Development Talk

 

A new day is dawning in Mozambique.
After nearly many years of civil unrest, the small nation on South Eastern coast of Africa is starting to rebuild. The promise of limitless possibilities beams from the smiles of school children running to new or partially built schools. Unfortunately, these smiles often turn to tears as financial backers of many development projects are failing to meet their commitments. As the global financial crisis strikes panic in the hearts of funding institutions, money initially earmarked to help develop post war Mozambique has all but dried up. In response to the growing number of commissioned development projects losing financial backing, Celio Mondlane of Fundacao Joaquim Chissano and Minister of Education Dr. Zeferino Martins, have turned to social media to encourage wide spread investment in their county’s future as well as showcasing its success stories. Educate Mozambique is the blog platform where anybody can learn about and support education initiatives all over Mozambique. It is essentially a way of crowd sourcing new

Flag of Mozambique

 avenues of funding, empowering individuals with information about ways they can contribute. Now, instead of waiting for a massive check that may never come from a bank that no longer considers “charity” a priority, any number of concerned individuals from anywhere in the world can give a little bit of money or time to make a big difference in the lives of children in Mozambique.

Visit the site learn to more about how you can support Educate Mozambique!

Celebrating World Book Day

 

April 29, 2011

Books are the most powerful tools that add value to one’s life. Consuming literature broadens our mind, helps us to make formed decisions, and gives us access to knowledge we would normally be unaware of.  The information they provide is then transferred from generation to generation, communities, societies and even individuals all over the globe.

In the last decade, we have seen a shift in the publishing industry with the emergence of electronic books and digital media. People are straying from hardcover literature and newspapers and turning to free content found on the web.

For that reason, United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is celebrating the World Book and Copyright Day on Saturday 23, April. Their aim is to protect the copyright law and to encourage young people to see the importance of reading. Through this event, a 20% discount on any book bought on this day will be donated to the Equal Education Campaign (EEC) (http://www.equaleducation.org.za/).

“Books can be purchased and donated in the shop for collection by EEC the following week. Support this worthwhile cause, and help us to celebrate the Book along with the rest of the world by promoting literacy in our country,” according to UNESCO.

The staff at Creative Consulting & Development Works are book feins and love sharing insightful literature. Click here to check out some of our most recent book reviews, found on our quarterly newsletter, Development Talk.

The Lowe family from Cape Town is inviting warm hearts to support their 10-year- old daughter, Natalie who was diagnosed with an unusual form of bone cancer, Chordoma on the 5 January 2011.

The family has done everything they can do to save their little girl’s life. Right now they have left for Boston, USA to get help from surgical doctors who will perform further surgeries.

She has had emergency surgery to lighten the pressure of the tumor on her windpipe but traveling abroad for further surgery that includes reconstruction of her spine has thrown her family into a financial crisis.

“At Massachusetts General Hospital Natalie will undergo pre-operative Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) – a specialised form of radiation. Surgery will follow some time in April, and once Natalie is rested and has recovered from the operation, she will have further PBT.”

The surgery and PBT treatment is very costly and their hospital insurance only covers essential expenses in South Africa.

Both surgery and the treatment will cost approximately R 2-3m and the family cannot afford such amount “So any support, however big or small, is deeply appreciated.”

Let’s open our hearts and offer a gift of life to our little friend.
To support Natalie go to: http://www.nataliescircleoflove.org/make-a-donation

Panelists discuss challenges facing youth at NGO Week. Photo: Development Works

Panelists discuss challenges facing youth at NGO Week. Photo: Development Works

Young people are facing many challenges in today’s society. In some cases, especially where unemployment is concerned, these challenges are so great that they cannot take active part in and contribute to their families and the community at large.

More than 30 people, from various organisations, gathered at Salt River Community Hall on 22 September, during the South African National NGO Coalition‘s NGO Week, to find innovative solutions to issues concerning youth. (more…)

Crime has dropped in Khayelitsha by 70%, but do people really feel safe? Photo: Michiel van Balen via Flickr

Crime has dropped in Khayelitsha by 70%, but do people really feel safe? Photo: Michiel van Balen via Flickr

The government recently released the crime statistics for South Africa as was recorded from April 2009 to May 2010. According to the SAPS incidences of crime have decreased in most categories.

The murder rate dropped with 8.6% and attempted murders occurred 6.1%  less.

This could possibly be due to more visible policing in the run up to the 2010 World Cup. It is expected that next year’s figures will be even better, because it will include the stats from the period in which the Soccer World Cup was held in South Africa.

Before the stats were released, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa said that the statistics were not meant for “political point scoring”, according to a report by IOL. This should definitely be the case. What matters most is whether people actually feel safe in South Africa.

Recently, when it was revealed that crime in Khayelitsha had been reduced by 70% in the last five years, News24 reported on some political bickering between the DA and the ANC about which party actually was responsible for the reduction. (more…)

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