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Grassroots Innovation Community development workers in action

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Poverty, unemployment and inadequate citizenaccess to government services are some of thechallenges facing the post-apartheid state inSouth Africa. Hence, the 2003 governmentintroduced the Community DevelopmentWorker Programme (CDWP). The objective ofthe CDWP would be to assist with improvingservice delivery and accessibility to publicservices; facilitate community developmentand stronger interaction and partnershipbetween government and communities; andsupport participatory democracy.

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Grassroots InnovationCommunity development workers in action

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Grassroots InnovationCommunity development workers in action

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Produced by the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA)

Designed and published by Jacana Media (Pty) Ltd 10 Orange Street

Sunnyside Auckland Park 2092

South Africa +2711 628 3200

www.jacana.co.za

© DPSA, 20111st edition 2011

ISBN 978-1-4314-0122-2

001477

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Contents

Acronyms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Pledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Eastern Cape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Free State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Gauteng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

KwaZulu-Natal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Limpopo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Mpumalanga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

North West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Northern Cape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Western Cape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

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AcronymsCDS Community Development Services

CDW Community development worker

CPF Community policing forum

DALA Department of Agriculture and Land Administration

DEAT Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

DPSA Department of Public Service and Administration

DSD Department of Social Development

FLEP Friends of Lesedi Ecotourism Project

GCIS Government Communications and Information System

GDARD Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

ID Identity document

MPCC Multi Purpose Community Centre

NAPE Namaqualand Association for Preschool Education

NDFT Namaqualand Diamond Fund Trust

NGO Non-governmental organisation

RDP Reconstruction and Development Programme

SANBI South African National Biodiversity Institute

SASSA South African Social Security Agency

SGB School governing body

WESSA Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa

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I, (community development worker)

………………………………………………………………………….

qualifi ed today as a South African Community Development Worker,solemnly pledge myself

In the presence of all my fellow South Africanspresent here today

to serve all fellow South Africans as equalsin accordance with our constitution

guided by my country’s philosophy of Batho Pele.

I shall, when called upon,act as the Conscience of the unconscious

Ear of the deafMouth of the dumb

Eyes of the blindLead with the spirit of Ubuntu

Educate, develop and trainany marginalised groups in my community.

I will not allow colour, creed, gender and race tocome between my service and my community.

The learnership in my fi eld of servicecommits me to act as a role modelthat holds high human values of

individual freedom, dignity and equalityat all times during the course of my service

to benefi t all South Africans tospeed up the process in

growth, development and transformation.

Nkosi sikelel’ iAfrika! God bless South Africa!

PLEDGE

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“Poverty, unemployment and inadequate citizen access to government services are

some of the challenges facing the post-apartheid state in South Africa .”

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Introduction

Poverty, unemployment and inadequate citizen access to government services are some of the challenges facing the post-apartheid state in South Africa. Hence, the 2003 government introduced the Community Development Worker Programme (CDWP). The objective of the CDWP would be to assist with improving service delivery and accessibility to public services; facilitate community development and stronger interaction and partnership between government and communities; and support participatory democracy.

Subsequently, government employed a special cadre of public servants with the intention of having at least one community development worker (CDW) in each municipal ward across the country to serve as enablers in the process of service delivery and representatives of government’s commitment to improve the lives of all South Africans.

The importance of community development in the context of building a developmental state was reiterated by President Jacob Zuma in the 2011 State of the Nation address.

• Regularly communicate government and other information to communities in an accessible way;

• Provide feedback to government regarding community experiences of service and governance;

• Provide early warnings to government of any obvious reduction in service standards or performance that could lead to the collapse or significant impairment of the overall service function;

• Report any corruption or irregularity that is encountered within any sphere of government, government department, community organisation or private company;

• Facilitate government assistance to community projects where required and appropriate;

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• Facilitate community interaction with public works programmes;

• Assist communities to engage with and provide input into integrated development plans and other programmes of government;

• Assist in the coordination of inter-departmental programmes and programmes that involve more than one sphere of government;

• Maintain communication with community-based organisations and initiatives of civil society;

• Promote the principles of Batho Pele and community participation;

• Improve community linkages to relevant public entities, non-governmental organisations and private donors;

• Monitor and report significant trends within communities related to health, social development and livelihood security as well as the impact of associated development projects;

• Assist communities to identify their needs and ways of dealing with the needs;

• Create and establish linkages with other stakeholders;

• Raise and identify key policy issues;

• Facilitate and enable communities to help themselves;

• Facilitate the promotion of self help in communities;

• Be a government change agent;

• Prepare reports, share information and influence development of relevant policies geared at building a better life for citizens;

• Identify leadership for coordination of programmes identified at community level;

• Raise public awareness on issues relevant to the community;

• Facilitate community development and stronger partnership between government and communities;

• Evaluate and monitor progress in programmes developed to assist communities;

• Assist communities to secure resources needed to address their needs; and

• Advocate for the vulnerable and marginalised.

In this 2011 edition of Grassroots Innovation, you will be able to read about the work that CDWs are doing in collaboration with a range of key development stakeholders in their respective communities to give effect to their mandated functions. The case studies reveal the exemplary work of CDWs to make sure that development partnerships are forged so that public services do indeed reach the communities in which they work and live.

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“Development partnerships are forged so that public services

reach the communities in which CDWs work and live .” 7

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Case Studies

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“Read about the work that CDWs are doing in collaboration with a range of key development stakeholders in their respective communities to give effect to their mandated functions .”

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“Through the intervention of the CDW, the project has empowered women to be business people .”

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Eastern Capecase studies

Helping preserve historic sites for future generations

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Context and backgroundOne of the important aspects in the life of any nation is its history. South Africa has a rich history ranging from the pre-colonial period to the post-apartheid democratic dispensation. The community of Bullhoek village in the Lukhanji local municipality falls under Chris Hani District Municipality.

The area where the Bullhoek massacre took place was declared a national heritage site in 2000 and was allocated R12 million to kick-start the project. When the community development worker (CDW) for Ward 14, Nomgcobo Mvana, became aware of the project, it had not yet started.

Nomgcobo discovered there were differences between the stakeholders over the project:

• the Israel Church; and

• the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT).

Service delivery interventionNomgcobo engaged DEAT to facilitate how the project could get off the ground. A project advisory committee was formed and, through this committee, Nomgcobo managed to indicate to the Israel Church and other stakeholders the importance of erecting a memorial site for the Bullhoek massacre. Besides being a historic site, the project would also bring tourists to it. This would generate revenue to create employment in Bullhoek and the surrounding areas.

The project got off the ground and 110 people from Bullhoek and nearby areas were employed. Through the project, members of the community were trained in basic skills such as construction. Other community members were selected to undergo training after which they were awarded certifi cates.

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Outcomes• The Bullhoek massacre monument has

been constructed and it is hoped that it will bring the required tourism boom that will inject the necessary revenue into the area.

• The monument will also serve to remind the current and future generations about a historic moment in the community of Bullhoek.

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Helping the community to feed itselfContext and backgroundWard 19 in Amahlathi local municipality is like many of the areas in the Eastern Cape as it consists mostly of rural areas with poor communities. Many of the community members rely on social grants as it is difficult to find employment.

Service delivery interventionA community development worker for Ward 19 discovered that there was a Makukanye Women’s Project where women in Amahlathi were trying to empower themselves. So he wrote letters to the Eastern Cape provincial government’s Department of Housing and Local Government, and the municipality’s local economic development section.

The purpose of the letters was to request funding to start a poultry project and a vegetable garden for commercial purposes.

Once the funds were granted, the CDW requested the Amahlathi municipality to open a special bank account for the project to assist in providing support and for monitoring the project. Members of the Makukanye Women’s Project were also trained on how to manage a poultry business.

Outcomes• The poultry project is already yielding

results as chickens produced are being sold to the community.

• The vegetable garden is also boosting the revenue of Makakunye Women’s Project.

• Through the intervention of the CDW, the project has empowered women to be business people.

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“The poultry project is already yielding results as chickens produced

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“The underlying lesson for Phakamile is that service delivery should be prioritised by government .”

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Free Statecase studies

Service delivery for allContext and backgroundMrs Annie van Staden* is a resident of Ward 3 in Bethulie under Kopanong local municipality. She has been struggling to get a grant to the point that she thinks she is being treated badly. Mrs Van Staden has applied for a grant many times, but she is always told to come after three months. Finally she became frustrated and gave up. She had also complained about the bad behaviour of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) offi cials.

Mrs Van Staden was referred to Phakamile Kulumane, community development worker (CDW) for Ward 3.

Service delivery interventionPhakamile contacted Mr Mbulelo Hinana, the SASSA Smithfi eld offi ce district manager, and informed him about the matter. Mr Hinana requested all the details about Mrs Van Staden and promised to investigate the matter further.

Outcomes• SASSA has promised that Mrs Van

Staden will receive her grant soon.

• As a CDW, Phakamile is angry that elderly people are not treated with the respect they deserve. He has reported the matter to Mr Hinana at SASSA and he has promised to attend to the problem.

• But the underlying lesson for Phakamile is that all citizens must be treated equally with regard to service delivery.

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* Name has been changed to protect identity

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Children’s welfare is of paramount importance

Context and backgroundLejweleputswa district municipality in the Free State consists of several local municipalities. Nala local municipality in Bothaville is one of the municipalities under the district. Ward 11 falls under the Nala local municipality. Khosiane Matsela is the community development worker (CDW) for Ward 11.

Most of the people in this ward have not been to school as there are mostly farms in the area. As a result most are unable to read and write, and don’t know their rights when it comes to government services. Most of the people live in shacks and RDP houses. There is only one primary school and two crèches in the ward. There is no clinic, police station, halls or secondary school.

The majority of people are unemployed and this contributes to the high level of poverty. The unemployed are made up mostly of youth, many of the young girls never having completed matric because of teenage pregnancy. There is a resultant shortage of education in this ward.

Mrs Mantoa Malatjie* has three children and is regularly physically abused by her husband and tortured mentally. He criticises her all

the time for the child she had with her ex-boyfriend. Mrs Malatjie also has two children with her husband. He works as a farmer on Haartebeesveld farm and does not support her and the children. Mrs Malatjie and her children depend on child support grants for living.

Service delivery interventionOne of the challenges faced in the Nala local municipality is the shortage of social workers. This is a pity as Mrs Malatjie’s case could have been referred to them. Faced with this predicament, the CDW decided to help Mrs Malatjie.

Khosiane reassured her that the government does provide support to vulnerable people in distress like her. He said he would help by engaging directly with the maintenance court to get them to force her partner to pay maintainance for the children. Khosiane also encouraged Mrs Malatjie to get protection because of her partner’s violence.

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“Mrs Mantoa Malatjie has three children

and is regularly physically abused

by her husband and tortured mentally .”

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Outcomes• Through his intervention, Mrs Malatjie

has managed to go to the maintenance court to claim. Since April 2010, she has been getting maintenance payouts for her children.

• She is currently moving out of the house for protection and is living in an RDP house.

18* Name has been changed to protect identity

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Determined to succeed against all odds

Context and backgroundTebello Molefi* is the son of the late Ms Paballo Molefi*. He lives in Ward 13 Thabong location, Welkom. His mother, who had three children, also lived with Tebello and his younger brother of 13. She had been physically and emotionally abused for a long time by her husband (Tebello’s stepfather).

In 2007, Paballo was stabbed and murdered during the day while her children were at school. When Tebello arrived home from school, he found his mum lying in a pool of blood.

As Tebello lived close to CDW for Ward 13, Mr M Moleko, he told him about the situation. Mr Moleko then went to the local supermarket, Thubelisha Tuck Shop, and met with the owner, Mr Tshepo Moses Molebatsi*. After explaining Tebello’s situation, Mr Molebatsi agreed to assist with the funeral arrangements. The funeral took place later with the dignity it deserved.

Service delivery interventionAfter the funeral, Tebello had to live alone in the shack as his big sister was married and had taken Tebello’s younger brother to stay with her. There were times when there was no food in the house. It was then that the CDW, Mr Moleko, decided to go to Social Development for assistance. He met with the chief social worker, Ms De Wet, who helped with food parcels.

Mr Moleko then told Tebello and his siblings to go to court for a letter of authority. This

was then taken to the housing department where he met with Ms Ivy Mavuso who made a recommendation that Tebello be granted change of ownership. A housing project had been introduced, called the Houses for Victims of Women and Children Abuse, and through this, 100 houses were to be given to victims.

Tebello applied as one of the victims and was selected to present his story to the community. The launch was attended by 3 000 people. Tebello was emotional when talking about his background and this touched a lot of people. As his application was approved, he received a house, the first to be opened by the MEC and the Executive Mayor on the day of the launch.

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Outcomes• The Executive Mayor of Matjhabe, Ms

Mathabo Leeto, offered Tebello a position as a general assistant at the local library.

• He also received a bursary of R42 000 from the department of local government and housing.

• When he finished matric, he decided to study instead of working. He was given donations, such as clothes and food, from people in the community. It is now his second year at the Central University of Technology, where he is studying office management and technology. The department of local government and housing is still paying his fees.

* Names have been changed to protect identity

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“A commitment to legalise the properties in the names of the residents was made .”

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Gautengcase studies

Community benefi ts from council housesContext and backgroundWhile the CDW of Ward 66 was conducting door-to-door visits in the Bertrams area, she discovered a common trend of the residents complaining that they were not legalised. They did not have title deeds to the council properties they were staying in. Most of the residents there had been occupying the properties from as far back as 1996 and they had never received any feedback despite repeated visits to the local offi ce of the Department of Housing.

As a result, most of the houses were in a bad and unhygienic state as the residents did not want to spend their money on properties they may never own in the future. They had no registered accounts with the municipality as they were not legal owners and were not paying the municipality for the services they were getting. The area would at times go without water, electricity and other essential services.

Service delivery interventionThe CDW arranged a meeting with the local offi ce of the Department of Housing and made them aware of the situation in the area. They asked her and the ward councillor to arrange a meeting to address the affected residents.

Outcomes• A commitment to legalise the properties

in the names of the residents was subsequently made in the meeting by the Department of Housing.

• The residents were duly legalised and they received their title deeds after a period of four months.

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Taking care of the environment around the community

Context and backgroundSoshanguve is the biggest township located 25 km north of Pretoria. It is mostly a residential area, with exception of Ward 49 which is a farming area established in 1966. The township falls within Gauteng province under the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality along the Mabopane Highway.

There are some challenges in the township:

• Residents of the area are not informed about caring for their immediate environment. As a result there is a tendency to dispose of solid waste in any place.

• Many families in the area are without a source of income and as an alternative want to grow their own herbs and vegetables. But they have been unable to do so as there is not enough space in their own households.

• One of the major challenges is illegal activities such as dumping, deforestation and hunting of the local birdlife at the wetland which is ruining biodiversity. The community members wanted to conserve the Kaalplaaspruit wetland area and its ecosystem.

The CDW in the area, Saeshago Maogi of Ward 49, has now became involved.

Service delivery interventionSaeshago Moagi took an interest in the project and immediately involved the ward councillor, Simon Marotola. They decided to get buy-in from the political leadership of the ward and established a Project Steering Committee. This committee comprised:

• Community members

• Saeshago Moagi, the CDW

• Ward councillor

• Government departments

The committee facilitated the formation of a community organisation to deal with the environmental problems within the township.

Saeshago began by contacting GDARD (Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development), SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute) and the City of Tshwane Conservation and Environmental Divisions to alert them to the problems.

Friends of Lesedi Ecotourism Project (FLEP) is an NGO that was established in 2007 and adopted Lesedi Primary School as the partner of the project (hence the name). Saeshago also assisted by compiling a project proposal to the City of Tshwane with four main activities:

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• Waste management

• Wetland conservation

• Sustainable agriculture

• Park development

WastemanagementFLEP has been running sustainable clean-up campaigns within the township:

• Soshanguve XX, East, Ext 2A & VV clean-up in 2008.

• A recycling waste paper through Mondi Paper Recycling.

WetlandconservationThe following were carried out:

• A wetland clean-up campaign in 2007.

• A wetland clean-up campaign for Women’s Month in 2009.

SustainableagricultureThe following were carried out:

• GDARD organised Permaculture training for the beneficiaries through Food and Trees for Africa in 2008. The trainees were awarded certificates.

• A food garden was established within the school premises and some harvested crops given to the school to supplement the feeding scheme.

• GDARD supplied all the garden tools in 2008.

ParkdevelopmentThis is part of the broader plan for the project:

• The park has been earmarked next to the main gate of the wetland conservation area.

• It will be developed once the area has been fenced off.

• FLEP will partner with GDARD LandCare and the City of Tshwane Parks to develop this project.

Awarenesscampaigns• National Water Week Awareness 2007

• National Arbor Week 2008

• Climate Change Awareness 2009

• Wetland Awareness Campaign 2009

• Water Saving Campaigns 2008-2009

• The Rand Water Purification Plant tour 2009

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Outcomes• Saeshago facilitated the registration of

Friends of Lesedi Eco Tourism Project as an NGO at the Department of Health and Social Development. They have assisted the project in terms of providing supporting documents such as logos, letterheads, stamps, membership forms and the opening of a bank account. The project has since gone on to win the MTK Award for the Best Environmental Rehabilitation Category in the year 2007 for the work done at the wetlands.

• Saeshago also organised a permaculture training for the project beneficiaries in 2008 which was funded by Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The training was provided by Food and Trees for Africa.

• GDARD provided tools, a storage container and work suits for the beneficiaries.

• The project has been registered as a member of the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA).

• The ward has also received a fourth price award in the annual Bontle Ke Botho Cleaning and Greening Competition in 2009.

• The project continues to do great things in the community as the produce of the food garden is used to compliment the feeding scheme at Lesedi Primary School.

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A joyful reunion after 21 years

Context and backgroundRethabiseng area is situated in Bronkhorstspruit East of Pretoria under Kungwini local municipality. It is among many of the poverty stricken areas and has a high rate of unemployment.

As Mmapule Mothwa, the CDW, was doing door-to-door visits in Rethabiseng, she met Elizabeth Galane* aged 63 in Extension 4. Elizabeth was living alone, very ill and with no one to take care of her. She had left North West in 1988 to seek employment in Gauteng, and she never returned because of financial constrains. She worked in Pretoria as a domestic worker for a short period of time and then she was retrenched and never got a job again.

Elizabeth moved in with her partner Abel Dinoko* in Rethabiseng. He also was from North West but he didn’t know where exactly. The couple lived in Rethabiseng as pensioners until he passed away in 2009. Elizabeth buried her partner with the help of the community. She could not invite Abel’s family members to attend the funeral as she did not know their whereabouts. That was when Elizabeth began living alone.

Service delivery interventionMmapule requested her supervisor to look for contacts of CDWs in North West. The supervisor gave Mmapule the name of Gomolemo, the CDW in Sedibeng. She in turn gave Mmapule the name of her uncle in North West who could maybe help.

Mmapule spoke to the uncle who linked her with the traditional leader in the area of Taung. She then spoke to the traditional leader and asked him if he could trace Elizabeth’s family, the Galanes, as well as Abel’s family, the Dinokos. After a week the traditional leader called Mmapule to let her know that they had found the Galane family, but not the Dinokos.

The traditional leader gave Mmapule the contact number of Nomvuyo* aged 33 (Elizabeth’s daughter). So Mmapule was able to tell Nomvuyo about her mother. She was very happy to know that her mother had been found and that she was still alive. Nomvuyo wanted her mother to come to the North West but she didn’t have the money. The CDW requested social development in Bronkhorstpruit to assist Elizabeth with transport back to Taung to reunite her with her family.

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In July 2009, Mmapule and the Sizolwethu home-based carers assisted Elizabeth to pack her belongings. On the day of departure, they helped her take a bath and gave her food for the trip. She was then taken home to Taung where her family was very happy to see her after 21 years.

Mmapule said, “I was very happy that I finally reunited Elizabeth with her family, as she was staying alone, not knowing her family’s whereabouts and very sick. As a CDW I feel much fulfilled because through door-to-door Elizabeth is now in Taung with her family.”

As a way of monitoring, Mmapule calls Elizabeth once a month to check how she’s doing. Elizabeth thought that as she had moved to Taung, she would not get her pension grant. But with the help of Mmapule and the social worker, she opened a Mzansi account and now gets her pension via the bank.

“Nomvuyo was very happy to know that

her mother had been found and that she

was still alive .”

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Outcomes• The knowledge that a person

cannot be lost forever; where there are people one can always get help: “Motho ke motho ka batho”.

• The CDW thanked the government for creating the CDW programme as it helps to better the lives of the communities.

• The community also appreciates the work done by the CDWs.

“Motho ke motho ka batho .”

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* Names have been changed to protect identity

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“The disability grant was approved and she has started receiving the grant money .”

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KwaZulu-Natal case studies

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Giving hope to the destituteContext and backgroundWard 57 is situated at Inanda, which is 30 km from Durban in a north-central direction. The ward has a population of about 28 000. There is a 40% poverty rate due to unemployment, illiteracy, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition and premature teenage pregnancy. There are 30% of people who still live in an informal settlement. The ward consists of urban, semi-urban and informal settlements. The majority of community members depend on government social grants for their living and on other government services such as soup kitchens and food parcels. Patricia N Gwala is the community development worker (CDW) for Ward 57.

While Patricia was doing door-to-door visits in November 2009, she came across a family of six. The breadwinner of the family was a young girl of 12. She wasn’t able to go to school. She collected cans and anything made of steel, which she would sell to buy food for the family.

Her mother had been shot in the knee and was unable to walk, and confi ned to bed. With no source of income, the family depended on the young girl.

Service delivery interventionPatricia requested some food parcels from the coordinator for Community Participation. She visited the house and gave them the food parcels in December 2009 and January 2010.

She then went to a nearby primary school to ask the principal to take the young girl into the school. The principal agreed and assisted in giving her a school uniform, school shoes and school bag. The young girl stopped picking up cans and was able to go back to school.

Patricia then went to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Phoenix with the assistance of her supervisor, to check the fi le of the

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mother of the young girl. She wanted to help her apply for a disability grant. The file was found and the doctor who was giving her treatment assisted in filling in the grant form. Patricia then went to SASSA offices with all the forms for the grant. In May 2010, Patricia took the mother to SASSA for a district surgeon assessment and grant application.

Patricia also went to Bridge City Mall and Phoenix Plaza to find out the requirements to apply for a bank card for the mother so that the grant could go directly into the bank. With the assistance of another CDW, they took the mother to the bank. They also gave her the money for the administration fee for a card application.

Outcomes• The disability grant was approved and

she started receiving the grant money in June 2010. Now there is food on the table.

• An RDP house will soon be built with the assistance of the ward councillor.

• The young girl is doing well at school and she is happy.

“As from 2006, the DSD has been giving a monthly

grant of R300 000 .”

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Assisting a non-profit organisation to reach its goals

Context and backgroundSesiyenza Project Club is a non-profit organisation which was initiated in 1999 with the aim of caring for the people of KwaMancinza, Ntuzuma. This settlement falls under Ward 45 in Ethekwini Municipality and the community development worker (CDW) for the area is Neli Madikizela. This densely populated area is a semi-urban informal settlement with a high rate of unemployment, child-headed families and people affected by HIV/AIDS.

The 1998 murder of the self-disclosed HIV-positive man, Gugu Dlamini (after whom the Workshop Park in Durban is named), lived in this area. This tragedy received much media coverage and was the turning point among the communities, especially at Ntuzuma, to realise that something must be done around HIV/AIDS awareness. Hence, the vision by Sebenzile Ntombazane* and Ntombi Thabethe* to establish Sesiyenza Project Club was registered as a non-profit organisation. It was not able to really get started till 2006 because of a lack of capacity.

The people in this area, as is the case in most other communities, are oblivious of their right to access government services. Some are hindered by poor health and lack of resources

to travel to health and social development offices.

The murder of the HIV/AIDS activist in this area is thought to have contributed to people being reluctant to talk about their status. So they choose not to disclose until they reach a full-blown critical stage. This all helped to contribute to the spread of the pandemic. Unemployment is also one of the problems in the area.

The CDW, Neli, started interacting with this project in 2006 while in her learnership programme. This helped to contribute to the organisation’s growth and sustainability. It is now recognised and capable of servicing close to 1 000 households for various needs.

Service delivery interventionNeli assisted the organisation to apply for a formal recognised status to be able to access funding. She helped get their structure sorted out for better management of the organisation.

The constitution guiding all activities of Sesiyenza was drawn up as well as a business plan containing the objectives of the project. Funding proposals were drafted to Health and Social Development. The Department of Social Development (DSD) responded positively, and started to interact with the organisation,

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giving technical and funding assistance to them. As from 2006, the DSD has been giving a monthly grant of R300 000 dedicated to the following:

• for payment of a stipend to the 32 volunteers (R500 each to assist 40 dependent households on a daily basis)

• for distribution of food parcels to the needy

• for buying school uniforms and other school needs for identified children

• for transport costs for hired vehicles to do the work

• for office administrative costs

Neli also made sure that:

• proper bookkeeping procedures were followed

• monthly meetings were held regularly

• challenges facing the organisation were attended to by relevant stakeholders, for example the government departments and the councillor

The site where the centre is situated was also acquired through Neli’s efforts together with the ward councillor.

Two other interventions were initiated by Neli:

• A huge vegetable garden to feed the needy families – the green organic garden around the centre is now flourishing.

• A sewing project – Ethekwini Metro, through the grant-in-aid, donated four sewing machines to the group. Women are now sewing garments and selling them to the communities at a reasonable cost.

Outcomes• Working with the organisation, Neli

mobilised the community members to attend various workshops hosted in the ward to change lives for the better. Included among others, are HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns and various lifeskills workshops. The aim is to eradicate the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and make people realise their full potential.

• The success of the project and its sustainability now rests with the commitment of the members who are using their knowledge efficiently.

32

* Names have been changed to protect identity

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“The aim is to eradicate the stigma associated

with HIV/AIDS and make people realise their

full potential .”

3333

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“Many other people with different problems benefi tted from the Nelspruit session too .”

34

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Limpopo case studies

35

A lifetime opportunity to smileContext and backgroundThe Aganang municipality, which falls under the Capricorn District Municipality in Limpopo, is comprised mainly of villages, one of which is Mabopane. There are 18 wards in the municipality and Mabopane village falls under Ward 7.

The municipality has 34 246 households with a population of 147 300. The community development worker (CDW) for Ward 7 is Makamela Lelaka.

Service delivery interventionWhile doing rounds, Makamela visited the Masenya* household in Mabopane village. She found a young boy of four, Tebogo*, who was not attending pre-school.

The problem with Tebogo was that he was born with his upper lip attached to his nose. His mouth was literally always open showing his teeth. There was a hole in his nose which protruded into the mouth.

He hated pre-school from the fi rst day because the minute he walked into the class, other children who were not used to him cried and ducked for cover as they were frightened of him. The result was that he developed an aggressive attitude and he refused to attend school.

The case of the little boy touched Makamela and she vowed to seek a solution to his predicament. She referred Tebogo to the local hospital who promised to refer him to an institution in Pretoria. This process took a long time without positive results, but she persisted.

Makamela contacted the American Peace Corps volunteer, Joyce Wallworth, who was based in the area of Ward 7. Joyce, after some enquiries, told Makamela about Operation Smile which was a non-governmental

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organisation run by doctors who offered their services for free.

Makamela contacted Operation Smile who said they would be in the area of Nelspruit soon. She volunteered to transport Tebogo to Nelspruit and served as the interpreter between community members and the foreign doctors.

Many other people with different problems benefitted from the Nelspruit session too.

Outcomes• The surgery was performed. The

following were the words uttered by Tebogo when he looked into the mirror afterwards, “Ah! I look like my elder brother!”

• Tebogo is now attending school at Mmaphego Primary and the other children regard him as one of them.

• Operation Smile has requested Makamela to refer other cases to them.

“The vegetable garden is helping them with daily food .”36

* Names have been changed to protect identity

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Assisting a family in dire straits

Context and backgroundMapula Mashale is a community development worker (CDW) for Ward 20 in the Greater Tzaneen District Municipality.

Mapula was conducting her liaison work when she identified the Malebye* family of 25 people at Dan village, Lusaka settlement. They were staying in an RDP four-roomed house with two bedrooms.

All 25 people were unemployed and some of the children were orphans who did not qualify for foster care grants as they were no longer attending school. One of the elderly people from the family was in prison. So all 25 children were without food, had no birth certificates and no IDs.

Service delivery interventionMapula presented the case to the ward committee and Merriam Mawila, a member of the committee, visited the family for verification. Mapula started to engage other stakeholders to assist in rescuing the situation, especially considering the fact that the children did not have food.

The stakeholders included:

• a social worker called Nelly

• the CHOICE home-based care centre

• local businesses

• the Department of Home Affairs

Outcomes• Phakathi Milling donated a 50 kg bag of

maize meal for the family.

• CHOICE donated groceries, clothes and seeds to start a vegetable garden.

• Mapula referred the birth certificate and ID issues to Home Affairs with positive results.

• The ward committee and Mapula assisted the family to start the vegetable garden which is helping them with daily food.

• The family appreciated the services brought to them with the assistance of Mapula and also recognised the importance of the Community Development Workers Programme.

37

* Name has been changed to protect identity

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38

“Child-headed families are a reality that all of us need to address in order to build

strong communities .”

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Mpumalanga case studies

39

Facilitating private-public sector partnershipContext and backgroundAs a community development worker, Nomsa Sithhole, in Ward 3 of Dr JS Moroka local municipality, interacts with the community at all levels. During one of her door-to-door visits in Siyabuswa, she met a family in need who had no parents. Their mother passed away in 1992 leaving them with their father, who later left them to stay with another woman. Consequently they were left to fend for themselves at a very early stage.

The challenges experienced by this family were:

• lack of income for the family

• a family member passed away and there was no money to bury her

• the family was not registered as indigent so they could not qualify for free basic services

• the house (shelter) was not in a good condition

• there was no food to sustain the family

• there was a one-year-old child in their care whose mother has passed away

Service delivery interventionThe CDW, Nomsa Sithole, went to the municipal manager and asked her to assist the family by registering them as indigent benefi ciaries.

Nomsa also went to Unity Funeral parlour to relate the plight of the family and asked them to donate a coffi n to bury the deceased.

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Outcomes• The manager from Spar managed to give

the family groceries to last until they could bury the deceased. He also offered the school-going boy a job on Saturdays and Sundays at the Spar.

• The official from the Indigent Office registered the household and approved them with immediate effect. This meant they could get free electricity.

• The CDS (Community Development Services) manager registered the elder family member in the Food for Waste Project. This meant that the family would receive free groceries every month.

• The municipal manager also gave the family groceries.

• Nomsa also wrote a letter to the Engen Garage Manager to sponsor the younger sibling for his studies. She is still waiting for a response.

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Making government service points accessible to the farming community

Context and backgroundSizolwethu poultry project was formed 7 years ago. It consists of ten youth members: five males and five females under Mawewe Tribal Authority. Enjoy Masilela is the community development worker (CDW) for Ward 16 in Nkomazi municipality. The project asked Enjoy to assist them with their application for funding from the Department of Agriculture and Land Administration (DALA).

Sizolwethu had applied earlier for funding and their business plan was approved. An amount of R5 million was agreed upon, however, they were only given R240 020. The remainder of the allocated money was never transferred to the project. This meant that the project members were only able to buy equipment for the project, and they cannot start operating as they do not have money to buy stock.

Servicedeliveryintervention

Enjoy and the extension officer from the Department of Agriculture and Land Administration wrote a letter to enquire about the remainder of the allocated funds. But they heard nothing. A memorandum was then written and sent to the department to remind them about the request, and still there was no breakthrough.

Outcomes• The project has the equipment. But it

needs more money to start its operations.

“They cannot start operating as they do not have money to

buy stock .”41

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“The students are being given a second chance to upgrade their

results .”

42

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Poor results but not allowed to repeat

Context and backgroundLothair is an area with a high rate of illiteracy. It has one high school and more than 15 primary schools that feed it. For many years the school has not produced good results. Many people who failed their matric in that school had no other option but to look for poorly paid work.

The school does not allow learners to repeat after failing matric. Even those who want to write the few subjects they failed with the Qed’banga Programme are unable to do so as the school is not registered as a centre for part-time exams.

Service delivery interventionThe CDW, Velly Mathunjwa, wanted to change this situation. He approached the chairperson of the school governing body (SGB) about this policy of not allowing students to repeat their studies. They went together to the regional office of the Department of Education to discuss registration for the Qed’banga Programme.

Velly then encouraged all those who did not pass matric in the previous years to register to rewrite the few subjects they failed. He assisted them with the completion of the application forms and submitted them to

the regional office of the Department of Education.

From then on the school admitted learners who had failed matric going back to the year 2009. 78 students registered to write the exam in less than three days. Of these 55 wrote the actual exam and 38 passed. The school was also registered as a centre for the Qed’banga Programme. This achievement is based on the partnership between the following stakeholders:

• Department of Education

• Ubuhle Bolwazi High School

• The chairperson of the SGB, Ubuhle Bolwazi

• Velly, the CDW

Outcomes• There is hope for the students who failed

their matric as they are being given a second chance to upgrade their results.

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“The CDW wanted to share information and raise awareness about services and development .”

44

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North Westcase studies

Empowering rural communities through technologyContext and backgroundMagogong village is formed from fi ve smaller areas: Magogong, Modutung, Diplankeng, Dipitshing and Roma. This village is in the Greater Taung local municipality which falls under Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in the North West province.

Magogong’s population of about 10 000 is housed in various types of shelter: mud-houses, shacks and RDP houses. In the 10 years of ward-based development, the village has basic electricity, clean water, basic sanitation, access tarred road, RDP houses, MPCC (Multi Purpose Community Centre), health facilities, and basic skills for youth.

However, Magogong is an area surrounded by socio-economic challenges, such as teenage pregnancy coupled with HIV infections, substance and drug abuse, crime, women and child abuse and unemployment with limited economic activities and projects.

All of this made the community development worker (CDW), Kgakololo Kenneth Jampane of Ward 18 in Magogong, decide to fi nd ways to help. He wanted to share information and raise awareness about services and development being offered by government, the municipality and any other sector.

The community of this area was solely dependant on social grants, farm work and mining. The children attend one of the four primary schools: Galeshewe, Sedibathuto, Kopanang and Olebile. There is only one secondary school.

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Service delivery interventionKgakololo started in May 2010 after having access to the internet through a laptop provided by his department. He worked very hard to establish communication tools, such as a website address, email address and fax number for community empowerment purposes.

This meant that he would be able to provide an immediate service to the community free of charge and also create employment for skilled young people of Magogong.

The following stakeholders were involved in the project:

• The community at large

• The ward committee

• Greater Taung Local Municipality

• Government Communications and Information System (GCIS)

• Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs

• The local radio station – Vaaltar FM

• The local newspaper – Vaal Times

Outcomes• After the official launch, the community

started to realise the advantage of using technology for bettering their lives. The youth who are computer literate and with compatible cellphones can log in and check useful information.

• This initiative needs ongoing joint efforts and support from various organisations. Kgakololo is trying to mobilise resources, such as furniture, computers, funding, and training on IT matters, as well as building a centre for community development.

• A community awareness and training programme will begin from next year. All local schools, organisations and business sectors will need to have the skills to train and teach young people. This will be done in conjunction with training providers, the Department of Labour and other organisations. Local young people with relevant skills will also be given an opportunity to train their peers.

“After the official launch, the community started to realise the advantages of using

technology for bettering their lives .”46

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Social responsibility programme to feed empty stomachs

Context and backgroundIn the Rustenburg municipality, among the villages around town, lie Luka and Mogono villages. These villages comprise mostly poor families, some without even basic income. The community development worker (CDW) responsible for these areas is Tshepo Mokgwatlheng.

During his outreach programme, Tshepo discovered that there were many students who go to school without food and most of them are orphans. This situation was affecting attendance and concentration as it is difficult to learn on an empty stomach.

Service delivery interventionFaced with this challenging situation, Tshepo approached one of the mining companies in the Rustenburg area, Concor Mining. Through its social responsibility programme, it was more than prepared to assist the learners.

Outcomes• As a result of Tshepo’s intervention

and Concor Mining’s commitment, 28 learners at Ramotse Primary School and 35 learners at Luka Primary School now receive food parcels on a monthly basis.

• This intervention has not only helped to feed the learners but has ensured that despite the poor background they come from, they can still go to school and build a future for themselves.

“They can now go to school and

build a future for themselves .” 47

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Shelter from the storm

Context and backgroundDevondale is isolated from the neighbouring town and villages in the Martha Molefe Naledi local municipality, which falls under Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality in the North West. To get to Devondale, you have to get off the tar road and travel on a gravel road for quite a distance.

There are no shops or clinic so residents have to rely on services from the nearby towns of Vryburg or Mafikeng – a challenge on its own as these places are far away from Devondale.

Recently, heavy rains in the area caused havoc. As most houses were built with mud, they could not cope with consistent rain and they collapsed. This led to almost all the families being without shelter. The only structure that

could be used to provide accommodation for these families was the one school in Devondale. As a result, families slept at the school at night and had to vacate the building in the morning to allow learners to attend school.

The challenge of the residents of Devondale fell on the community development worker (CDW) for the area.

Service delivery interventionRealising the challenge facing the community, the CDW approached the District Municipality Disaster Management Unit and Thubelisha developer to assist in building houses for the community.

“The community has also started a vegetable garden to grow food for their families .”

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Outcomes• Through this joint effort, 165 housing

units and one show house were constructed. Most of the community members of Devondale now have proper homes.

• There is also high unemployment in the area, so the community, led by the CDW, has started a vegetable garden to grow food for their families. 49

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Taking care of the elderly

Context and backgroundIn 2006, the community development worker (CDW), Ms Ntshonono, identified a pensioner with a problem. Mme Terollo Mogaswa* aged 82 years was living in a very small one-roomed mud house with her six children and grandchildren. She had lived there since 1972.

Service delivery interventionMs Ntshonono approached a number of departments and agencies for assistance without any success. In 2006, with the assistance of the ward councillor, she approacheded the Department of Housing. In 2010, two four-roomed houses for Mme Mogaswa and her children were built in the same yard.

Mme Mogaswa is disabled and uses a wheelchair, so another CDW, Obakeng Ntshonono, continued to assist her and approached different people for help. The following stakeholders assisted Mme Mogaswa:

• Dr Leballo, one of the locals, donated a double bed.

• Dr Sibanda donated material during the cleaning of the yard and the house by the CDW unit.

• AE software solution donated groceries.

• Wellwishers donated clothing, linen, curtains and kitchen utensils.

• GoggoGetters clean and feed the people living in the house on a weekly basis.

• Mocoseng Methodist Church Guild and Red Cross have collected donations and deposited funds in a bank account for future needs.

• The ward councillor, ward committee and the local chief arealso giving the family support from time to time.

50

Outcomes• Mme Mogaswa now has a decent house

after 39 years.

• All the stakeholders involved are giving support to Mme Mogaswa’s family. The support is not just once-off. This intervention by the CDWs has ensured that the Mogaswa family live in a better way.

* Name has been changed to protect identity

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“The intervention by the CDWs has ensured

that the Mogaswa family now live in a

better way .”

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“Funding was raised to buy uniforms and

stationery .”

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Northern Capecase studies

Assisting needy school children

At the start of the 2010 school year parents approached Johannes to assist them with acquiring school books and stationery for their children.

Service delivery interventionJohannes phoned the social worker of the Department of Social Services, but got no help with the problem. He then approached the Namaqualand Diamond Fund Trust (NDFT) for assistance. He helped parents write letters to the NDFT requesting an amount of R250 to R500 per learner to buy school requirements.

Context and background

Johannes Milfordt is a community development worker (CDW) of Ward 1 in Nama-Khoi local municipality which falls under the Namaqua District Municipality. He wanted to assist needy school children in his community, help tar a main road and raise funds for the construction of a crèche.

53

Outcomes• Learners received funding from

the NDFT to purchase their school requirements.

• Books and stationery were supplied to 16 learners who were able to continue their education successfully.

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Helping to tar a main road

Context and backgroundThe road between the N7 and the entrance to the town Bulletrap was tarred. But the main road could not be tarred as it was not part of the initial town planning process.

Service delivery interventionJohannes met with the councillor and they wrote a letter to the Department of Public Works requesting that the main road be tarred. But this was unsuccessful due to a lack of funding. In the 2010 financial year, they re-submitted the request and finally the required funds were made available to tar the road.

Outcomes• Development took place in the town as a

result of the tarring of the road.

• Poverty was reduced for that period in that 22 local jobs were created for women and youth.

• Temporary jobs were also created.

“The required funds were made available to

tar the road .”54

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Raising funds to construct a crèche

Context and backgroundThe local crèche, Babbelbekkies, had a shortage of funds which prevented them from performing their daily tasks. No administrative system was in place and teachers did not have the required early childhood development skills.

Service delivery interventionJohannes attended crèche meetings to get an understanding of their problems and also to offer advice. He approached local businesses for funding and mobilised parents to get involved in fundraising.

Johannes also assisted the crèche to apply for funding from the national lottery fund. He then contacted the Namaqualand Association for Preschool Education (NAPE) about providing training to the teachers and management.

Outcomes• The advice and support that Johannes

provided to the crèche was appreciated by the management.

• A small donation of R3 000 was received from the NDTF and parents started their own fundraising initiatives.

• An efficient and effective administrative system was put in place.

• An amount of R148 000 was also received from the NDTF for capital and operational expenses.

• Training for teachers was provided by NAPE which improved the quality of educare.

• The Department of Social Development introduced a feeding scheme and a community member was employed to run this.

• The general situation in the school improved. Children, teachers, parents and crèche management are now empowered through the training sessions.

• The quality of education has improved.

• Childhood development has also improved because of the balanced daily meals.

“Children, teachers, parents and crèche

management are now empowered through the

training sessions .”55

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5656

“The possession of an ID acts as a gateway to human dignity

for millions of people .”

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Western Capecase studies

A drive to get the community IDsContext and backgroundn 2009, the entire community development workers (CDWs) cadre in the Western Cape was involved in the identity document (ID) campaign launched ahead of the general election. It was aimed at assisting people without IDs so that they could vote in the election. The fi rst such ID campaign was launched in 1998 and, because of its success, a similar ID campaign was launched in 2003.

More importantly in the long term, CDWs used this opportunity to ensure that vulnerable communities received IDs in order to make it possible for them to access the social grant system. Being in possession of an ID is vital and acts as a gateway to human dignity for millions of people dependent on social grants, such as indigent grants, old age grants, foster care grants, disability grants, free basic services, etc.

Against this background, the Provincial Cabinet resolved in October 2008 that approval be granted for:

• Provincial assistance to the Department of Home Affairs in respect of IDs and the Electoral Commission in respect of voter registration.

• The appointment of a Provincial ID and Voter Registration Task Team.

Service delivery interventionIn principle, approval was also granted for the funding of the project, taking into account that the Department of Local Government and Housing earmarked R5 million from its own funds towards the project.

As part of the ID campaign, it was planned to generate 200 000 ID documents. To reach this goal it was decided to train the CDWs as photographers and to equip them to

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take ID photos at outreach venues. A partnership was developed between the National Department of Provincial and Local Government and the Independent Electoral Commission for both registration weekends. This agreement entailed that CDWs had to mobilise and do information sharing the week before, as well as during both registration weekends. This was called the Voter Encouragement Campaign.

The first weekend took place 8 – 9 November 2008 and the full provincial CDW compliment did voter encouragement. In two days, 176 228 new registrations took place in the Western Cape. The second weekend was 7 – 8 February 2009 and a similar process was followed. This time an additional 205 956 new voter registrations were dealt with.

As part of the process, the monthly mobile outreach calendar of the Department of Home Affairs was shared with CDWs in the specific regions who had to mobilise the community around the venue, date and time of the visit. For the six months duration of the campaign, CDWs assisted with 10 outreach programmes per day, including weekends. This meant that CDWs and the Department of Home Affairs jointly covered more than 1 800 outreach programmes to rural, poor areas. CDWs also had to arrange that a CDW photography team be available to take ID photos.

In addition, CDWs were involved in the 10 three-day ID campaign jamborees held throughout the Western Cape from August to November 2008, and the 22-day ID campaign

mini jamborees which commenced February 2008 until March 2009.

During this time, service delivery was taken to the highest level possible when CDWs had to deal with the additional challenges presented after fires devastated large parts of the Joe Slovo informal settlement in Langa. The fire ravaged through the informal settlement destroying people’s personal belongings, including their IDs. In less than three days after the disaster struck, affected people had their brand-new IDs delivered to them. In order to do this, the CDWs had to take photographs of about 470 people. Integral to the success of the CDWs was the partnership with the Department of Home Affairs.

Outcomes• At the end of the campaign, the Director

for Community Development in the Department of Local Government and Housing applauded the CDWs who were involved in the project saying, “Our CDWs are generally very committed in what they do, but I think this time they have outdone themselves.”

• The National Minister of Home Affairs also applauded the CDWs, stating that co-operative government was key in achieving the three-day turn-around time for the processing of IDs.

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Helping a community to deal with diversity

Context and backgroundThrough his involvement in the community policing forum (CPF), a community development worker played an important facilitative role in neutralising the xenophobic outbreak in 2008 in his community, Vrygrond.

During the initial stages of the crisis, he was unaware that the Department of the Premier had already taken a specific direction with interventions. He therefore initiated talks with the senior superintendent at the Muizenberg police station with whom he set up some planning meetings. The CDW played an important role in facilitating various such meetings. While working with the secretary of the CPF, it became clear to him that part of the problem was the economic neglect of local businesses in terms of support from government.

Service delivery interventionThe CDW personally requested the senior superintendent at the Muizenberg police station to publicly address the perpetrators of the xenophobic attacks. While doing this, he continued working to neutralise the situation. He visited refugees in the Soetwater camp

where some foreigners had relocated to. Later, he was involved in assisting with the relocation of people back to Vrygrond and the West Lake communities.

At the same time, he facilitated meetings with the Muizenberg CPF to help form a business organisation for the Vrygrond residents. As a result a business co-operative, called the Vrygrond Youth Co-operative Limited, was registered.

In addition, a meeting was organised with the help of the CDW with a few Vrygrond property owners to address their concerns. Some of the concerns that were raised during the meeting were that the community desperately lacked trustworthy information.

“Part of the problem was the economic neglect

of local businesses .”

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The community needed information on:

• business principles

• acceptable norms of communication

• societal rules and regulations

• housing

• hygiene

• trading licenses

It became clear during the meeting that community support and governance structures were virtually non-existent. They decided that they should begin working towards the improvement of their community by establishing the following:

• A Vrygrond Health Committee to deal with issues of unhygienic storage of food and over-crowded housing conditions.

• A Vrygrond Business Association to deal with the various concerns of traders and organise relevant training and development programmes for local businesses.

Outcomes• The CDW continues to be part of the

processes and keeps monitoring the situation, providing support wherever he can.

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Planting trees to raise awareness

Context and backgroundMfuleni was established in 1974 for migrant workers. At the time of the case study it had a population of about 50 000 formal and informal settlements. Due to the poor infrastructure of the old township, established in 1975, this area was surrounded with sand dunes and fynbos bushes.

The community sometimes used the fynbos as firewood and because of a lack of environmental awareness people would unnecessarily cut down trees. They were unaware of the environmental importance of trees and fynbos.

Service delivery interventionGiven the natural surroundings of Mfuleni, the CDW realised that it was important to raise awareness in the community about the environment. She approached the parks officials of the City of Cape Town about planting trees in the area and soon the go-ahead was given to start the project. One of the main streets was identified for the project and together the CDW and the city’s parks manager approached the area’s ward councillor to inform him about the tree planting.

He gave them the go-ahead to continue with the project. In addition, letters informing the community about the project were distributed throughout the community. The city donated 50 trees to be planted in the old township, and it was planned for the community to take ownership of the maintenance of the new trees.

Outcomes• The 50 trees were planted.

• Although the community participated actively and signed forms to show commitment to maintain the trees, unfortunately only two are left because of roaming livestock that has eaten the others.

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Community Development and ParticipationDepartment of Public Service and Administration Private Bag X916Pretoria 0001 Tel: 012 336 1063 / 1183Fax: 012 336 1816www.gov.zawww.dpsa.gov.za

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