One of Africa’s most well known explorers, few have seen the continent of Africa the way Kingsley Holgate has. He has been in practically every country on the continent carrying out amazing humanitarian and aid work. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Kingsley is also known as the ”Grey Beard of Africa”.
Kingsley at a Voodoo market in Togo **Image courtesy of kingsleyholgate.net
His tightly knit team comprises of his wife Gill, his son Ross, daugher in-law Anna, his grandson Tristan as well as humanitarian volunteers and journalists. He believes that “a person is a person through other people” and it is this motto that has managed to see Kingsley and his team reach some of the most remote parts of Africa. Whether it’s an expedition to Somalia to distribute thousands of mosquito nets to pregnant mothers and children, or embarking on a 448 day journey around the outline of Africa covering 33 countries, their work knows no bounds.
Team Holgate at the Cape of Goodhope **Image courtesy of kingsleyholgate.net
We will be following the Holgates on their latest adventure and providing updates and interviews as they carry out their latest mission. Details to be released soon!
Kingsley with his Grandson Tristan who travels with the team on their adventures **Image courtesy of kingsleyholgate.net
In the mean time, visit the Kingsley Holgate website for more information on previous expeditions. Here’s a link to a video interview that was done on a mission called “Boundless Africa”.
Creative Consulting and Development Works offers a specialist internship programme for international young people to gain profound and life-enriching experiences by working in the development sector of South Africa.
We offer exclusive, niche internships with reputable non-profit organisations. NGOs in South Africa require energetic interns, and so we are able to find meaningful placements for any skill set! Gain experience in public health, education, community development, youth empowerment, artistic education, and much more. We offer internships at any length and accept candidates on a rolling basis.
After work, enjoy what TripAdvisor named ’2011′s No. 1 Destination’ by soaking in the beaches, mountains, winelands, and rich, cultural diversity.
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
Nelson Mandela's prison cell on Robben Island. Photo: Samantha Marx
On International Nelson Mandela Day, people all over the world are meant to spend 67 minutes doing something to benefit their community. Creative Consulting & Development Works has some ideas of how you can get involved in your community as well.
The man behind this day
Anti-apartheid activist and first democratic president of South Africa, Nelson Rholihlala Mandela, is the inspiration behind this day, because even though he was jailed by the apartheid government for 27 years, he never saw his release from prison as time for revenge. After his release on 11 February 1990 he advocated peace, reconciliation and the rebuilding of the South African nation.
According to www.mandeladay.comNelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. “All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community.”
What can you do?
Creative Consulting & Development Works, as a research, evaluation and communications consultancy working in a development context, often deals with non-profit organisations and we would like to suggest that you volunteer to help some of them on Mandela Day or any other day of the year!
One of the Community Based Organisations in the NACOSA network.
NACOSA is a national civil society network of HIV and AIDS and TB role players, which includes NGOs, CBOs, FBOs and other developmental organisations, who seek to contribute to reducing the impact of HIV and AIDS.
You can contact NACOSA at info@nacosa.org.za or on 021 461 7348 and perhaps get involved in a Community Based Organisation close to you.
Adonis Musati Project
Recently, Development Works presented a Preferred Futuring workshop to the NGO for refugees, Adonis Musati Project. AMP provides clothing, blankets, food packs, medicine and toiletries to refugees and help them to compile and send out their CVs. They help refugees to access transport, accommodation and training. The Adonis Musati Project also has a halfway house for refugee children and single mothers.
You can help Adonis Musati by providing food or toiletries, volenteering to transport goods, assisting on week mornings in the refugee office, or making a cash donation. Contact AMP on 021 448 3348 or email Gayle at gayle@adonismusatiproject.org.
View the video below on the Preferred Futuring workshop that we conducted for the Adonis Musati Project as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility.
Volunteers promote the "One school, one library, one librarian" campaign. From EE's Facebook page
More than 90% of public schools and more than 4.5 million learners in South Africa do not have a functioning school library.
Equal Education (EE), a community and membership-based organisation engaged in activism for improving South African schools, aims to change this by marching to Parliament on 21 March 2010.
They will hand over a petition to the government which asks for a library to be established at every school, a trained full-time librarian to be employed, and at least three books to be made available for every learner.
Equal Education already has the support of Dr Mamphela Ramphele, Sindiwe Magona and Zackie Achmat, but they also need our help.
They list various ways in which ordinary citizens can help their cause:
Creative Consulting & Development Works is a research, evaluation and communications consultancy, servicing nonprofits, government and funders with innovative solutions in a development context.
On our blog, Development Talks, we discuss politics and social development. We are interested in the impact of politics on the ordinary citizen and the political activities of those on the ground.
