Causes:
AIDS,
Children & Youth,
Health,
Hospices,
Human Services,
Public & Societal Benefit,
Youth Development
Mission: Work with key partners to provide an effective holistic response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Waterberg, through prevention, treatment, care, support strategies and youth development, through operating in a caring, efficient and accessible manner.
VISION
A community aware of HIV / AIDS, with access to care (including treatment and palliative care) and social support networks for families, orphans and vulnerable children, people infected and affected with HIV / AIDS, and an empowered youth who can be role models in their community
STRATEGY
Reduce the HIV prevalence in the Waterberg through education, prevention and awareness programs that are gender and age-group sensitive. Provide access to care, treatment and support services that ensure a low default rate and a high standard of care.
Empower youth as healthy, educated and responsible community leaders, through facilitating and supporting their transition from adolescence to adulthood. Develop the social and emotional capabilities of vulnerable young people, specifically focusing on health, lifestyle and knowledge
Impact a broader audience, by sharing and transferring skills of specific WWS programs and knowledge base to other relevant communities, organisations and/or stakeholders who are also working towards reducing HIV prevalence in disparate areas
Results: Accredited Hospice & Respite Centre with Hospice Association of South Africa (3*)
Registered Drop In Centre Orphans & Vulnerable Children & Youth
Youth Empowerment Centre Bulit 2015
Waterberg Waves Community Radio
Boys 2 Men Program
Girls Aloud
Target demographics: Critical cross cutting socio-economic issues such as gender equality, social inclusion, poverty alleviation and leadership form important areas of programs offered. Boys2Men and Ladies with Mission (Girls Aloud) have been developed to encourage and inform young people to improve their knowledge. Providing tools for increased gender equality, sexual health and reproductive rights, human rights, leadership, readiness for work and skills development.
Geographic areas served: Our mission is to help people in our community to enjoy the best possible quality of life and to generate opportunity for young people so that they are able to make positive contributions to society and realise their ambitions. A grassroots organisation, registered in 2002, born out of community need. Shaped by members of the community and inspired by the dedication of those who have committed to helping those most vulnerable. Re a Thusana – ‘We help each other’. A philosophy that runs deep, it influences everything that we do.
Programs: We live in a community where unemployment is the norm, where the stigma of HIV/AIDS is ever present and where in many cases the responsibility for bringing up the children of families rest
with children.The temptation to give in to an ‘easy’ way out is high. This is why we run youth programmes and provide care for every child from pre-school to young adult.
Development starts at preschool age. The youngest beneficiaries of WWS spend each morning with us. By providing a safe place for these children to play and learn we are also helping those who care for them – and in many cases it’s a brother or sister, aunt or uncle, even grandparents, rather
than the natural parent.
People who have taken on this responsibility and need this precious time to manage their lives, receive their own education or earn a living Vaalwater doesn’t offer very many recreational facilities
and sometimes the lack of anything constructive to do leads to young people succumbing to temptation.
So many have ended up battling with drugs and alcohol problems and dependencies that end up
seeing them on a downward spiral where crime and violence become just a way of life – a matter of survival of the fittest. We offer these vulnerable young people an alternative path. Over the years we have developed youth programmes that have had a lasting impact on many lives.
Some of these programmes are gender specific – we understand the different challenges and needs of our young men and women and make sure that they are supported in the right way to each play their part in shaping their community and creating opportunity for themselves.
We have always seen the opportunities for us to play a part in helping people develop their own businesses. Several of our own projects have long held the potential for further development and to have an identity of their own.
At the time of publication we are busy establishing our new Empowerment Centre. Built by WWS on our own land we will use this new building to provide the basic infrastructure for a small number of new micro businesses to start up.
With our support and training from experts in cooperatives and small business development they will have the opportunity to make their own visions a reality. This is as exciting for WWS as it is for the new business owners. For us it also signifies a new business model as we will earn revenue from the leasing of the infrastructure, allowing us to help more people in more ways. And we can look forward to seeing our community blossom as more opportunities lead to better quality of life and more reasons to invest in this region.
The Waterberg Waves Community Radio Station will connect the local community with many
activities and events that often go unnoticed yet have a positive impact on the community daily lives. The addition of this communications channel will provide a valuable resource to our current
programmes as well as to our community. The introduction of a local station provides a voice for those living in the Waterberg, strengthening and empowering those who have previously gone unheard.
