July at 11:30 in their Dance for All studios in Athlone.

The entrance fee of R25.00 for an adult and one of R15.00 for kids will help you to get inspired and assist you in finding your new hobby.

We can all rise above our current situations and become what we want to be in lives!!!

Youth Changing the World

admin — Tue, 10 May 2011 13:32:29 +0000

Youth implementing solution to problems concerning their communities.Photo: Development Works,Flickr

Last month was Global Youth Service Day (GYSD), the largest service event in the world that mobilises the million of youth and children who are dedicated to the improvement of their communities through service and service learning.

This American initiative was established in 1989. It was organised by Youth Service America and its Global Youth Service Network and consists of international partners, sponsors and volunteers.

Every year, more than 100 countries and millions of children and youth work together with schools, youth organisations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organisations, volunteer and national service programme, government agencies, faith communities and other individuals to tackle the world’s most critical issues and change their communities on Global Youth Service Day.

According to gysd.org, during the weekend of April 23-25, 2010, millions of youth took active part in thousands of service and service-learning initiatives in order to solve problems concerning their communities.

Check out some interesting stats from the website:

 Volunteers participated on 6 continents.

 3,091 projects registered on GYSD.org.

 648 grants disbursed to youth, nonprofits and schools, totaling $716,000.

 Thousands of media placements with close to 2 billion media impressions.

 1,165 local, state, and federal government officials with 35 state proclamations; 27 co-sponsors for the U.S. Senate resolution; 44 co-sponsors for the U.S. House resolution

Get involved!

Organisation Holds Zuma Accountable for Education Non-deliverables

admin — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:20:52 +0000

: Pupils raised their concerns during school library march.Photo:EE

Education was a focus in Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address. In an interview featured on politicsweb.co.za he proposed focusing on the “Triple T,” which stands for teachers, text books and time.

He emphasised that by law, teachers must spend enough hours teaching at schools and children must have access to books, therefore having time to deliver these necessities is crucial.

Equal Education (EE), a community and membership-based organisation that is committed at achieving quality education in South Africa, is here to ensure that all the promises that are being made around educations are fullfilled.

Doron Isaacs, Equal Education Director, said, for too long, South African education policy has been at war with the basics, including textbooks. He said, under Minister Angie Motshekga, this has thankfully changed and now the President is underlining that. But EE will not wait to see whether the President’s words magically deliver textbooks and teachers on time to every child.

Isaacs said they will continue their daily campaigning work to make sure that this happens.

“We will keep training learners, parents and community members to hold their schools accountable in these crucial areas. We will keep pressuring government to revisit the tendering process for textbooks to bring down the cost, and will pressure the publishers to stop profiteering at the expense of our education,” he said.

: Teachers and pupils at Masiyile High School were thrilled during library launch. Photo:EE

He also mentioned that school districts and provinces that fail to deliver on the President’s words will find themselves: on “our placards, in our petitions,” listed in the newspapers and “…in court”.

Equal Education has already spread their wings and are advocating on an large-scale level. Last year, more than 12,000 people took part in Human Rights Day in March, more than 5,000 fasted during Fast For School Library, and over 60,000 signed petition for 1 School 1Library 1 Librarian, to name a few.

In its 4^th year of existence, EE will be marching on the 21st of March to demand basic infrastructure in all South African Schools. They are doing so to ask basic Education Minister, Angie Motshekga , to fulfill her promise of finalising Minimum Norms and Standards for School Infrastructure by the end of March 2011.

They will host events geared toward people who care about education. The first is People’s Summit for Equal Education that will take place on 25-28 June at Khayelitsha and UCT. Later this year, EE will hold its First National Congress that will be open for EE members and will allow them to debate and decide upon the future priorities.

Creative Consulting & Development Works truly see value in EE’s efforts and initiatives. In just three years, the organisation has mobilised the South African community and made great improvements on the education sector. We support EE, IkamvaYouth, and other organisations as they continue to improve the quality of education in South Africa.

Community raises concerns at Khayelitsha Health Summit

admin — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 14:28:50 +0000

Speakers take part in the Health Summit held in Khayelitsha. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

Khayelitsha residents came in great numbers to the two-day Health Summit that was held at Isiphiwo Primary School in Harare on Saturday and Sunday, 20-21 November. This was their chance to voice their concerns regarding health care service delivery.

SANGOCO Western Cape, People’s Health Movement South Africa, DKT International, City of Cape Town, and other role players in public health met with the members of the community discuss these issues.

Funders and sponsors like Capitec Bank gave messages of support at the Summit and the current status of health in Khayelitsha was discussed by Dr Virginia Azevedo of the City Health Department.

In her presentation, Dr Azevedo showed that there is a high mortality rate for children under the age of 5 with Gastro-Aids. The high number of people who are suffering from womb cancer shows the poor access to antenatal care in Khayelitsha, compared to other areas like Michell’s plain.

Professor Nomafrench Mbombo, a deputy director at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) School of Nursing said antenatal care during pregnancy is of great importance, so that problems with the health of the mother or the baby can be diagnosed at an early stage. “No woman should die unnecessary,” she said.

Health issues that are of concern to the community of Khayelitsha was discussed at the Health Summit. Photo: Nondumiso Ntsengentsu

According to Mbombo there is a high demand for community participation in issues regarding primary health care.

At the Summit, the community was given a chance to raise the issues they have regarding health in their areas. The fact that there are people who have to take treatment on an empty stomach, is one issue that is of great concern to the community.

Mama Mangconde from Makhaza initiated a project in December 2006 to give food to patients while they are waiting for the doctors. But they had to cancel the project due to financial problems. This has made the situation worse, as there is now no hope for the patients of getting food on their way back home. Mangconde said they need more help from the government and funders, so that they can give back to the needy.

Organisations like DKT International did surveys in Khayelitsha and found that males refused to go to a clinic, as they do not want to be examined by a woman. They also discovered that people refused to test for HIV when they went to the clinic regarding a sexually transmitted infection (STI’s ).There is still a stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS in these areas, which makes it hard for people to get tested. They are scared of what other people might think if they went into the testing room.

NGO’s, NPO’s, CBO’s, government and funders were asked to take hands to make Khayelitsha a better, healthier place.