If all the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Grahamstown were to just stop working, much activity in the city would virtually grind to a halt.
The role they play came under the spotlight during Rhodes University’s Community Engagement Week.
If all the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Grahamstown were to just stop working, much activity in the city would virtually grind to a halt.
The role they play came under the spotlight during Rhodes University’s Community Engagement Week.
Despite being a small town, Grahamstown is home to many NGOs which play a major role in employment and development.
Speaking during the Week, Director of Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE), Di Hornby, said, “They play a very important community developmental role that I don’t see government being able to play.”
Hornby said the local NGOs facilitate development in communities, link people up using their own agency and get them to drive their own, sustainable development.
“NGOs translate social development policy into community development action,” she said.
Director of Grahamstown Area Relief Association (GADRA), Advice and Community Work, Roger Domingo, said that NGOs provide huge sources of revenue directed at sustained community development.
“If you think about it from an economic point of view, GADRA is a R2-million enterprise. If were to close our doors that is R2-million not being spent on the community needs of the town. It would have a real impact if all the NGOs were to just stop working,” he said.
Despite the large role that GADRA, like other NGOs in town play, 99% of its funding comes from sources outside of town, and mostly from corporate donors.
“NGOs also employ a fair amount of people here, so if we were to close our doors, many people would lose their jobs,” said Domingo.
Domingo said GADRA’s projects are informed by the community, who points out what their priority needs are.
These needs include food security, jobs and disability services. Domingo said, “We put together our programme based on that and then we go to the donors; that should be the process.”
Hornby agreed that NGOs work best when they accelerate development that already exists. She said,“We add value to those schemes, through student volunteering.”
To train student volunteers to be effective, she said, “we find out what the needs are in the community through the NGOs – and then we train them accordingly.”
Domingo has been working with student volunteers since 2004 and he is a firm believer in student participation.
“To make that engagement meaningful and worth the time, we would have to really ascertain the skills of the student,” said Domingo. “It should have some sort of transformative effect on the lives of the people in the community and on the student.”
While Domingo has had positive interactions with students, he said some NGOs are wary of putting too much time into training them rather than focusing on the community.
Hornby said, “We train students so that they realise it is a mutually beneficial experience and they aren’t acting as Mother Teresa.”
