Tjhebelo Pele

Tjhebelo Pele, under the wing of MaAfrika Tikkun and direction of Gallit Cohen, Sheila Mphuting and Saira Khan, was established in 2002 to initiate an autonomous association of Non-Government Organisations united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.  7 existing Community Based Organisations (CBOs); Let Us Grow, Youth for Life, Sizanani, Bokamoso, Sakisizwe, Luthando and Thulwana Tsa Kopano were brought into the collaborative effort.  The goal of Tjhebelo Pele is to combat high rates of unemployment, poverty, AIDS/HIV, support child-headed households, and develop an Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) centre in the Orange Farm area.  Funding partnerships were formed with corporate donors, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Trust, Ma Afrika Tikkun, the Jewish Board of Deputies, City Parks of Johannesburg, Pick 'n' Pay, and the Rotary Club.  Corporate donors also assisted communities in establishing vegetable gardens and training people in sustainable farming techniques.

Gallit Cohen spent more than 12 months preparing for the formation of Tjhebelo Pele by actively engaging the community of NGOs in dialogoue intended to create breakthroughs.  Fears, suspicions and distrust were expressed openly, and a wide range of possible solutions were explored.  The outcome of 12 months of intense negotiation was the formation of a committee, establishing Tjhebelo Pele, where each organisation is equally represented.  Benefits of this type of organisational framework imply no duplication in service delivery, shared data, pooled resources, and streamlined service provision.

The committee, comprised of the 7 organisations of Tjhebelo Pele, have agreed upon co-ordinated activites including: lobbying and advocating the needs of the Orange Farm community, developing and arranging programmes that address the needs of the community, dissemenating information in an attempt to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS, fighting stigmas and resulting descrimination from being HIV positive, and creating a core group of dedicated care givers empowered by training.

Tjhebelo Pele core objectives were realised using:

• Home based Care (HBC), which offers basic medical care to HIV/AIDS positive or sick patients.
• Data collection and collation, this information allows for the creation of a data base that future service delivery uses for reference. 
• Training and Counseling, caregivers are provided with trauma counseling, first aid, nutrition, practical skills, and data collection.
• Training for the Youth, leadership skills are taught to young community members, computer literacy, proper job interview etiquette, strong work ethic, and skills training.
•  OVC programmes, where the focus is on teaching children as young as 9 years old how to care for siblings or sick parents, also 1 meal a day and 2 slices of bread are provided to OVCs at school.
•  Day Care Centre, creates an environment where children are exposed to their peers as a relief from taking care of sick members of their family, and food and clothing is distributed regularly
•  A model Organic Garden, used to provide fresh produce for the food distribution component of the project
• Food Distribution, 600 sick people and 300 children are provided with 1 meal a day, and sejo porridge, boosted with nutrients, is offered over the weekend
• Transportation is now available to take people to hospital or clinics.     

Innovation

Innovation came from the plan of action, taken on by Tjhebelo Pele, that insisted on building trust amongst potential competitors in a community of skeptical NGOs in order to create a conglomerate of service providers that eliminates duplication.  The co-operative formed out of this dialouge resulted in relationships that allowed for the mutual benefit of all parties involved through shared resources.
 

Effectiveness

121 Home-Based Caregivers have been trained to provide basic medical serives to 585 persons during home visits, offer guidance with government grants, and gather household data including number of children, income, and quality of life. 

Poverty Impact

Initially 100 people were fed, now 600 families and 300 orphans receive breakfast on a daily basis, and the orphans are additionally provided with school uniforms.  Adults are also educated with regard to their rights and how to obtain social security grants.

Sustainability

Sustainability will be achieved by 2007, by which time a recycling centre will be established.  This will create additional jobs through operating necessities, and provide income for the ongoing sustainability of the projects. Funding is secured for the next three years.

Replication

The success of Orange Farm is being replicated in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, while the success of the project in Delft, located in Cape Town, is being replicated in Mfuleni in partnership with the City of Cape Town.

Partnerships

• Provincial Department of Social Services
• City of Johannesburg
• Santam
• Pick ‘n Pay
• Du Pont.