Welcome
This 11th edition of the Development Works newsletter is our gift to you for the coming festive season. We wish you peace, joy and a restful time with loved ones.
During this time of giving we focus on service delivery. In the light of recent strikes this has been a contentious issue in the country.
In A Call for Help we highlight the way in which cellphones are being used in Africa to improve the delivery of healthcare.
We look at excellent examples of service delivery with regard to environmental issues, which have been rewarded by the Impumelelo Trust, in Unexpected Green Heroes.
Case studies, as a research methodology, are examined in Research under the Magnifying Glass.
Development Works recently held Living in the Present: A workshop dealing with stress. In the article on the workshop, you can read about the techniques we used to help you take care of yourself first in order to be useful to others.
In the opinion piece, The Implications of National Health Insurance in South Africa, this proposed initiative by government to improve healthcare delivery is discussed critically.
We end off with two book reviews. The first is a review of Allan Boesak’s memoirs Running with Horses, in which, among other things, he advocates for the upliftment of the poor. The second is a review of Going to School in India, which recounts in colourful detail how children receive education in India, amidst various difficulties.
We hope that this newsletter succeeds in inspiring you as the stories have inspired us!
A simple cellphone, something most of us carry around in our pockets, can help to bring quality healthcare to developing areas.
In recent years, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have been increasingly used to further socio-economic development.
ICT refers to methods for communications, as well as techniques for storing and processing information, for example with a computer or cellphone. Especially in developing countries, governments and NGOs are using these technologies to improve, among other things, education, participatory democracy, access to justice and healthcare. Read more...
Sometimes environmental heroism comes from unexpected sources. Children from the Cape Flats and differently abled individuals are in fact helping to save our planet.
Projects with unexpected, creative approaches to sustainability, which have previously won Impumelelo Trust awards, were showcased at the launch of the Trust's awards programme for 2010, held earlier this year at the Baxter Theatre.
Read more...
Case study methodology is one of the data collection methods in research which provides creative opportunities by going beyond the conventional approach.
The Development Works team has found this to be the case in the research and evaluation of projects undertaken.
Adopting a case study approach to research is important if the focus of the study is to understand the how and the why of a particular phenomenon.
Case study methodoloy approach is like looking at an aspect through a magnifying glass.This approach entails gathering data with which to develop grounded theory. It is aimed at understanding a particular subject area better.
Read more...
Stress is one of the leading causes of heart disease and hypertension in the world today. Other health problems such as depression, digestive problems, obesity and pain have been linked to the negative impact of stress. The pace and demand of modern life is such that we are left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated and tense.
With the economic downturn, it is not surprising that people are in a constant state of worry and upset. Some causes of stress that are more prevalent currently are loss of a job (through retrenchment), financial problems and major life changes, to name a few. The impact of stress can be felt when external factors affect one's life, and your mind constantly shifts back and forth between the past and the present – worrying about events in the past or about what the future holds. Read more...
There are few emotions as unsettling as uncertainty, the dread of the unknown, the fear of what tomorrow may bring. There are countless developments surrounding us and we wake up each morning to ever-more-grim realities. More recently in South Africa, the issue of the National Health Insurance (NHI) has generated just this type of anxiety.
The NHI is based on the principle of universal access to healthcare for all South Africans. The aim is to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all. As expected, the NHI will impact differently on individuals, the public and the private sector. Although most of the discussions are still hypothetical, the guidelines are already irking some. Read more...
Allan Boesak's memoirs, Running with Horses: Reflections of an Accidental Politician, was steeped in controversy before it was even published.
The media reported that Boesak was going to reveal for the first time events surrounding the accusation of misappropriation of funds, for which he served a jail sentence. It was said that he would mention Trevor Manuel as one of the alleged beneficiaries of the funds.
Manuel then got a court order preventing Boesak from publishing this. The launch of Boesak's book was postponed and he had to delete some sections before it was eventually made available to the public.
Read more...
"Every school day millions of children go to school in India…But each day, at the same time, millions of children in India do not go to school."
This is the reality that the children’s book Going to School in India illustrates for its readers. Many children have to work to help their families survive. Some cannot afford textbooks and pencils. Some children find that the school is taught in a language they cannot understand. And others are treated differently because they practice another religion.
Read more...
What's Up at Development Works
- We are conducting the final evaluation of the "Decentralised Response to HIV and AIDS in South Africa" Project for the Centre for Municipal Research and Advice (CMRA).
- We are assisting the National Alliance for the Development of Community Advice Offices with communications and marketing.
- We are evaluating the Networking AIDS Community of South Africa's capacity building programme.
- We have done the conceptual design of festive lights for Adderley Street and Somerset West for the City of Cape Town.
- We managed the production of toolkits for the Technical Assistance Unit of National Treasury.
- We have completed a case study review report of the Learnership 1000 programme for the Department of Transport and Public Works.
- We developed a communication and visibility policy and strategy for SURUDEC (Sustainable Rural Development in the Eastern Cape).
- We updated the website of the Western Cape Provincial Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport.
Contributors and Contact
Contributors:
Lindy Briginshaw (CEO), Carolyn Meads (Writer, Editor and Content Manager), Susannah Clarke (Researcher), Priscilla Magadzire
(Researcher) and Jacques van Niekerk (Technologist).
Contact:
For more information about Development Works or the Development Works Newsletter, please visit our website or email lindy@developmentworks.co.za or call +27 21 448 2058.
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Disclaimer:
The opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the official views of Development Works. We endeavour to share information, best practices, successes and achievements and raise topical issues in a manner that is balanced and fair, truthful and accurate. Our blog provides a space for commenting and debating issues that matter, so click here to share your opinions.
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