Social Innovation Project Profiles

Social Innovation Project Profiles

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Project Organisation:Assumption Development Centre (ADC)
Project Name: Thabiso Life Skills Course and Financial Savings and Credit Groups
Project Location:Grahamstown
Project start date: 20 February 2014
Describe the project in one sentence: The ADC is an exciting new development where for the first time, experienced development partners have combined to adapt best practice for people-driven economic change.

What is the challenge you aim to address? (2 sentences)

ADC is situated in Grahamstown and faces the same challenges that exist throughout the country. Unemployment is a serious challenge in small towns like Grahamstown facing economic stagnation, local government crisis and persistent educational inequality. The city’s economy is characterised by dependency on two major sectors – state employment and education. The productive elements of the economy are in decline with major employers having relocated from the city and very little new manufacturing or service enterprises filling the gaps. The crisis in local schooling is reflected in the huge gap in performance between former white schools which perform relatively well and township schools which perform extremely badly. If one is born into an African or Coloured working-class family in Grahamstown, statistically one stands less than one chance in ten of exiting the schooling system with a reasonable quality school leaving certificate. Three years ago, the local school district was the 10th weakest in the whole country. There was a slight rally, but results in the NSC in 2015 were disappointing dropping by 12% to an all-time low of 58 % matric pass rate.

This context highlighted above stresses 2 main challenges that are prevalent in Grahamstown. That is high unemployment that exist among young people and the crises in education.

How does this project seek to address the challenge? (3-5 sentences)

The ADC has developed (through learning from other organisations in the country) a model that seeks to address the challenges highlighted above. There are 2 main programmes known as the Thabiso Life Skills Course (TLS) and Financial Savings and Credit Groups. The TLS is targeting young people from mostly fresh from school with weaker pass or supplementary options if they failed, this is mainly to improve their soft skills and ensure that they are able to market themselves for job opportunities. This course focuses on a variety of skills, such as: communication, setting smart goals, interview skills, budgeting, facing fears; and there is also an element of motivation. Ultimately, the course wants to address the soft skills that are lacking among the youth, a shortage of life skills crisis, for instance, something as basic as being on time. ADC wants to embed those basic skills that can take anyone as far as possible in life. Savings and credit groups focus on everyone (young and old) that wants to entrench the attitude of saving in their life. People form a group (with a minimum of 7 people) and draft a constitution that will govern how they work in the savings group. Following this, people meet on a monthly basis to save and members are allowed to borrow money from the group. A 10% interest on loans is usually charged by the group. This Savings programme instils a sense of hope and social cohesion among communities. Most importantly, it changes mind-set, it emphasis on the fact that people have agency.

What assets (skills, capabilities and resources) were you able to draw from the community for this project?

The ADC is an exciting new development where for the first time, experienced development partners have combined to adapt best practice for people-driven economic change. The networks and energy that the agencies behind the ADC can draw on collectively are significant. They include

Rhodes University with dedicated engagement of the whole Commerce Faculty, co-ordinated by Di Hornby, Director of Community Engagement.
“blue chip” NGO’s with a long track record, diverse funding bases, national networks and visionary leadership – Ashley Westaway (GADRA Education), Lucy O’Keeffe (Angus Gillis Foundation) and Margie Keeton (St Mary’s DCC).
The Assumption sisters with 150 years of selfless service to the poor of Grahamstown and the massive access and trust this engenders across the community.
An established and well-maintained building located in the centre of Joza.

ADC prides itself on learning from people that have mastered their craft. Both the core programmes have been tried and tested by other organisation. For instance, ADC partnered with both Salesian Institute and SAVEACT to ensure that it implements such programmes as best as it can and also learns from the people who have gained knowledge from years of experience.

ADC has also partnered with the Grahamstown Business Forum (GBF) and other institutions such as Makana Brick, the National Art Festival, the National Science Festival and local businesses. This is to ensure that it is are able to place people for short periods of time to gain work experience, and those that want to start business get the mentorship that is required. As much as Grahamstown is a small town but there are human, social recourses that exist in this town, and most importantly, the willingness to share these resources.

What has this project achieved so far? (3-5 sentences)

ADC is part of what is known as Grahamstown collective (GHTC) that consists of 5 organisations (ADC, Oasis, St Mary Day Care Centre, Rhodes University, and the Raphael Centre). These organisations have decided to adopt the savings model and encourage people from their respective communities to form groups. The fact that local NGOs have partnered together to counter the scourge of people being in debt is really encouraging. This Savings model has had remarkable results in the communities. So far GHTC has 297 people that are involved in this model and about R800000 has been saved from January 2017 to October 2017 and this continues to grow.
ADC has ran 6 Thabiso Life Skills course and 128 young people have graduated. From the graduates, 5 have continued with furthered their studies (through University and FET Colleges) about 58 of them have had a work experience ranging from about 2 weeks to a year. This is all through the partnerships that exist with businesses in the local town.
ADC has played a significant role in the establishment of 9 small business (and some NGOs) in the Joza Township, this is through providing funding, training, mentoring and expanding the business networks. This has resulted in a business support group were all businesses meet on a bimonthly basis to share information and developments on what is happening in the small business space. Most of the time a prominent person is invited to address the business owners on opportunities and in administrative issues.
The vision of the ADC is big and bold – it is to refashion the economy of Grahamstown into one where businesses of all kinds can prosper taking advantage of emerging and established unique market opportunities of Grahamstown. It means imagining a future Grahamstown where young people are coached and trained to become productive citizens with the skills and entrepreneurial mind-set to enter the economy with confidence.

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Information about the Project Activity and photographs to illustrate: (250-300 words)

Attached is ADC Socio-Economic Development Model which is elaborated below.

Stage 3.1 – Preparation and Placement: (job seekers – yellow in model above) Backmapping to identify work and learnership opportunities in Businesses and the exact qualities / mind-set they require for success. Examples include learnerships in the construction industry and work experience during the National Arts Festival all pre-negotiated with employers. Final selections made by employers. Follow up and debriefing by ADC after 2 months.

Stage 3.2 – Entrepreneurship course and mentoring: (entrepreneurs – red in model). The highly successful Socionext process trains young entrepreneurs to develop a business idea through to a prototype product, exposure to clients and then ongoing mentoring afterwards. The Rhodes Business School also works closely with the ADC supporting small businesses.

Community assets drawn on in building the social innovation in the project: (200-500 words)

Rhodes University with dedicated engagement of the whole Commerce Faculty, co-ordinated by Di Hornby, Director of Community Engagement.
“blue chip” NGO’s with a long track record, diverse funding bases, national networks and visionary leadership – Ashley Westaway (GADRA Education), Lucy O’Keeffe (Angus Gillis Foundation) and Margie Keeton (St Mary’s DCC).
The Assumption sisters with 150 years of selfless service to the poor of Grahamstown and the massive access and trust this engenders across the community.
An established and well-maintained building located in the centre of Joza.

ADC prides itself on learning from people that have mastered their craft. Both the core programmes have been tried and tested by other organisation. For instance, ADC partnered with both Salesian Institute and SAVEACT to ensure that it implements such programmes as best as it can and also learn from the people who have gained knowledge from years of experience.

Contact details of the project: (what the project is willing to share online)

Email:

Luyanda Kota Email:

MasoNduna Email:

Office number: 046 637 1147

Links to project web resources: (if applicable)

Web:

Facebook page: Assumption Development Centre

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