Programmes

We have an integrated rural development strategy. Although education has always been a central focus of our work, we realised very early that we needed to consider a holistic approach to our rural development strategies: instead of focusing on one intervention spread over a large region, we chose to have a broad range of programmes in one limited area to ensure that our interventions focused on depth instead of breadth.  

Our aim is still to have a broader impact by sharing what can be scaled up.

Since healthcare and nutrition are critical inputs to quality education outcomes, our education and health focus areas have begun to work together to complete the circle of care from pre-birth through the school going years.

Our Education programme has 8 main focus areas:

• Early Childhood Development in the Home (ECD @ Home): 0-3 years;
• Centre-based ECD 3-6 years;
• Support of rural government schools (including technology projects to improve education quality from Grade 1);
• After School Enrichment Programme;
• Provision of library facilities;
• Vulindlela Scholarship Programme;
• Parent activism and participation in education; and
• Education advocacy, informing government policy.

Our Health and Nutrition programme has 7 main focus areas:

• Home-Based Care programme (Community Health Workers):
  
  • for the elderly, chronically ill and people living with HIV; and
  • for children and youth;
• Health in pregnancy;
  
• Community Health Point;
• Preschool centre-based ECD, nutrition management and mobile clinic services;
• Primary school mobile clinic services;
  
• Monthly Village Based Health Outreach events; and
• Health Advocacy.
  

Our Sustainable Livelihoods programme has 2 main focus areas:

• Development of the local economy
• The Community Work Programme (CWP) and Rural Skills Centre