Untitled Document

OTHANDWENI

1. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Othandweni is a registered non-profit organisation that was founded in 1994. Originally it was a feeding scheme for the street children of Hillbrow, but since 1994 it has developed into a community development organisation that provides a holistic service to the street children/youth. Services include; basic care, court support, health care, training, recreation, etc.

2. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

* To act as a guardian to 200 children/youths at risk on the street.

* To promote healthy lifestyles by offering health care and education, a sickbay and counselling service to 400 children/youths at risk on the street, not excluding homeless adults.

* To provide alternatives to street dwelling to a minimum of 80 street children/youth by means of recreation & sport development.

* To empower the youth at risk through training programmes and job placements to become independent citizens in the community.

* To minimise the institutionalisation of youth at risk on the street by providing the Family Group Conference as a diversion sentence option for the Court.

3. ACTIVITIES

3.1 Basic Care & Promotion of Human Rights Project – this project focuses on the children and youths that are physically living on the streets. The aim is to provide in their basic needs, to re-unite them with families and to act as their guardian during court procedures to ensure that their basic human rights are protected.

3.2 Sport and Recreation Project – this project focuses on the children and youths that are physically living on the streets and on the training students. The aim is two-folded. One is to provide an alternative to street dwelling to minimise the involvement of the children in criminal activities. Secondly life skills are taught through recreational activities to enhance self-development.

3.3 Health Care Project – this project focuses on the health needs of the street children and homeless community. The focus is five-folded, namely Primary Health Care Services, Health Education, Home Based Nursing Care, a Sickbay and Counselling Services.

3.4 Training Project – the aim of this project is to train 50 students per annum with business and practical skills to enable them to become independent.

4. AVERAGE STATISTICS PER MONTH

Youths at Soccer/Cricket Training 90

Patients treated at sickbay/mobile clinic 680

Youths on Entrepreneurial Training 50

Guardian for children at courts 8

Youths re-united with their families 1

Family Group Conferences 1

Outreaches to street groups 18

Clothes/toiletries given out to youth 135

Numerous creative arts and baked products were sold

Helpings of tea & bread served 550

Suppers served combined with religious life skills training 669

5. PARTNERSHIPS

Several corporate donors, government sectors and individuals contributed towards the activities of Othandweni. The following partnerships exist to enable Othandweni to carry out its activities:

Children of Fire

Dyambo Youth Centre

Johannesburg Alliance for Street Children

Johannesburg Prison

Gauteng Alliance for Street Children

Leeuwkop Prison

National Alliance for Street Children

RAU University

Wits Technikon

Wits University

6. FUTURE PLANS

Implement the Girls Training Programme

Extend the existing programmes

Implement the Substance Abuse Programme

Start the Care Centre for terminally ill patients

Start different support groups in the community, i.e. victims of HIV/AIDS

7. CONCLUSION

During the year 2000 the Impumelelo Innovations Award Programme acknowledged Othandweni & Ekuthuleni. Othandweni is one of fifteen projects in South Africa that has been honoured by this Award. The criteria for the Impumelelo Award are innovation, impact on poverty, sustainability, replicability and effectiveness. Othandweni has set innovative standards to reach the youth at risk on the streets of Johannesburg.