Ithubalethu “Our Chance” Point Community Project

These girls had fallen prey to pimps through poverty, homelessness, abuse, and drugs.  Ithubalethu began as an outreach program in which social workers would hit the streets a few times every month, urging the women to come in for training and counselling. Ithubalethu has so far reached 340 girls this way, 24 of which have gone through the full Lifeline Skills Development Program and 4 of whom are currently employed by the program. 

Lifeline offers a 15-week personal growth training to help with self-confidence and self-esteem and skills development, as well as literacy, computers, sewing, beadwork and other training. This offers the girls adequate counselling and shows them that there are other employment opportunities available to them. The Department of Justice, seeing the success of the Ithubalethu program, last year asked for assistance with repeat sex-offenders coming to court.  Now instead of jail time, these offenders are referred to Itubalethu for community service. 

This program, run in conjunction with the outreach program has allowed Ithubalthu to reach even more young girls and thus has brought about a wave of funding increases. The Department of Social Welfare has funded the project for R868,000 in order to cover the training program and administrative costs. 

Meanwhile Quay developers have come and have supplied R10,000 a month since January to pay for the salaries of the social worker and counsellors. Anglo-American and FNB are also providing funding and the Albert and Molly Bauman Trust has provided a four-office park building near the Point rd. Community Court to give Ithubalethu better access to court proceedings.  Meanwhile, SAPS, the Municipality, Nicro and Sanga, meet twice a month to discuss issues on how to solve the social problems that leads to sex work.

Innovation

The project is innovative in the partnership between government, NGO and private business, all working towards the same goal of eradicating the need for girls to turn to prostitution.  Rehabilitating instead of punishing sex workers is a more effective way of getting to the root of the social problems.  The Department of Justice now refers cases for Community Service at Ithubalethu instead of prison terms.

Effectiveness

So far 340 girls have been reached. Problems have arisen because of the location of the centre, too far away from the courthouse, leaving girls prey to their pimps, but that has been solved and the centre is moving in next to the court.  There is also a lack of social workers on the project, limiting its effectiveness. However, with new funding and new impetus, the project is set to pick up steam this year.  32 girls are already enrolled in this course and 200 are expected to go through the course by year-end.

Poverty Impact

Four previous sex workers are now fully employed by the program.  Others have received training to get them jobs in other fields.  Some are going to university and others staring their own businesses.  This may not be more lucrative than sex work but in the long run it is healthier and more sustainable.

Sustainability

The program is donor funded.  As some grants run out others may arise, the interests of developers hoping to make the streets clean for redevelopment may continue to inject new funds in the program. New interest and growth in the program have increased its effectiveness and funding, thus showing it to have upward momentum.

Replication

The combination of government, private and NGO partnership to work on this goal needs to be replicated in other areas with high incidences of prostitution. 

Partnerships

• Departments of Justice
• Social development,
• SAPS,
• Municipality,
• Nicro Sanga,
• Businesses Agianst Crime,
• Avery and Molly Baumen trust,
• Anglo American,
• FNB,
• Quay Developers.