Ikamva Labantu Founder Helen Lieberman in New York to honour Anti-Apartheid Champion Helen Suzman

Written by Robyn on March 11, 2010 — Leave a Comment

As much as I tried to fight it, I left the glorious Cape Town summer at the end of the year and returned home to snow-covered New York where I began interning at a Non-Profit in New York City and spending much needed time with family. Needless to say, when I was sitting in bed, under the massive South African flag and painting of Table Mountain that I put up on my wall hours after getting home, and received news that Helen Lieberman, Ikamva Labantu’s beloved Founder and Honourary President was coming to New York City, I was over the moon!

On February 9, 2010, Helen Lieberman spoke on an international human rights panel at the opening reception of the Helen Suzman: Fighter for Human Rights Exhibition in the Diana Center at Barnard College. She was joined by Virginia Magwaza-Setchedi, an activitst from Soweto and Yvette Christianse, a South African novelist, poet and scholar.

The reception was opened by a beautiful acapella rendition of the South African National Anthem by a South African singing group.

The South African Acapella Singing Group

The South African Acapella Singing Group


Helen Lieberman and Virginia Magwaza-Setchedi listen to the South African National Anthem with pride

Helen Lieberman and Virginia Magwaza-Setchedi listen to the South African National Anthem with pride

Ms. Lieberman spoke so eloquently about Helen Suzman, a tireless champion of the fight against apartheid, who for 13 years was the sole champion of this fight on the Parliamentary level. Helen Lieberman lovingly recalled Ms. Suzman’s “feisty stubbornness” and “caustic wit” that made her voice such a unique and powerful one.

Helen takes the podium to speak

Helen takes the podium to speak

Helen Lieberman also took her opportunity to speak, as she so often does, to honour those who have inspired all of Ikamva Labantu’s work: the Mamas in the South African townships. She said that Ms. Suzman was very aware of the fact that she was not fighting alone against apartheid and that she would welcome a tribute to the Mamas wholeheartedly.

“Let me describe a typical South African township for you. You would enter it from a highway and immediately notice a major difference from the area you have left behind. The outskirts may have small brick houses but the streets are poorly maintained and many are gravel. There is garbage lying around, little in the way of trees and grass. As you go further into the depths of this townships, things deteriorate even further: tin shacks patched together with bits of wood and corrugated iron are homes, churches, barber shops, grocery stores and toilets. Children as well as unemployed people are wandering the streets…yet in the midst of all this are havens where children are loved, where they can get early education and beyond, where music is made and where old people are cared for. Much of this is due to mamas and their inbred Ubuntu, an African term, meaning communal humanity”

The room was packed!

The room was packed!


The panelists take questions from the audience.

The panelists take questions from the audience.

And if I may interrupt Helen’s words with a few of my own, much of this is also due to organizations like Ikamva Labantu who help to empower these mamas to harness the necessary resources to make a significant and sustainable difference in the communities they love so much. The magic that I personally witnessed during my time at Ikamva Labantu involved the marriage of the Ubuntu and strength of the South African mamas and tatas with the resources, best practices and support of Ikamva Labantu.

“I am privileged to have had many years of being a part of the ‘powerful movement of mamas in South Africa’ who build our country from the grassroots level,” Helen said, “I would like to highlight the amazing capacity that organic self driven groups have, and how activism at this level can and does change a society”.

As Helen closed her speech, she shared with the audience that about six months before Helen Suzman’s passing, she made an unexpected donation to Ikamva Labantu. Helen Lieberman was so touched and excited that she called Ms. Suzman to thank her personally, and they spoke for a half hour about the work of Ikamva Labantu, the problems still facing South African society and their hopes for sustainable change.

The traveling Helen Suzman Exhibition is truly amazing, so please go to this link for more information if you are interested, I highly recommend it. Ms. Suzman is true South African human rights hero and we should all be proud that Ikamva Labantu, through Helen Lieberman, was able to play a part in honouring her internationally

Posted in Family Services Sector

My Beautiful Day at Nonkquebela Senior Club

Written by Robyn on November 26, 2009 — 2 Comments

On 30th September, I had the great privilege of spending the day at Nonkquebela Senior club in Guguletu. I just had the most beautiful day with the club members.

When I arrived at the senior club, everyone greeted me. It is a small group of about 12 people: 5 men and 7 women. They had already completed their daily exercises, but decided to do them again so that I could participate. We all did exercises together including shoulder, hip, neck and leg exercises.

After the exercises, we all sat in a big circle around the room. Then, Club assistant Nontobeko instructed me to “talk”! I didn’t really know what to say at first, so I started slow. I asked the club members opinions on their club, their activities, their communities…but the conversation wasn’t really going anywhere.

It wasn’t until I opened up the conversation for them to ask questions of me that things started to get interesting. They were especially interested in the fact that I was from America.

They asked me questions like “I know there aren’t any street kids in America…why not?” “Are there any poor people in America?” “I know you can get AIDS from sex and blood in Africa, but how can you get it in America?”

I took great pleasure in answering these questions…I imagined them telling their family and friends all about what they learned about America and how it is not quite as different from South Africa as they thought.

My favourite question to answer was “are there any black people in America?” At first, I said, “Yes, there are many African Americans throughout the whole country”. They asked, “Are they equal to white people?” First, I said that black people are very successful in America and are doctors, lawyers, teachers…and all of a sudden I thought to say “And my President is a black man…his father was from Kenya. Do you know Obama?” Most club members had heard of Obama but I do not think they fully understood the full implications of his position. It was important to me to give the most honest answers I could to these people so I also told them “but many black people in America still fight for their rights and in some areas are not equal to white people. Many African American communities (and also white communities) deal with poverty, drugs, HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy just like your communities, but just in a different way”.

The questions and answers turned into an easy flowing convorsation. We were jumping from topic to topic and making jokes. Once they felt comfortable enough to ask questions of me, I felt more comfortable to really ask the questions that I wanted to know the answers to.

“What is different about your lives now than when you were under the apartheid government?”

One woman said that our constitution now says that we are all equal. Another added that they really aren’t equal yet and are still poor and struggling. A man explained equality and freedom since Apartheid, “in the constitution yes, but on the street, no”.

The club members also noted that the police do not use dogs to scare and catch people anymore in their communities the way they did under apartheid. One woman said that that was always her biggest fear and she used to be terrified of the police.

I asked, “What do you think of Nelson Mandela”

It took a moment for the members to answer this one. I think it was hard for them to put it into words. “He is the father” one woman said. “We would not be here without him,” said another.

I asked if any of the club members were grandmothers and grandfathers. They all raised their hands. They also all said that either some or all of their children and grandchildren live with them and they assist in their upbringing.

I passed around a picture of my own grandparents and all of the seniors in my family sitting around my dining room table. They loved this! It helped them understand me more. They told me, as so many people have told me throughout my life, that I look just like my Grandma Stella! I told them how loved and respected the seniors in my family are. Once I started to talk about my family they started to ask, “do you miss them?” “How do you speak to them?”

I had a great idea…I would call my mom and put her on speakerphone! I explained to the seniors that it was 8:00am in New York and we may be waking my mother up…they didn’t seem to mind. I called my mom (and woke her up) and she said hello to all of the club members to everyone’s delight. The club members just couldn’t believe they were speaking to someone in New York. They asked me a few times, “is she really in New York?” The funniest part was what my mom said after… “have you called your grandparents this week? Make sure you call Grammy, Grandpa and Grandma”. I proved my point that my grandparents are very important in our family and I think the seniors really respected that.

One woman noticed that I had a silk scarf in my bag; she grabbed it and just starting wrapping it around my head. They said that I was wearing the scarf like a married Xhosa woman. Everyone was laughing so hard.
photo014

I have a pair of ridiculously over-sized black sunglasses from New York, one mama put them on. It was such an easy form of cultural exchange…exchanging accessories! We all grew very comfortable with one another.

Then, the mamas were taking off their aprons and their scarves and their jewellery and dressing me up like a little doll! Since I was now dressed as a proper married Xhosa woman, the men started to argue about whose wife I could be!

All dressed up!

All dressed up!

This club member became my unofficial Xhosa spouse! (What you cant see from the picture is how hard everyone is laughing in the background)

This club member became my unofficial Xhosa spouse! (What you cant see from the picture is how hard everyone is laughing in the background)

Then, it was time for lunch. We all shared a wonderful meal of chicken, rice, gravy and vegetables. They were impressed with how much I could eat! After lunch, when I started to gather up everyone’s plates and began to do the dishes, everyone just lost it! People took out their cell phones to take pictures of the white girl in a Xhosa outfit complete with a plastic apron doing dishes for the mamas and the tatas. They showed me the best way to wash the dishes, but then enjoyed watching me complete the task. It was important to me that they understood how grateful I was for the experience. They were opening up to me, sharing their stories, trusting me with their questions and provided me with a wonderful meal, so it was the least I could do to help clean up. I also knew that I was in a small way a form of entertainment, and I did not want to let my audience down.

Once again, I leave my experience feeling grateful for Ikamva Labantu. These seniors have a place to come and gather every day. They do crafts, eat nutritious meals, learn about their health and do exercises. Just as important though, they socialize with one another and support each other. During the course of the day, so many of the club members had little side conversations, laughing with one another. They even finished each others sentences. I see such potential for the seniors in Ikamva Labantu’s senior sector and have full confidence that eventually, when the proper resources and support are in place, they will become independent, self-sustainable and be a source of pride for their communities.

Posted in Family Services Sector

The Early Childhood Development Sector

Written by Robyn on November 24, 2009 — Leave a Comment

Ikamva Labantu’s largest sector is our Early Childhood Development Sector, which consists of nearly 400 formal and informal preschool facilities. Ikamva Labantu provides resources in the form of comprehensive early childhood development training, primary health care and psycho-social support, access and improvement to land and buildings, food security, centre administration, peer support and assistance accessing and maintaining government subsidy.

The over 25,000 children in the sector come from areas including Crossroads, Delft, Dunoon, Guguletu, Harare, Joe Slovo, Khayelitsha, KTC, Kuyasa, Langa, Makhasa, Mandela Park, Mfuleni, Mitchell’s Plain, Milnerton, Nyanga East, and Phillipi.

I was fortunate enough to go out into the field with ECD project coordinator Jade Wasserman. We were also joined by ECD Community Based Worker Okhanyo for the day. We visited several chreches and got to speak to the mamas who run them as well as play with the children.

The first crèche we visited was Kideo Pre-school in Nyanga. Ikamva Labantu recently built a new structure for this crèche, which was working out wonderfully for the children. Ruth, the mama who runs the chreche actually converted her small home into the preschool facilities.

Here is a picture of some of the children from the younger class in their newly painted playroom.

The younger kids in their classroom

The younger kids in their classroom

The next crèche we visited was Sunrise Educare in Old Crossroads. This crèche was recently the recipient of a volunteer initiative by Protea Hotels where Protea Hotel employees came to the crèche and helped make improvements to the crèche and give it a much needed mini-makeover. They also brought blankets, mattresses, toys, books and other supplies for the crèche.

Please enjoy this video of children from the older class waving hello to Ikamva Labantu!

mov07965

After spending time in the older children’s classroom, we went to go see the younger ones. These kids were so energetic and so sweet, that Jade decided to lead the whole class in a part English, part Xhosa rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus go round and round” and I MUST share this with you. Please accept my apologies for my loud singing voice from behind the camera.

mov07969

After the sing-a-long, the kids felt really comfortable and I got a chance to sit with them and play for a little while.

Me and the Kids!

Me and the Kids!

The Three Sisters crèche in Lower Crossroads was probably the most inspiring crèche of the day. From the outside, this crèche looks like a shack.

Three Sisters Creche

Three Sisters Creche

However, the moment you walk inside you easily see how dedicated the mamas are to creating a safe, beautiful, stimulating environment for the children.

dsc07977

Here is a picture of me and the mama who runs the creche!

dsc07978

The crèche is still in need of more resources and ECD staff is working closely with them to acquire land rights to build a new structure and to receive government subsidies.

A teacher wanted to get involved in the picture taking action and struck this pose in front of some of the youngest students.

dsc07982

It is obvious that while this crèche lacks many resources, it is not lacking in love.
I see so much potential in a crèche like this that can accomplish so much with so little. These are the crèches that must be invested in, because once they are given access to the proper resources, there is no limit to the difference they can make in children’s lives as well as in their entire community.

Posted in Early Childhood Development

A Day with the FSS Carers

Written by Robyn on November 12, 2009 — Leave a Comment

On 6th November 2009, I went out into the townships with and FSS fieldworker named Lingeka to visit some of our foster homes, child-headed households and elder-headed households. Her friend Buti from Khayelitsha served as our driver for the outing. This day was so special to me because I was welcomed so warmly into these people’s homes and met their families…it felt more intimate than my other experiences in the townships.

The first house we visited was in Guguletu. The foster mama and her adult daughter Linda care for 8 children. Linda was home, overseeing lunchtime when we stopped by. My first impression of the kids was that they were shockingly well-behaved. I have dealt with groups of young children before and they never seemed so content and calm. Each child was sitting on the floor with their own plates and spoons, quietly eating their lunch of rice, chicken, potatoes and gravy. I jumped on the opportunity to speak with Linda about all of the children her and her mother care for.

Lunch Time.

Lunch Time.

I was really impressed with how knowledgeable Linda was on each of the childrens’ stories. She could tell me right off the top of her head how old each child is, what month they arrived at their home and all of their special needs and circumstances. She told me the names of all of the gorgeous children, except for one.

One young girl who has been living with them since March does not speak at all. Although she is physically healthy, comfortable with the other children and well-behaved, she has yet to speak. Linda tells me very matter of factly that she worries that the child was literally locked up somewhere before she came to her mother’s home. When the child first came to the house, she came without any documents or information and nobody even knew her real name, of course she has been given a nickname in Linda’s home however. Linda and her mother worry about this child all the time and are monitoring her progress closely. Linda says that “what she needs is love and friends”…and I must say that I agree.

The children finished their lunch and perhaps the most shocking thing happened: They all stood up and brought their forks and plates to the kitchen and dropped them in the sink without having to be told! I was literally clapping my hands for them…but they were more interested in play-time.

I asked Linda why she and her mother decided to take these children in. Linda says, “it is hard to explain, it comes from my mother’s heart…she could not just sit and watch children suffer”. Linda and her mother have been receiving food parcels and financial support from Ikamva Labantu since 2003. Linda’s mother is also an active member of the Siyakhatala Carers forum.

I was so warmly welcomed by Linda into her home and got a chance to sit with the children on the floor and play around with them…certainly the most fun part of my day.

A little play-time

A little play-time

The kids pulled me into the other room to show me their sleeping foster brother. I couldn’t believe it! He sleeps the same way I used to sleep as a child. Linda laughed and said, you cant ever try to straighten him out, this is the only way he likes to sleep!

Nap Time! Too cute not to share...

Nap Time! Too cute not to share...

I can only describe this group of orphans and vulnerable children as one thing: a family. And a beautiful family at that.

Next, we visited a child-headed household. Community Based Worker Pamela joined us for the second half of our day. We walked into a small home with minimal lighting and were met by three strapping young men. Lukhanyo is 22 years old, the same age as me, and is taking care of his 17 and 19 year old brothers as well as his 5 year old twin brother and sister since their mother passed away in May. The twins were still at school when we visited, but I got a chance to sit and talk with the 3 boys for quite some time.

The three boys, myself and Community Based Worker Pamela

The three boys, myself and Community Based Worker Pamela

I really must say that you could not find 3 more polite, open and respectable young men anywhere.

Lukhanyo is the head of the household. At 22, he completed high school up to grade 11 but failed grade 12. He enrolled in a homecare nursing programme and completed the course with great marks and an even greater recommendation from his advisor. He is currently looking for a job. In fact, Pamela was following up with him on his progress in finding a job, she then told him in Xhosa to go fetch his CV and show it to me. Lukhanyo had all of his papers in order, but I offered to re-do his CV with updated information and in a flashy new format to help him stand out from other job applicants. He was extremely grateful.

I asked the boys what their hopes are for their younger siblings. All the boys want is for the twins to attend university. I mentioned, in as non-condescending a manner as possible, that the best chance for the twins to go to university is if they see their big brothers do it first. The boys agree, and I for one have all the faith in the world in them. Lukhanyo, as I mentioned wants to be a home-based carer for the ill and bedridden. The 19 year old wants to be a mechanical engineer, and the 17 year old wants to pursue a career in law.

I asked what their biggest struggle is as a family since they lost their mother. The boys all told me that the hardest thing is answering their younger siblings’ questions about their mother. I really need to pause and think what life must be like for these boys. Young, handsome boys, all with their own dreams and aspirations, have suddenly become the sole breadwinners for a household and the sole carers for two young children. The additional responsibility is one thing, but all of this comes while they are individually trying to recover from the lost of their beloved mother. I look at them as strength personified.

I am so, so grateful that the two young twins have these boys to look up to. Who knows what would happen to the twins if their brothers were not willing or able to take on this responsibility. These boys and this family are the exact people that we, as a larger community must invest in. I am proud to say that Ikamva Labantu already is.

Finally, we went to an elder-headed household to meet just about the strongest woman you could imagine in Phillipi East. Mrs. Donni is a mother, grandmother and a widow taking care of 6 children on her own. Ikamva Labantu provided home-based care services to Mrs. Donni’s late husband from 2001 until he passed in 2003. Since then, Ikamva Labantu helped her older son find a job and has continued to provide food parcels and financial assistance. Mrs. Donni welcomed us into her home with open arms. She immediately took out piles of pictures of her late husband and her whole family and shared them with me.

Mrs. Donni and her beautiful grandchildren plus Community Based Worker Pamela

Mrs. Donni and her beautiful grandchildren plus Community Based Worker Pamela

When I asked her what she wanted for her children and grandchildren, she answered with one word: success. When I asked what her biggest day-to-day struggle was, she answered with one word again: food. She is also struggling with accessing proper social grants for her grandchildren. She deals with these struggles like a champ. You can easily tell how much the children love her and how much she loves them.

I had such a wonderful day. The most powerful question I can leave you with is this: What do you think these children’s lives would be like if there were no foster parents like Linda and her mother, no siblings willing to take care of their brothers and sisters like Lukhanyo or grandmothers willing to take care of their grandchildren like Mrs. Donni? What would come of them?

I certainly do not even want to begin to consider the possible answers to questions like these, but at least, with the help of Ikamva Labantu, these children and their carers will be supported and empowered.

Posted in Family Services Sector

Siyakhatala: We Care

Written by Robyn on October 26, 2009 — Leave a Comment

Even though I’m not totally finished blogging about the senior sector, I was really excited to get involved with another one of my favourite sectors…The Family Support Services (FSS) Sector. This is the sector that supports orphans and vulnerable children as well as their families.

The strategy of the sector is to build the capacity of the carers in order to enhance the care they are able to provide to orphans and vulnerable children. Carers are all people taking care of unsupported children on either a full- or part-time basis and in different capacities. In the Ikamva Labantu context, carers consist of Foster Mothers, Magnificent Mothers and Fathers, Home Carers, Community Angels, Grandparents and Siblings.

Ikamva Labantu also provides resources such as school uniforms, school supplies, food parcels and financial support directly to the children in the programme. Currently, The FSS Sector supports 1,000 orphans and 200 vulnerable families in the townships.

To get started, I sat down with FSS development manager Johanna Bershoff and she had so many suggestions of ways for me to really experience the sector. She invited me to the Siyakhatala meeting at the Rainbow Centre in Gugulethu.

Siyakhatala, Xhosa for We Care, is a forum for all Ikamva Labantu affiliated carers. The forum is membership driven and designed to eventually become independent, self-sufficient and sustainable. Meetings are led by an executive committee and Issues within the Family Support Services sector are discussed as well as general issues pertaining to the care of orphans and vulnerable children in the community.

This meeting started off as many others do…with singing. There were over 100 male and female carers of different ages in attendance. If you will excuse my poor photography skills, I would love to share some photos of the meeting in order to give you a better idea of what it was like..

Everyone sits as the meeting begins- the room is packed!

Everyone sits as the meeting begins- the room is packed!

...And everyone stands to sing!

...And everyone stands to sing!

The Siyakhatala Executives lead the meeting.

The Siyakhatala Executives lead the meeting.

Representatives from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), the agency in charge of distributing all government social grants such as child support grants, foster care grants, old age pensions and disability grants came to address the forum. The Siyakhatala members were extremely excited to see the SASSA presentation and ask questions of the representatives, since all of them are receiving some sort of governmental social support. For many vulnerable families in the townships, social grants are their main source of income.

SASSA representatives first gave a presentation on the history and scope of the agency. Then, they went through each type of social grant and explained the requirements of each as well as the details of how and where to obtain these grants. Additionally, they told the forum members about the most accessible and cheap options to deposit and withdraw this money.

After the presentation, the FSS team administered a survey to the forum members about their experiences and challenges as carers of unsupported children. The questionnaire was distributed to everyone and I got to work walking around and seeing where I could be of assistance.

I wound up settling with a group of 4 mamas and we were able to go through the entire questionnaire together. I really can’t believe we got any work done, considering all the chatting and laughing that was going on. One question asked what sort of community forums the mamas and their children take part in. When we got to the space that asked if they were involved in any sport teams, the mamas said “no”. But then I looked at them very seriously and asked…”no rugby for you?” and after staring at me a bit confused for about 30 seconds, we all just burst out laughing.

I must tell you..as someone who has spent a year writing reports and proposals about Ikamva Labantu’s programmes, it is nothing short of a gift to be able to sit down with the beneficiaries of these programmes and just share a laugh.

The Siyakhatala forum, much like the Ilizwi Labadal forum for the seniors, is the foundation that must be laid in order for these programmes to eventually become self-governing, independent bodies. And I am just so happy to have seen it with my own eyes.

Posted in Family Services Sector

Ilizwi Labadala: Voice of the Elders

Written by Robyn on October 13, 2009 — Leave a Comment

On 16 September, I was invited to the Mzamomhle Multi-Purpose Centre in Khayelitsha to attend the Ilizwi Labadala meeting. Ilizwi Labadala is Xhosa for The Voice of the Elders and is a forum for senior sector staff and members of Ikamva Labantu senior clubs to come together and discuss issues facing the Senior Sector and Older Persons in general.

As we all filtered into the meeting, everyone was greeting each other and singing. I just love listening to the songs they sing. Granted, I do not know all the Xhosa words, but the spirit of the songs is never lost on me. It was obvious that I was a visitor at the meeting, and everyone made it their business to look me in the eyes, shake my hand and say good morning to me personally. Coffee, tea and sandwiches were handed out. Mzamomhle is actually an active senior club, so the group of about 20 seniors sat on the perimeter of the meeting socializing with one another, eating, singing and listening to the meeting.

I was lucky enough to sit next to Nontobeko, a club assistant who offered to translate for me.

Each senior club had at least two members of their executive committee as well as their club assistant in attendance to represent their interests. Minutes of the previous meeting were read and the forum began. Potential dates for upcoming events were discussed such as Cultural Day and the end of the year outing. The dates of each were negotiated and decided upon by the forum to ensure that all seniors were able to attend and that they didn’t have too many events in one week.

The question of how to raise funds from within the sector was brought up. Several people had suggestions including having a charity choir event. This internal fundraising idea is something I have been absolutely fixated on since I first heard about it in the workshop. This should be the goal for all community development work: Empower community members and increase their capacity to a point where they can raise their own funds and sustain themselves. I have been thinking about it and thinking about it…hoping to come up with a great fundraising ideas that the seniors could do for themselves that capitalizes on their own skills and talents.

Side note: As I was writing this post in our Woodstock office, I noticed Senior Sector coordinator Phumla labelling bags filled with beaded jewlery in the office. She told me that the beaded jewlery was made by the seniors in several senior clubs and they are now being sold to raise funds for the programme. I just had to buy this gorgeous lime green beaded bracelet that I decided to turn into an ankle bracelet, much to everyone’s amusement! This is just one great example of this fundraising idea, and I hope to come up with even bigger ones.

The Health and Nutrition manager Lulama Singasana discussed the use of vouchers rather than cash for the seniors to buy their food. Her fluency in Xhosa is a wonderful asset for Ikamva Labantu. This was the most contentious of the issues discussed. Seniors, club assistants and Ilizwi Labadala exec members all voiced their opinions in the nearly hour long discussion mediated by Lulama. Eventually, everyone came to the consensus that the voucher system was the most efficient and cost effective way to purchase their food and the decision was made.

Basically, what I took away from the meeting was that the seniors in our programme really do retain ownership over the sector. The importance of community ownership of programmes is something that has really been instilled in me by Founder and Honourary President Helen Lieberman. Also, I always have in the back of my mind the long-term goal of Ikamva Labantu, to create self-sustainable, independent community based organizations. When the senior clubs are able to increase their capacity to the point where they no longer need Ikamva Labantu, this forum will serve as the infrastructure necessary to govern their own programmes.

Posted in Seniors

Quick Reminder Post

Written by Robyn on September 11, 2009 — 1 Comment

Our blog is growing so quickly! Please scroll to the bottom of the page to start reading the first post…

Enjoy and leave some comments!!

Posted in Early Childhood Development, Family Services Sector, Seniors, Youth

Listening to our beneficiaries: The Senior Sector Workshop

Written by Robyn on September 11, 2009 — 3 Comments

When I expressed interest in blogging about the Senior Sector, I approached Development Manager Christelle Cornelius for advice. She invited me to come to a full day Senior Sector workshop where the field staff for the programme and Ikamva Labantu management would analyze the sector and develop a plan to move forward. So, on the 27th of August, I went to The Rainbow Centre (one of Ikamva Labantu’s Multi-Purpose Centres) in Guguletu for the workshop.

I must tell you, I left this workshop more confident than ever that Ikamva Labantu is truly committed to bringing our communities closer to realizing Ikamva Labantu’s vision of developing self-reliant and sustainable community based organisations in order to facilitate positive social change. And not only are we committed to this vision, but our Senior Sector can serve as a wonderful indication that we are, in fact, on the right track!

Development Manager Christelle Cornelius opened the workshop with a presentation on the philosophies and legislation that help guide the work of the Senior sector. She cited The Older Person’s Act of 2006 as well as The United Nations Principles for Older Persons . Christelle also identified a goal for successful Older Person’s Programmes: to facilitate and encourage active and dignified aging.

Each club assistant administered a survey to all the seniors in their club and presented the results at the workshop. This section of the workshop shed so much light on the general attitudes, concerns, needs and opinions of the club members, who are, after all, the reason the sector even exists.

I would like to highlight and summarize excerpts from these surveys so you can get to know Ikamva Labantu’ seniors as well.

Q: What activities do you most enjoy?

Craft-making and special outings ranked very highly amongst club members. Several of the club assistants could not contain their laughter as they explained just how much their members enjoyed singing and how often they engaged in it.

Q: What other activities or services would you like to see offered at the club?

I was extremely impressed with the creativity and enthusiasm the seniors showed when asked what activities they would like to see at their club. They expressed interest in activities as diverse as drama, table tennis, soap making and candle making.

And how exciting is this? Seniors expressed a desire to receive technological literacy training as well as financial counselling. Technological literacy training would include lessons on how to properly use mobile phones, calculators, ATMs, library facilities and even computers. Financial counselling would include debt management, budgeting and maintaining financial records.

I was smiling from ear to ear when I heard these suggestions. I just think it is a real credit to the Ikamva Labantu Senior programme that our seniors are taking this kind of initiative. Independence and dignity is no longer a long lost concept to these seniors, they recognize that it is within their reach and they are willing to work hard to achieve it. I do not think Ikamva Labantu can take all the credit though, we are clearly working with very special, aware, and enthusiastic older persons.

Actually, upon closer examination, it seems that it isn’t only Ikamva Labantu empowering these individuals, but rather these individuals are empowering themselves. This theory is validated again and again throughout the workshop.

Q: Does the club have everything it needs to provide all services and activities?

As part of the fundraising department, I was really interested in this question. I know first hand that ensuring that our programmes have all the resources necessary to best serve our beneficiaries is a job that all Ikamva Labantu staff takes very much to heart. It is also a job that is never truly done.

Several of the clubs require improvements on their venue. Some of the clubs do not have a permanent venue, but rather a rented room. They require permanent venues in order to store equipment and supplies properly. Others report the need for larger venues in order to accommodate growing numbers and their full range of activities. Ikamva Labantu is actively seeking to get every club a suitable venue to carry out all activities and services. In fact, Ikamva Labantu is moving towards the multi-purpose centre model, in which we will develop centralized community centres that will permanently house programmes and services to a wide range of our beneficiaries including senior clubs, early childhood development crèches, food gardens and youth centres.

Also, some clubs remarked that they enjoyed doing crafts such as fabric painting and beadwork but lacked the materials to continue the activity.

Note: Please see the end of the post for ways you can help the senior sector now!

Q: How do you hope to obtain these resources?

The answer to this question truly impressed me. Several of the senior clubs commented that they wanted to come up with fundraising ideas and hold fundraisers in order to help Ikamva Labantu with the money to obtain these resources.

This is the goal, people! This is what Ikamva Labantu is all about. Independence, Sustainability, Empowerment. Ikamva Labantu is moving away from the more “charity” centred non-profit approach where a non-profit organization simply hands out necessary resources. Instead, Ikamva Labantu is truly partnering with communities in development and providing support and encouragement for community members to empower themselves and their communities.

Adding to this, I would also like to mention that two of the clubs actually asked for more ownership over their vegetable gardens. As part of Ikamva Labantu’s food security initiative, food gardens are established at senior clubs. The seniors are involved in certain capacities, assisting the gardeners where they can, however it is run largely by Ikamva Labantu food garden staff. The seniors, as well as members of our other programmes regularly receive nutritious veggies from the gardens and the seniors have now asked Ikamva Labantu to move towards a model where they will be given control over their own vegetable patches. They propose that if given a start up kit, gardening training and the necessary land, they will run and sustain their own gardens and have ownership of the vegetables. It is truly a proud moment for Ikamva Labantu when our beneficiaries are inspired to move towards self-sufficiency. Our goal, after all, is to develop self-sufficient and sustainable community projects. Ikamva Labantu’s hope for all of our programmes is that they reach a point where they are capable of sustaining themselves and become autonomous organizations empowering their own communities.
—

After the presentations of this information by each club assistant, all participants in the workshop broke off into groups and brainstormed ways to use all of what was covered in the workshop to create an optimal plan for the sector. It was wonderful to see the Director of Ikamva Labantu, Ishrene Davids and many other Ikamva Labantu management staff brainstorming with the club assistants, the sector coordinators and volunteers. Everyone was involved in this brainstorming session and everyone was able to contribute in unique ways given their diverse backgrounds.

Based on my experience working in the Non-Profit sector, it is a truly rare and special thing for management, including the organization’s director to devote an entire day to listening to the thoughts and needs of the beneficiaries on this level. At this workshop we were presented with detailed surveys from each and every club and were able to get a true feel for and understanding of our beneficiaries. Ikamva Labantu will use all of the input from the workshop to gear the entire senior programme from this point onward. It seems that the workshop was the easy part though…we must now implement a comprehensive plan to serve all of the needs of our beneficiaries and communities. After this workshop, though, I can confidently say that I have all the faith in the world that our dedicated staff and our enthusiastic seniors can continue to partner together to really make this happen!

If interested, please follow this link to see ways that YOU can help the senior sector today. You will find volunteer opportunities, corporate sponsorship opportunities, guidelines for donations and a wish list of needs. Get involved!

Please stay tuned for my next post about my day in a senior centre…and, as always, let me know what you thought of the post!

Posted in Seniors

Background Post: The Senior Sector

Written by Robyn on September 11, 2009 — Leave a Comment

The Senior sector has always been particularly close to my heart, which is why I couldn’t wait to blog about it. I suspect that it is the love I have and the closeness I share with my own grandparents that has made me compassionate towards older person’s issues. However, when you examine these issues in a South African context, there emerges an urgent call to action. A call that Ikamva Labantu has responded to.

Think about it…many of those in the current senior population were on the front lines of the struggle against apartheid and fought to bring this country to where it is today. Ikamva Labantu sees older persons and their wisdom and experience as an essential asset to the community. Besides it being an injustice not to support and empower those who did so much for this country, it is a disservice to the communities in which they live. But beyond that, largely due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the changing family dynamics in the townships, this vulnerable population has been charged with the task of raising the future generation of South Africans.

I would like to share an excerpt from a recent official Ikamva Labantu report on the Senior sector. This was the report that originally peeked my keen academic and emotional interest in the issues of seniors in the townships. I even forwarded excerpts of this report to my own grandparents.

“ Older Persons are one of the most vulnerable populations in the townships due to a lack of government and community provisions to accommodate their unique health and social needs as seniors. Furthermore, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has created an unmanageable number of orphans who are often left in the care of their grandparents. Seniors are becoming increasingly responsible for the care of children, grandchildren, and in some cases great-grandchildren at a time in their lives when their own physical and cognitive function may be deteriorating. The community is placing additional burdens on the sector of the population that is least prepared to support it. Additionally, income earning potential for these grandparents is limited, creating desperate situations for vulnerable families throughout the townships.”

As a response to these issues, Ikamva Labantu has developed the Senior Sector. The programme serves more than 650 seniors in 17 senior centres known as senior clubs in the townships. Services provided at the senior clubs include daily activities such as nutritious meals, exercises, craft making, food gardening and health services as well as psychosocial support and assistance in accessing government grants.

Each club is headed by a club assistant. Club assistants are Ikamva Labantu employees who work in the field at the senior clubs to facilitate activities, maintain records, deliver services, conduct health monitoring and lead discussions. They connect with the seniors on a personal level and are able to serve as a direct, two-way link between Ikamva Labantu and its beneficiaries.

In order to fully understand the depth and importance of the work of the Senior Sector, I decided to dig a little deeper. I will attend a sector workshop analyzing the programme and discussing how to improve and optimize it. I will also be fortunate enough to spend a day at a senior club and interact with the seniors, something I have been just itching to do since I started my work here.

I cannot wait to see how these new experiences will inform my own awareness of the real issues facing seniors in some of the poorest communities in Cape Town. Even more so, I truly hope that by blogging about these experiences, I will be able inform YOUR understanding of these issues and of how Ikamva Labantu is working to address them.

Posted in Seniors

Welcome to Ikamva Labantu’s New Blog!!

Written by Robyn on September 11, 2009 — 2 Comments

Hello Blogosphere! My name is Robyn Deutsch and I will be your Ikamva Labantu blog voice.

First, let me tell you a bit about myself. I guess that one of my most distinguishing characteristics around here is that I am an American…and more specifically, I am a New Yorker (pronounced New Yaw-kah). After graduating from Emory University with a degree in Political Science and a Fellowship in Community Building and Social Change, I came to South Africa in July of 2008 to study at the University of Cape Town. I had only planned to stay for 5 months, but I just haven’t been able to bring myself to leave!

I began volunteering at Ikamva Labantu in January and was officially hired as part of the staff this July. I am a proud member of the Fundraising and Marketing Department, but have also taken on the responsibilities of starting Ikamva Labantu’s Facebook page, Twitter account and now, our blog. Which reminds me…please become a fan on facebook and follow us on twitter to get the ultimate Ikamva Labantu web experience. Beautiful pictures are already up on our facebook page and more get added every week!

People ask me all the time what it was that brought me to South Africa. The most honest answer I can give is that I wanted to learn.

Personally, I wanted to go somewhere that was different from what I was used to and just immerse myself in its culture. Whether I am having a braai with my friends, visiting a community mama in a township, watching the rugby in a pub (Go Bokke!), or somehow squeezing myself into an already full mini-bus, I embrace Cape Town, and it embraces me right back.

Academically, I have always looked at the struggle against apartheid and been in absolute awe of how much this country was able to change in such a short period of time. I just knew there was something that South Africa could teach me. I was right.

These are the reasons I came. But why have I stayed? Well, my mother asks me that all the time! I can’t really put my finger on it…I just feel at home, at Ikamva Labantu and in Cape Town. It is my hope to share even a little bit of my wonderful experience with you and luckily, Ikamva Labantu has given me this opportunity.

I will share more about myself as the posts go on, but for now… let’s get started! Here is how things will work. I will separate the posts by sector or programme. As of now, my planned posts include the Senior Sector, the Family Support Services sector, the Youth sector, the Early Childhood Development sector and the Food Gardens programme among others. I will also blog about special events, inter-sectoral collaborations and about anything else that my colleagues and I think will be of interest and use to our followers. We may even have some very special Ikamva Labantu “guest bloggers” to come on and share their thoughts with you from time to time.

Also, perhaps most importantly, I would love to hear YOUR feedback and comments on the posts as well as suggestions or requests for future ones. This blog is for YOU and I hope that everyone in the entire Ikamva Labantu community will take advantage of this new opportunity for communication.

Posted in Early Childhood Development, Family Services Sector, Seniors, Youth