First Aid and Fire Training

Members of the Masakhane community had the opportunity, through funding by SABMiller, to participate in a First Aid Level 1 and A Fire Safety training course. This course was presented by Ben Supke of Firemed. Receiving training in First Aid and Fire Safety is essential for this community especially since they are not able to access emergency services ealily. As has been reported recently, a cooking fire, which got out of hand, destroyed the dwelling of a family of seven people. Basic Fire Safety training could have prevented this disaster and have helped the community to deal with the fire more effectively.

Younger participants like Willie in this picture, helped to facilitate the material to older and semi-litterate people.


The First Aid course was presented in a canvas and plastic structure which serves as a church. Unfortunately the place flooded due to heavy rains and the course had to be completed in one of the sink dwellings in the community. A farmer in teh area kindly let us use his generator to provide the neccesary electricity for the television and video machine which was used in the course. The fire Safety training was held in the open air, under a tree, where most of the community gatherings take place.Despite these challenges, Ben Supke facilitated these courses very effectively, making use of multimedia and interactive learning activities to engage learners in the subject matter. Songs were sung and games were played and young children were encouraged to participate, thus spreading the benefits of this exposure further than just the participants.

38 People in all received certificates for these courses. These will be laminated, courtesy of Melon Rouge restaurant in Magaliesburg and presented to the participants at a special graduation ceremony. This was the first training event for this community and the benefits of attending accredited courses will hopefully soon be experienced and witnessed by everyone in this community.

Relief for family left homeless by fire

Doctor receives some much needed blankets for his family


The family of seven that was left destitute by a fire in January has received donations of corrugated iron, food,clothes and blankets. NGK Welsyn and Village power assisted this family through donations received as a result of a report of their predicament which was sent out via the Masakhane Newsletter. The response from the public was wonderfull and within a week from when the fire happened, this family had a new house and could function again. Assistance for this family will continue and their situation monitored carefully so that they will be helped untill they are able to provide in their own needs once again.

Family of 7 left destitute by fire

By Sonja van der Vyver (Development Practitioner)

A family from Masakhane was left destitute when a fire destroyed their home on the 25th of January 2009. A cooking fire, which was left unattend for a while, got out of hand and burnt down the sink dwelling of Doctor Maakwe (31) and his wife Maria (30). The couple has two children, a daughter, Masigo (6) and a young son, Thabiso (4). Maria's elderly parents and ehr brother also lived with this couple. Doctor is the only member of this household who is working. He works as a farm labourer on a farm near by.

Community Research at Masakhane

Village Power CDP, in partnership with the Masakhane Community have launched a Participatory Research Project. Participatory research means that the community members receive training in research methods and that they are part of the research on every level. This helps communities take ownership of their situation and actively participate in the decision-making processess affecting them.

Progress on this project will be posted on the blog regularly

HOW will the research be conducted?

Training of a local team (consisting of members of the community) in participatory techniques will enhance the ability of the community to participate in present and future research which might be needed for the community. The training of members of the community in research participation also empowers the community with the necessary knowledge needed about aspects of development so that outside developers can be monitored and held accountable for any plans they might implement. Because the PRA approach empowers the community to become partners in their own development, they can take ownership of the process instead of being the object of development. This strategy improves the sustainability of any development project.

WHO will be involved in the research?

· Research facilitators – will act as convenors and catalysts without dominating the process.
· Community members including community leaders and people from households affected by HIV/AIDS will be actively involved in every aspect of the research project. Before research commences all stakeholders need to be informed of and invited to take part in the research process. Consent and support for the research project needs to be obtained and as much information as possible given to everyone involved. Aims and objectives, methods and instruments, analysis methods and possible projects which might evolve from the research need to be transmitted to every stakeholder in a clear and transparent way. Every person concerned will have the opportunity to voice their opinions and possible concerns regarding the research project and issues which could arise from it. The community will carry out the analysis and decide what is ultimately to be done with the information and analysis which they will generate.

What needs to be done and why?

The Research Project will employ the methods used in the Participatory Research Approach model. This approach involves a combination of methods which enable people to be involved in assessing and expressing aspects of their every-day situations. Being actively involved in research on any aspect affecting them empowers people to be able to plan themselves what needs to be done and how this action is to be monitored and evaluated.
The PRA method aims at getting maximum involvement from all stakeholders. Through active involvement of the community any research, present or future can be sustainable.

What Methods will be used in this research?

The methods used in this research will aim to enable people to express and share information and many will be created by local people themselves. Because HIV/AIDS is such a disempowering condition, it is imperative to get the people affected by it involved in the identification and prioritisation of the main problems they encounter.
Some of the PRA methods proposed for this research are:
· Maps showing who lives where, (e.g. who heads the household, which households are affected by HIV/AIDS) and where resources such as water, schools, clinics etc. are situated.
· Flow diagrams which will show linkages, sequences, causes, effects, problems and solutions. The impact of e.g. poverty, employment, school attendance, economic status etc.
· Seasonal calendars showing how food availability, family health and other factors connected and vary during the year (e.g. do people tend to get sick more in winter when food is not readily available).
· Transect walks and mapping of the information gained on transect walks by the participating members of the community.

Time table

The first thing to be done is to get all the stakeholders involved in the planning of the project. A time needs to be established which suits everyone for the proposed project to be suggested to the community and other stakeholders. Enough time should be allowed for all concerned to be able to respond to the proposed project before the actual research takes place.
Time also needs to be set aside for the proper training of the interested members of the community as research facilitators. It is important that the participants are all familiar with the principles of PRA methods and with the aims and objectives of the research study.
The time table for this research will be drawn up jointly by the participants from the community and the researcher taking into consideration what times would best suit the community members’ involvement without imposing on their schedules regarding the collection of water and fire wood or household chores such as cooking and washing.

Poverty assessment

Because poverty is a major issue affecting rural households this aspect will be a focus point in the research process. Information will be obtained employing the following proposed methods about the target groups and major issues listed below:

· Female-headed household – Including women from female headed households in the group to be trained in PRA research methods. This will serve to involve these women in the assessment of the situation and to empower them to become actively involved in the processes affecting them. Women are traditionally excluded from power structures and the inclusion of women who head households in this research process could equip them with valuable skills which could be applied to the development processes of the community in future as well as give them a ‘voice’ within the community.
· Orphans and vulnerable children – Identify these through involving members of the community in discussion groups, transect walks etc.
· Child-headed households – Involve the children heading the household in the PRA activities such as transect walks and informal discussions and drawing up new maps with proposed changes and plans for development.
· Young unemployed household members – Through their involvement in discussions and other PRA activities.
· Child labourers – Focus group discussions at a time at which they are not working, encouraging these children and their parents to access the sustainability of child labour and to examine possible alternative ways of generating an income for the families.
· Distance to health and water supply facilities – Transect walk and mapping activities.
· Learning needs for out of school youth and adults – Focus group discussions during which this group is encouraged to identify their own learning needs and to prioritise these needs.

Masakhane 2009

By Sonja van der Vyver - Development Practitioner

At Masakhane Activities for the year are already in full swing. There is great exitement over the SAB Life Skills Modules which will be presented there in February. In order for screening and placement of participants in this life skills course prospective participants have been asked to either submit a written CV or to do an oral presentation. Interviews have been conducted on Friday the 16th of January and Saturday the 17th of January. CV's are still streaming in and more interviews will be conducted on Saturday the 24th of January.

Word about the life skills modules have got around and CV's from all over the Magaliesburg district have been received. Unfortunately it has been neccesary to explain to these applicants that this course will be for the residents of Masakhane only.

The SAB Life Skills modules which will be presented at Masakhane include the following:

Motivation
Goal Setting
Basic Numeracy
Managing Your Money
Managing Change and dealing with Stress
Self Discovery
Starting your own Bussiness
HIV/AIDS - Wellness Education
Finding that Income
Getting a Job
Decision and Skills Planning

After Participants have attented the Life Skills programme, they will receive individual career counceling to be able to integrate what they have learned into their future plans. Skills training for each participant and possible job placement will be part of the programme.

The response to this incentive has been very positive. Some of the reasons and motivations as to why prospective participants believe they ought to be included in the programme have been transcribed below:

'I am applying to be an emergency officer because in my place, when it rains the Ambulance can't come through' - 'Chicks' Simane (23)

'I want to work to take crime away' - Mofokeng Kgangetsile (23)

'I want to be a police woman because crime is too high and also the abuse of young girls. I want to be here so those girls will come to me and not be afraid'. -Beauty Kubu (18)

'I want to get teaching skills to develop the community and also myself' - Rebecca Sethimo (21)

'I would like to work as a game ranger - Elias Phiri

' I like to teach so that at the end of the day they (the people of Masakhane) must know something better in their life' - Emmie Kgope (25)

'I intend studying towards a career in Music which will utilise my interest in people and in the music industry. I would like to become a sound engineer' - Joseph Phiri (24)

It is clear from the above that the youth of Masakhane are looking for ways in which to realise their potential and from their enthusiasm for this opportunity it is clear that the SAB Life Skills Modules might very well be the first step towards a brighter future for the people of Masakhane.

Progress re. this programme will be reported continously on this blog. Individual profiles will also be published here in order to communicate the specific needs of the Masakhane people. Support in this and other aspects of the Masakhane Porject will be greatly appreciated. Please contact Sonja van der Vyver - Village Power Community development Projects by leaving a comment with your contact details (e-mail address) by clicking the comments link below.

Water - at last!

By Sonja van der Vyver - Development Practitioner

For the last 4 years, the people of Masakhane have had no permanent water in the settlement. They received water from a municipal water truck once or twice a week. The delivery of water was dependent on the state of the access road to Masakhane. During periods of rainy weather the water truck could not get to the settlement because the access road was in such a poor state. This meant that the women often had to draw water from a nearby stream. Children often got sick from hygiene-related illnesses such as diahroea because of the quality of this water.

Because the water truck only delivered very sporadically the people of Masakhane stored their water in plastic scoops. In summer especially, this practice contributed to the occurence of hygiene-related illnesses, especially in children. Because of poor nutrition the children of Masakhane do not have strong immunity against disease and the fact that the community is so isolated contributes to sick children not receiving medical attention in time.

Water is such a basic need that the lack of it significantly contributes to a number of problems such as the ones listed above. Often children were reported not to have been taken to the monthly mobile clinic because mothers were too ashamed to bring their 'dirty' children to be seen by the clinic sister. Lots of time was spent fetching water from the stream near the settlement and carrying it back which meant that the women in the settlement had no time to pursue any income generating activities.

As one of their main CSI focuses SAB has benefited this community significantly through the provision of water. After investigating several options, a windmill was decided upon as a means of providing water to this community. It is cost effective, does not rely on expensive sources of energy and is easy to maintain. A Climax windmill was installed and two water tanks was put up on the hill above the settlement. The two tanks allow for water to be stored on windy days so that the community will be able to get water even on days when the wind doesn't blow. For the moment the community will be able to access water by drawing water from a tap at the water tanks.

Some 7 years ago pipes were put in to supply water at a tap for each one of 55 stands. After carefull assessment of available resouces it has been decided that those pipes can be reconnected so that those 55 stands will then have water. Through community cooperation it will be possible for all 112 households to have access to water near their households.

With water available to them, the people of this community will be able to consider new and productive options such as food gardening, brick making etc. Teaching the community Permaculture principles for growing food could go a long way to alleviate food scarcity and malnutrition for this community. Better nutrition will improve the immunity of everyone and could be especially beneficial to those affected by HIV and Aids. With less time to have to spend carrying water the women of this community will be able to engage in more productive activities which could alleviate poverty and increase the self esteem and levels of empowerment.

Education is the great leveler of people and with water available to them all the time, this community can receive life skills and other training which will enable them to improve their standards of living.

Anectdotes about some of the Masakhane People

by Sonja van der Vyver - Development Practitioner

Maria Selebogo

Maria is one of the Masakhane Community Commitee members and is a single parent to Karabo (3). Karabo's dad died while Maria was expecting Karabo. Maria is unemployed and has no support structure. Her only income is the goverment child grant which she receives for Karabo. She is a generous person, who, when a donation of blankets was received for the settlement insisted that there were other people who were more in need of a blanket than her - despite the fact that she was listed as one of the 50 people most in need of help in the community. Maria holds the portfolio of Social Services in the community commitee and is currently trying to assist those people who are having difficulty with obtaining an ID document. Maria says that she would like to be able to generate an income but that she has no one who can take care of Karabo while she is away at work. A community centre with a creche could help people like Maria to get involved in more productive persuits by taking care of children like Karabo. Maria could also benefit from skills training which would improve her chances of becoming financially self sustaining.

Emmie Kgope

Emmie Kgope is a member of the community commitee and serves as 'Health Care' coordinator. Emmie is a dynamic person who volunteered her services as ABET facilitator during a recent literacy programme which was implemented by the Department of Education. Unfortunately the programme was discontinued when almost all the adults dropped out as a result of being unable to commit the time neccesary to walk 5 km to the nearest school every day in order to attend the programme. It is Emmie's dream to enrol for the National Certificate Course in ABET through UNISA and to become a qualified ABET practitioner. Providing Emmie with the opportunity to fullfil this dream could be very beneficaial to this community. Adult Educational programmes often fail because they take a long time and are not sustainable from outside of the community. With the neccesary resources, Emmie could provided litteracy training to the community on a long term basis.

As Health Care Coordinater, Emmie could use her teaching provide Basic Health Care training to the community. Teaching mothers about health issues such as malnutrition, dehydration, hygiene related disease and HIV/AIDS could be very beneficial in preventing illnesses and poor health in this comunity.

Yvonne Kgope

Yvonne is the community comitee leader and communicator. At the community meeting where the commitee was first elected Yvonne acted in a revolutionary way by electing herself, a woman, as the Commitee leader. In a community where the customs do not encourage women to stand up for themselves or to be part of the decision making processess which affect them, this certainly made everyone at that meeting sit up and pay attention to what Yvonne was saying. She launched into a memorable speech during which she pledged her commitment to see that promises were delivered and issues addressed. Yvonne's nomination of her self as community leader was accepted unanimously by the community. Yvonne has since shown her commitment to the development of her community through her involvement in all community activities and especially through her endeavours re. youth participation in community activities.

Beauty Kubu

Beauty Kubu is 18 years old. She terminated her high school attendance after grade 10 due to the lack of transport to and from the school. Beauty is a single parent to Bonolo - a baby of 6 months old, but hopes to be able to complete her schooling in order to be trained as a police woman. Beauty says that she will certainly attend the life skills programme which will be implemented in the community. She says that she has to better herself in order to provide a better life for her and Bonolo.