Services for our Communities

<-- Go Back

FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

The Flagship Programmes were initiated as part of an earlier strategy to alleviate poverty amongst poor and unemployed women with young children. No new Flagship Programmes were initiated in the period under review.

Instead, the Department continued to provide supporting and strengthening services to the existing fifteen Flagship Programmes, which were established in the previous years. The Department was also able to successfully launch the Vukuzenzele Flagship Programme in Weenen, which has since proven to be successful in the field of food security to vulnerable families in the targeted areas.

The other successful launch, which highlighted the trials and tribulations of people affected by poverty, was held at Umphise in the Kranskop area. In an attempt to ensure the sustainability of the various programmes, the Department also undertook through its Population Unit, viability and feasibility studies at two of the flagship Programmes.

Subsequently an assessment of all Flagship Programmes was undertaken in order to facilitate an exit strategy for the Department to the Flagship Programmes. The key findings in this assessment gives a clear indication that all fifteen projects are functioning at different stages of development, but more significantly they are making concrete attempts in addressing the structural conditions associated with poverty. Through the sponsorship of the Transnet Foundation, forty women located at the Bhambanana and Impendle Flagship Programmes participated in two intensive training programmes on ABET and Business Management. The training was concluded by a graduation ceremony held at Ingwavuma in February 2004, following the women’s participation in a National Examination.

In the period under review, two Programmes, namely KwaChili and Vukuzenzele received funding of R 3 112 256.00 to further strengthen their objectives. Funding to other programmes could not be achieved due to the shortfall in the Department’s overall budget.

With the aim of the Programme still aligned to economic upliftment, challenges are still encountered in the accessing of suitable markets for the products that are manufactured. Consideration is currently being given to the undertaking of further viability intensive mentoring of the Flagship Programmes.

Other challenges include:

Need to increase accessibility as a community resource
Integration of persons with disabilities and HIV/Aids in flagship programmes
Infrastructural development in terms of access roads, water and electricity remain a critical challenge and in most instances this has also prevented the Flagship Programmes to materialise the objectives.

Partnerships and Liaisons

Partners continue to play a major role in the fight against poverty.

The participation of communities and civil society in the identification of target areas and vulnerability is the premise for the functioning of development work. With the financial constraints placed on the Department in the financing of new development initiatives, this provided an opportunity to intensify the Department’s work in the arena of community mobilization and participation. Community Meetings, liaison with sector Departments and members of NGOs, FBOs and CBOs have facilitated the introduction of the much needed multi-sectoral approach to development.

District and regional staff also intensified their involvement with the Local and District Municipalities in the participation of the review process of the Local Integrated Development Plans, resulting in a process of implementation that is guided through an informed multi-sectoral approach and commitment.

The Department was also able to participate fruitfully in the following partnerships with sector Departments:

Interim Task Team on Poverty and contribute towards the compilation of a Poverty Reduction Strategy for the Province.
Interim Task Team on IDPs
Community Development Workers Forum

The partnership with the Transnet Foundation was further strengthened over and above the sponsorship of the training programmes at Bhambanana and Impendle to the funding of capital equipment for the bakery at Bhambanana as well as Silwanandla Gardening Project at Dukuduku. This partnership also evolved around the proposed sponsorship of a multi-purpose centre at Dukuduku in conjunction with the Mtubatuba Municipality, Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture. The donation of a tractor from Sentinel Logistics to the Vukuzenzele Flagship Programme on the International Day for the eradication of Poverty, on 17th October 2003, changed the lives of the participants significantly. The Independent Development Trust (IDT) has been a partner in poverty since the inception of the Department’s Development Programme. The IDT has provided assistance in the monitoring and evaluation as well as a being disbursement agent in both the Poverty Relief Programme and the Food Emergency Programme. There is however still need for development in this area as the following challenges are continue to be experienced:

Need for increased multi-sectoral participation in developmental initiatives
Synergy of programme and activities between government departments
Implementation of the Expanded Public Works Programme - Social Cluster Plan
Capacity Building of CBOs in readiness for NPO Registration
Monitoring and Mentoring of NPOs

Poverty Relief Programme

2003/2004 marked the final year for funding from the National Department’s Special Allocation for Poverty Relief and despite the pre-empting of the achievements of targets over a three year period at the onset of the Programme initiation 2001, this unfortunately did not materialize due to the varying stages of development in many of the initiatives.

In addition to this, during the earlier course of the financial year, the National Treasury commissioned an independent report on the functioning of poverty relief programmes in all Departments.

The key results of this exercise revealed two significant challenges at project level, namely, the low expenditure trends as well as the sustainability of Projects.

The Poverty Relief Programme of the province is the largest nationally with funding allocated to 79 Projects which target the most vulnerable groups especially in rural areas.

In spite of the challenges experienced at Project levels, there has been significant improvement in the management of the Programme. The Department’s development workers at Regional and District level have provided a range of support to projects.

The levels of capacity at projects have been significantly improved and the once scenario of financial mismanagement and abuse are becoming items of the past.

To enhance the impact of the Poverty Relief Programme as well as to address the challenges around low expenditure trends and non-sustainability of projects, the National Department contracted with the Independent Development Trust to provide intensive implementation support and facilitation services to Projects.

Provincially this process was delayed, but has since commenced in March 2004 with the appointment of eight project officers.

It is trusted that the joint efforts of both the project officers as well as the Department’s development workers will increase the capacity of project members to productively engage themselves in materializing the objectives of sustainable development. This process is also set to review the methods employed by project members in expenditure patterns.

National Food Emergency Programme

Following the allocation of R27.4 million to target 31 770 households, the Department was subsequently allocated a Conditional Grant of R68.185 million to target vulnerable qualifying households with food security. The human resource position at both the Provincial and Regional levels presented several challenges during the implementation of the programmes, including the timeous delivery of services in some of the targeted areas.

Appropriation of Budget

Prior to the roll out of the Programme, the National Treasury changed the appropriation of the budget to exclude the element of Starter Packs, which were to be simultaneously distributed by the Department of Agriculture. The sustainability of targeted households was hence left in the balance as beyond the linkages of a limited number of beneficiaries to social security, the majority of households continued to be dependent on the issue of food parcels. The revised budget made provision for the Province to target 70 households with food parcels, 113 households with cooked food on a regular basis, and approximately 2000 households with nutrient supplements.

Appointment of Service Providers

Delays were encountered with the roll out of the Programme largely due to the finalization of the Tender Process for the appointment of Service Providers. Five Service Providers were appointed and the roll out of the delivery of food parcels commenced early in December 2003.

Targets Achieved

In spite of the challenges experienced with the roll out of the Programme, especially with the re-targeting of households who qualified in the initial year, the Department was able to successfully deliver food parcels to qualifying households as follows: Four Drop-In-Centres located at Nseleni, Inanda, Izingolweni and Msinga were allocated a sum of R 511 000 each to support the Programme on a medium terms basis. Each Centre will accommodate approximately 30 households with cooked meals on a regular basis for a period of a year.

The objective in respect of the nutrient supplement to HIV/Aids and TB infected persons could not be rolled out due to a lack of capacity to deal with a health related matter. The Department had enlisted the assistance of the Department of Health and will intend to roll out this programme with much more confidence than previously indicated.

Linkages to ensure sustainability:

Social Security

Although a significant number of households were already linked to the social security, these beneficiaries were found to be supporting additional beneficiaries in some instances, an old age or disability pension was used to support a household of up to between 15-27 persons;

Many households in excess of 5-7 beneficiaries were dependent on a single or multiple child support grant, of which only a small portion was utilized on procuring food for the family;

Poor Households with no income had no visible means of support and as such, their individual circumstances, e.g. not meeting criteria for qualification for a social pension excluded them from this network.

Agricultural Starter Packs

This programme was meant to be initiated simultaneously with the issue of food parcels. However, due to a non-allocation of an appropriate budget to the said Department this programme did not materialize to its fullest. The Provincial Department was awarded a sum of R1 million, in December 2003, for the implementation of this programme. Agriculture is in a position to assist with the issue of approximately 4200 starter packs in the target areas that were covered in the 2002/2003 financial year. In the case of the Province, this number is 31 770 and reaching out to 4200 households means that only 13% of households qualify as opposed to the target of 80%. In all instances, the delivery of the agricultural starter pack is vested in the hands of the District Municipality Officials. The Department has ensured that its data base has been made available to the Department of Agriculture so as to ensure linkages.

Whilst this programme has been implemented, the challenges facing the full roll out of this programme are:

Under-allocation to the Department of Agriculture;

Lack of arable land;

Lack of water, incidentally, the very same target areas have been declared as Drought Disaster Areas; and

Lack of infrastructure in urban areas as well as in informal settlements.

Poverty Alleviation Programmes

In many instances, the entry of new members to existing established programmes presented challenges of ownership and resistance. The Department is currently considering increasing allocations to projects with a view to enabling entry for additional members.

Other Department’s Poverty Alleviation Programmes

By the end of the financial year, the Department was only able to hold consultative discussions with regard to the Department of Public Works Expanded Public Works Programme. A list of potential beneficiaries who may be linked has been provided to the IDT which is the implementing agency on behalf of the said Department. Social Cluster Departments in Health and Education have not been able to assist in this regard.

Social Services

Several cases in respect of child headed households, orphaned children, children affected by HIV/Aids are being handled by the Social Services component within the Department. Foster Care placements and outreach services are being pursued.

An analysis of targeted households revealed that children remained the majority followed closely by female headed households and households with no income. This process also intensified the call to the Department for the necessary action to address the increasing number of households who continue to be plagued by poverty. Impact:

Impact can not solely be measured in terms of the number of households reached. In the case of the Province the following has been achieved:

Awareness has been broadened at all levels on the practice and immediate food relief measures;

Participation in the social security grant registration has been strengthened;

Private sector and civil society to fight against poverty, hunger, underdevelopment and malnutrition has been encouraged;

An integrated service delivery of government has to an extent been promoted;

Community participation and mobilization into the programme has been enhanced.

Government’s initiative to respond to the immediate need of hunger and poverty

An awareness created around malnutrition and efforts to combat it

Challenges:

The following remain as challenges:

Aspects of sustainability
Sectoral integration and the timeous co-ordination of interventions by the various sectors
Inadequate communication both within and outside government
Participation of stakeholders – arising out off, the varied perceptions on the programme, lack of communication
Lack of resources (fiscal, human and physical)

Dependency strategy

Drought Mitigation Programme:

Thousands of poor people experienced the brunt of the drought as it hit several areas in the Province.

Of those mostly affected, were the nodal areas, which and in addition to Impendle were subsequently declared as Disaster areas. To mitigate the impact of the drought on households who depended on subsistence farming, including households of farm workers the National Disaster Relief Fund Board was tasked with the compensation of affected households.

The Department is currently working with the community in fast tracking applications for the disbursement of relief to households affected by drought in declared areas. It is estimated that 16000 households will benefit from a requested allocation of R15 million.

KZN Department of Social Welfare

Services for our Communities