Social Justice & Active Democracy<\/h2>\r\n \r\n \r\n

DWF\u2019s primary focus is on the most severely deprived and isolated areas of South Africa\u2019s Eastern Cape<\/div>\r\n \r\n

<\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n [\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”left-to-right”]<\/p>\n

The Donald Woods Foundation\u2019s primary focus is on the most severely deprived and isolated areas of South Africa\u2019s Eastern Cape Province where most\u00a0of the more than 6.7 million residents survive without potable water, inadequate sanitation, electricity, roads or public transport. In the isolated parts of the region unemployment levels stand\u00a0at more than 89%, and most people live at or well below subsistence level. Active democracy is an unrealised dream in such areas.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”right-to-left”]Local people also have to contend with the national epidemic of HIV infection and drug resistant TB, alongside high levels of crime, particularly crimes of sexual violence, without adequate police protection for the vulnerable. Psycho-social services to assist the victims of sexual violence are very limited at best in rural areas. Most areas have no such services and injured people\u00a0are often referred to\u00a0towns far away, an impossible burden for most people without means.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” parallax=”content-moving” parallax_image=”3139″][vc_column]

\r\n [vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1460230047719{margin-top: 40px !important;padding-top: 30px !important;padding-right: 30px !important;padding-bottom: 30px !important;padding-left: 30px !important;background-color: rgba(33,86,111,0.72) !important;*background-color: rgb(33,86,111) !important;border-radius: 5px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]For decades, social and infrastructural investment in South Africa has prioritised urban areas, at the expense of the vast majority who live in underdeveloped rural areas. Even the most basic Government programmes for health and education struggle to make headway in rural areas where the few roads are often barely passable, and where people have to spend many hours just gathering water and fuel to meet the basic needs of their families. Many NGOs have also stayed away from the former Transkei area because the challenges of working there are so immense.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the Eastern Cape is immensely wealthy in political heritage with its most important asset being its people, having produced many great African leaders and intellectuals. The Donald Woods Foundation is committed to prioritising the region\u2019s poorest communities and is proud to work in partnership with its people. Together with our partners, we aim to nurture and develop the people of the region into active and engaged citizenry.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the most urgent interventions is building an active responsive citizenry together with a society where the gap between the haves and have-nots has been substantially narrowed.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”bottom-to-top”]Of the total population of the Eastern Cape \u2013 currently at 6,562,053 \u2013 just over 60% fall within the\u00a0 economically active ages of 15-64. But most youngsters feel the odds are stacked against them with too few work opportunities and slow growth rates in a stagnant economy. Much has been written about the ticking time bomb of the one third of young South Africans (aged 15-24) who are not in employment, education or training (called NEETS).<\/span><\/p>\n

With so many people falling through society’s cracks\u00a0it is imperative to educate and inform people of their rights, duties and obligations as active South Africans from a young age \u2013 issues that first world countries take for granted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Donald Woods Foundation believes perhaps the worst legacy of colonialism and apartheid is that millions of people are without the skills they need to support themselves and their communities. <\/span><\/p>\n

Enabling residents\u00a0of the Eastern Cape to participate in active citizenry and become useful members of their own communities is the key to the regeneration of rural economies and communities weakened by decades of chronic deprivation.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner] <\/div>\r\n [\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1460230266203{background-color: #f2f2ed !important;}”][vc_column]

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How we are investing in people<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_tta_tabs style=”modern” color=”green” active_section=”1″][vc_tta_section title=”Health” tab_id=”1460230179506-b2f60c3b-aec3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Training for local people in health programmes<\/h4>\n

Dozens of local people have received training as Peer Educators and HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) Counsellors so that they can support and advise other members of the community who may have, or be at risk of, HIV infection. Peer Educators run Wellness Groups which are critical in helping people maintain their health, make informed decisions and obtain full benefits from medical intervention.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Children” tab_id=”1460230179704-6c99bbf8-dd99″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Training for local people in supporting orphans\u00a0and vulnerable children (OVC)<\/h4>\n

Many local people have been trained as OVC Supporters so that they can support vulnerable children in their own communities, monitor their needs and extend the reach of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Programme.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Professionals” tab_id=”1460230381430-daae045a-95f4″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Training camps for local professionals<\/h4>\n

Weekend-long training camps are held for health and education professionals across the region, to develop their skills, share and exchange their experiences and devise solutions to common challenges.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Increasing confidence” tab_id=”1460230401633-367afe62-a19c”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Increasing confidence through training<\/h4>\n

HCT Counsellors and OVC Supporters report increased self-esteem from the feeling of being a useful member of their own community. This is an often over-looked aspect of life in rural areas where many are spiritless, often depressed, disinterested and\u00a0under-utilised, with very few prospects for the future. A fundamental aspect of personal and communal happiness and sense of well-being is to feel connected and of use in one’s community.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Rebuilding communities” tab_id=”1460230436745-c9d9544c-539e”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Rebuilding communities<\/h4>\n

Empowering people\u00a0to look after themselves and their neighbours helps strengthen chronically deprived and shattered communities. The fact that family life was so badly damaged historically by the migrant labour system and that the effects are still being felt today, is often overlooked and forgotten.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Training and Enterprise Centre” tab_id=”1460230447547-d07cc550-b99e”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The Training and Enterprise Centre\u00a0at\u00a0Donald Woods Centre<\/h4>\n

The Donald Woods Centre at Hobeni is able to provide training in many life skills areas in an effort to develop an active rural citizenry. These include: rights advocacy and active citizenship; adult literacy, numeracy, IT and money management; practical but essential everyday skills in plumbing, electrical maintenance and driving skills; business start-ups and development, planning and project implementation; farming skills in both traditional and modern climate smart agriculture; boosting food garden production and water harvesting; arts and crafts skills and production.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs] <\/div>\r\n [\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text css_animation=”left-to-right”] The Donald Woods Foundation\u2019s primary focus is on the most severely deprived […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"spay_email":""},"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P7DEjh-Qk","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2829,"url":"https:\/\/www.donaldwoodsfoundation.org\/where-we-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":0},"title":"Where we work","date":"March 23, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" parallax=\"content-moving\" parallax_image=\"2550\"][vc_column][vc_row_inner css=\".vc_custom_1461087152340{padding: 30px !important;}\"][vc_column_inner width=\"2\/3\"][vc_single_image image=\"3621\" img_size=\"large\"][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=\"1\/3\"][vc_column_text css=\".vc_custom_1461083865053{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-right: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;padding-left: 40px !important;background-color: #21566f !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;border-radius: 5px !important;}\"] Training & Enterprise Centre Hobeni, Xhora District Mbashe, Eastern Cape Head Office P.O. Box 13402, Vincent 5217 East London, Eastern\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2493,"url":"https:\/\/www.donaldwoodsfoundation.org\/project-films\/","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":1},"title":"Project films","date":"March 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] DWF films on the Foundation's work The Foundation has a number of films about our work. Visit this page again as we will be adding films as time goes on. Orphans and Vulnerable Children:\u00a0https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZSEQiUp3qfU Rural children in South Africa are among the most vulnerable children in the world. In\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"slide2-2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/173.254.28.137\/~donaldwo\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/slide2-2.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3807,"url":"https:\/\/www.donaldwoodsfoundation.org\/hiv-and-tb\/","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":2},"title":"HIV and TB","date":"May 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=\"1\/2\"][vc_column_text css_animation=\"left-to-right\"] Delivering and making primary health care accessible to everyone is not an easy task in rural Eastern Cape with under-resourced health facilities, extreme poverty, inaccessible topography, a lack of even basic services such as electricity, water and sanitation. Even with the developmental gains made since 1994, the\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2858,"url":"https:\/\/www.donaldwoodsfoundation.org\/health\/","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":3},"title":"Health Care","date":"March 24, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" content_placement=\"top\" parallax=\"content-moving\" parallax_image=\"3604\" css=\".vc_custom_1461071491860{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}\"][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" content_placement=\"top\" css=\".vc_custom_1458658942229{padding-bottom: 20px !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: contain !important;}\"][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2883,"url":"https:\/\/www.donaldwoodsfoundation.org\/education\/","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":4},"title":"Education","date":"March 28, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"[vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=\"stretch_row\" parallax=\"content-moving\" parallax_image=\"2551\" css=\".vc_custom_1459189314740{padding-top: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}\"][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_btn title=\"Watch DWF Education film\" style=\"outline\" shape=\"round\" color=\"green\" align=\"center\" i_icon_fontawesome=\"fa fa-lightbulb-o\" css_animation=\"bottom-to-top\" link=\"url:https%3A%2F%2Fyoutu.be%2FemR54eE7cs4||target:%20_blank\" add_icon=\"true\" css=\".vc_custom_1466520756801{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}\"][vc_btn title=\"Watch Stuart Barnes film\" style=\"outline\" shape=\"round\" color=\"green\" align=\"center\" i_icon_fontawesome=\"fa fa-lightbulb-o\" css_animation=\"bottom-to-top\" link=\"url:https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F51991857|title:Watch%20Stuart%20Barnes%20film|target:%20_blank\" add_icon=\"true\" css=\".vc_custom_1477377215828{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}\"][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2499,"url":"https:\/\/www.donaldwoodsfoundation.org\/academic-publications\/","url_meta":{"origin":3244,"position":5},"title":"Academic Publications","date":"March 9, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Research and Advocacy Over and above the positive impact the implementation of Health in Every Hut has had on some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the Eastern Cape, the programme is serving as a laboratory to test the roll-out of the South African government\u2019s policy for Re-Engineering\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","img":{"alt_text":"Every homestead where families have been screened has been mapped. 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