by
Gernia Van Niekerk
15 October 2002
Gernia Van Niekerk, Chief Executive of the Enrute Foundation, has been instrumental
in developing several wholescale MeshWORK projects in rural South Africa. Her work
is respected globally and places her among the leading Spiral Dynamics-
This is a slightly-
REFLECTING
LIFE CONDITIONS
Background
Rosedale
is a very small rural town in the Eastern Free State on the R70-
Rosedale is a dominant white living area although a few colored and black families
have moved into the area, consisting of approximately 200 residents. Mautse is a
black living area where approximately 7000 people live in dominantly RDP-
The people moving into the town of Rosedale to live are (with the exception of a
few families) people who cannot afford better and more expensive housing in larger
towns. (Housing in Rosedale is still relatively affordable.) These people are either
pensioners or poorer younger people. During the last few years a number of people
who live in Gauteng and other South African cities bought properties in Rosedale.
They only visit the area during week-
Before the 1994 elections Mautse (with +700 inhabitants at that time) was hit by a tornado and most of the buildings in Mautse were flattened to the ground. The community approached the new government and a housing scheme was implemented for the people who had suffered loss of housing and shelter. The result was an influx to Mautse and at present the township has a population of + 7000 people. This again led to a congestion of the basic services to the town, including housing, water and electricity supplies and sanitation – with the result that the poverty problem escalated.
Rosedale/Mautse has a lovely Summer climate. During Winter it becomes very cold.
Snowfalls during Winter are common and the icy winds from the snow-
The climate is idea for specialised farming projects such as roses, cherries, peaches, asparagus, vegetables, etc. The natural environment of the Eastern Free State with the town, with its rural character, at the foothills of the Witteberge is a very positive tourist attraction.
The traditional place of prayer of the Sesotho, Nkukumoi/Wonderklip, is in the district of Rosedale.
The members of the community are very concerned about the lack of interest of the youth towards their cultural heritage, as well as their moral standards.
The
Development Initiative
Life conditions in both Rosedale and Mautse are not ideal.
The farmers in the district, previously the backbone of the community, are experiencing
economic pressure and a lot are facing bankruptcy. The squeeze on farming is having
a demoralising effect on the town and its people. Work opportunities are ever-
The community realized that the town and the district were in a downward spiral.
Farmers scaled down and farm workers became jobless, moving into the already overcrowded
township. During 2000 a community self-
It became apparent that an inclusive community development programme needed to be put into place. The Enrute Foundation became involved in the community development programme during 2002 and the Mariandal Enrute Development Forum was formed in May 2002, consisting of representatives from the communities of Rosedale and Mautse.
The
Restitution of community life -
The criteria to identify and initiate
projects for development depend on a socio-
# Continuous mentoring and monitoring
of the development process ensure the sustainability of projects and the creation
of synergy of all development initiatives in regard to the Community at large.
#
Different projects identified by the members of the Community serve as vehicles through
which the development program is driven at all levels from which both the group and
the individual benefit.
# The whole Community takes part and each person decides
on which level (see below) they prefer to get involved.
The scope of the Community
development management program involves:
Level 1 -
Level 2
-
Level 3 -
Level 4 -
Level 5 -
Level 6 -
The steps of the process putting a development program together are the following:
1.
Structuring of needs according to 6 levels of development. (Q -
2.
Audit of the resources available in the Community, and a survey of organizations
and institutions that must be aligned to co-
3. Identification
of ways and means (i.e. projects) by the Community, to drive the development program.
(Q -
4. The auditing of skills required to run and sustain the projects and the
utilization of existing technology available at each level as illustrated below.
(Q -
Structuring
of needs according to 6 levels(Q-
(this
is done by the whole community)
Beige -
? Are the people's basic physiological
needs being met? (Are we taking care of the frail and poverty stricken elderly, orphans
people with AIDS?)
? Is there enough readily-
? Is there enough adequate housing?
? Does the health care system work?
? Are our family community constellations healthy and safe?
? Do we take
care of street children, drug abusers and do we provide rehabilitation programs for
those who may need it?
? Are we investing positively in our young?
? Does the community
have a strong identity, able to take its place in the world?
? Are the tribal elders
respected?
? Are our tribal rituals and taboos honored and honorable?
Red -
? Are there opportunities for sports, pubs & clubs.
? Are we providing
any/enough recreational activities for the elderly ?
? Do we encourage individuals
to find their 'own voice' and look after themselves?
? Is there enough power from
higher authorities to exert control?
Blue -
? Does the law & order system
work?
? Are the laws clear?
? Are there enough honest & committed Police?
? Do the
Churches push morals?
? Are our industries efficient & regulated?
? What mechanisms
are in place for managing polarized differences?
Orange -
? This concerns the wealth creators and the innovators and the
matter of how improvement and achievement should be supported.
? What measures of
"success" are seen as desirable?
? What controls are there on self-
? How are the negative by-
? Identifying
equal opportunities/anti-
? How are people facilitated
in working together?
? What mechanisms are in place to ensure that all projects or
intervention remain sustainable in the sense of being practical and cost-
? Is the community working together in taking responsibility
for their future?
? Identifying
operations beyond values and limiting beliefs to provide integral leadership, optimizing
all resources – human, natural and man-
REPORT COMPILED
BY THE COMMUNITY: STRUCTURING OF NEEDS
Level 1
# Many people's basic physiological needs are not met.
# It became apparent in the
community survey that only 26% of the people in Mautse feel that their housing is
safe. The rest are not watertight during summer and not warm during winter. 70% of
the community in Mautse do not have a bed for each person in their home. In 40% of
the homes there are no table and chairs available. Therefore the learners have no
place to do homework. 56% of the homes have no running water.
# Sanitation: Rosedale
has a water-
# 78% of men between 18 and 60 years of age and 82% of women between 18 and 60 do
not have an income. Therefore many people go hungry.
# A feeding programme has been
granted to the school by the Department of Health (Nutrition), but the Department
is having internal problems with funding and the programme is not functioning well.
# No old people's homes exist for the elderly. An organization for the elderly in
Mautse -
# Three nursery schools exist in the community, but only one has trained staff.
Most of the babies, toddlers and infants are left in the care of the elderly at home.
# No facilities exist for AIDS orphans. This is a problem that has been identified
for several years, but no funding is available to date to assist these people. Carers
are willing to be trained to help the aged, orphans with AIDS and people with AIDS.
Funding is needed for workshops and training in the community, as well as the establishment
of 'Green Houses'.
# Trained Dots supporters are taking care of TB patients.
# Approximately
half of the residents in Mautse live in shacks. The influx of people from nearby
farms into Mautse has created more housing problems. A lot of the able men leave
their families in the township and go to towns in Gauteng to look for job opportunities.
This practice leaves the families in Mautse without the care of a father, because
they seldom visit and just as seldom send money to support the families in the rural
area.
# Only one clinic with two sisters is open during office hours. A doctor comes
to the clinic twice a week. Clinic services are free. Medication for chronic illnesses
such as hyper tension, diabetes, epilepsy, TB and schizophrenia is available. Sometimes
the clinic runs out of medicine.
# A well-
# Emergency services: At present the
police phone the ambulance in Ficksburg (45 km from Rosedale) in an emergency.
#
The most common illnesses are diarrhea and skin irritations as a result of the poor
quality of the drinking water. Aids, teenage pregnancies, TB, measles and malnutrition
are common.
# Funerals take place in an ever increasing number. Usually burials only
take place on Saturdays. Rosedale/Mautse has no cooling facilities for the bodies
and therefore the local residents must go to great expenses to pay for transport
fees and storage facilities at the nearby towns of Ficksburg or Senekal.
# 50% of
the community say that they are not able to provide for themselves and their families
a healthy diet and that they always have a feeling of weariness. 48% of the respondents
report that they seldom (or never) can afford meat. Porridge,
# Home based
care facilities eg: for care of the terminally ill like AIDS patients, cancer patients,
TB-
# Green-
# Soup kitchens must be organized. A soup kitchen will provide food
for the needy and can create jobs for others.
# A 24-
# The maternity ward must become operational. [Staff increase]
Level 2
# The community feels that family and community constellations are very unhealthy.
# Adults feel unsafe and the elderly feel that they are being exploited. Most of
them are the sole breadwinners in the family. Their pensions are taken to support
the family where they live.
# 31% of the respondents (184 adults older than 25) in
Mautse are illiterate. Literate adults have an average education of grade 7 (std
5).
# Schools:
-
-
-
Bethlehem). These learners go to hostels
in the nearby towns and are only at home during the weekend. The importance of family
ties
and the transference of moral values during the short period that the parents
have contact with their children must be emphasized.
A few (7 in total) attend
a small Christian school in Rosedale.
-
-
leadership
skills and positive role models as well as high moral values are lacking.
# The problem
of alcohol and dagga abuse is common amongst the community. No rehabilitation programs
exist. In extreme cases the sisters at the clinic give counseling.
# The Sesotho elderly
are very concerned because of the lack of interest in their cultural heritage.
# The traditional
place of prayer of the Basotho is in the district and a large part of the community
from Mautse visit Nkukumoi to honor the tribal rituals and taboos.
# There is the
feeling that a lot of individuals have a low self-
# Life skills programmes are needed for the youth,
as well as for the adults and elderly. Funding for these programmes is of the utmost
importance:
-
-
# Opportunities to tell the traditional stories
of the Basotho are being preserved in vilt work, embroidered motives and bead work
is essential.
# Traditional dances -
