ASAP is doing outstanding work in Matatiele and elsewhere in South Africa to provide resources and education to those who need it most, in support of orphans and vulnerable children. Their organizational model facilitates the autonomy of community based organizations run by local women - they help these organizations develop a sustainable plan for the future, with the goal of full autonomy after a few years of ASAP support. This is a wonderful example of local grassroots advocacy and action that can scale up to serve the needs of a large population.
As a volunteer for ASAP, I spent one year in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. I lived and worked in a small town with a community-based organization of women caring for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS. Out in the field (on site visits) I got to really experience life in South Africa and meet incredible people. I saw orphans trek to the nearest village health worker's home for nutrition, nurturing, and support. Most of the village health workers have gardens and feed the orphans what they grow (spinach, cabbage, onion, beetroot, potato, corn, carrot, etc) combined with basic food parcels of semp & beans, pap, and soup. The kids would often show up looking very tired and grumpy, but once they had food in their bellies they came to life! Full of laughter and energy. After that, I would often bring art supplies and we would paint and craft together. It was incredible.