God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

09/22/2022 • 7:24 am Comments Off on Blackouts in South Africa

Blackouts in South Africa

Driving through the Northern Cape last week made me aware of the trouble which the renewed and extended blackouts do have to the people in the towns of rural South Africa. And driving to the vast areas of virtually meeting nobody for hundreds of km, I also realize the extent of the political neglect of possibilities like solar power and wind.

It again shows how cadre deployment, corruption and incompetence paired by ideological blindness has hurt the all spheres of society in this country. Bringing a world-class entity to the brink of collapsing can be called a negative masterpiece. Trying to solve the problem to create another state-owned enterprise, as the responsible minister proposes it, is then the cherry on top of madness.

Since 2014 now President Ramaphosa was most times as Deputy President in charge of turning ESKOM around. Promises were made – as too often in the political sphere of South Africa, it remained hot air.

Having said all that, it does not serve a purpose to lament and to leave it at that. The crisis could be a trigger for a renewable energy drive also bringing the much-needed jobs for South Africa.

End 2021 13 million people worked in the field of renewable energy worldwide – and experts expect the number to triple till 2030.

So there lies a chance in South Africa’s woes – but it needs the willingness of the respective role players to act decisively and the political will to make it happen. The latter presents itself in the form of the respective Minister rather as a problem giver than a solution seeker.

But there is always hope in the ability of South Africa to also overcome this man-made disaster and to rise again as the beacon of hope for the African continent. There is so much expertise in the private sector to assist when politics is willing to change from being part of the problem to being part of the solutions presenting themselves naturally in this county.

Filed under: Africa, Politics and Society, Reflection, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, South Africa, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

09/22/2021 • 2:37 pm Comments Off on 150

150

Building a career

Working in the townships of Cape Town provides for many bigger and smaller problems as those know, who dedicate money, time and work to uplift communities in our days.

One of the most annoying problems is the mere fact, that very often those targeted by the interventions and developments expect “free” services and hand-outs. It has become a culture difficult to break and to make it clear, that nothing is falling from heaven and money is not growing on trees – not even in Europe or the USA.

This hand-out-for-free culture is partly the fault of NGO’s and development organisations, pouring money into projects without reflecting on consequences. It creates dependency and if done outside a real emergency situation it disrespects the dignity of the receiving person. And to be clear: it this not only about money, it can also be about participation of any kind: important for development is that both parties are involved in an active role which gives respect to both: persons and the efforts made towards a common goal.

HOPE Cape Town will start in October an Entrepreneurial Skills Development programme which is divided in 7 toolkits. Participants can choose which soft skills they wish to learn. The programme was written after conducting an assessment of the situation of a typical township youngster. Even when finishing matric, often there is a gap between what a college would require to be a successful student and what the learner brings to the table with his matric. The programme provided by HOPE Cape Town bridges this gap by providing missing components of what is needed to either start an own small business or to continue studying at a college.

Having decided to not give freebies, the cost of a 3 months course is 150 Rand. And obviously the battle starts bringing in the culture of contributing towards a service and to acknowledge that nothing is for free – even a freebie is paid by somebody.

To ease the change of mindset, HOPE Cape Town is busy to establish a sort of bursary which can contribute towards whatever the prospective student can pay him- or herself. One often has to start slow to establish a culture, which on the long term run also changes the thinking and appreciation of people.

If you want to know more about the bursary scheme, please contact the author – if you are willing to help and sponsor one student with the 150 Rand – please use the following accounts depending on if you are in South Africa or Germany. HOPE Cape Town issues tax-deductible receipt for the respective country – please feel free to contact the organisation in this regard via info@hopecapetown.org :

South Africa:

Account Name: HOPE Cape Town Trust
Bank: Standard Bank of South Africa Limited
Account Number: 07 027-452-5
Branch Code: 020909
SWIFT-Code: SBZAZAJJ
Branch Name: Thibault Square
Remark: Bursary

Germany:

Kontoname: HOPE Kapstadt Stiftung
IBAN: DE15 3702 0500 0008 2695 00
BIC: BFSWDE33XXX
Kennwort: Bursary Trust

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, The Nex - Indawo Yethu, Uncategorized, vocational training, , , , , , , , , ,

02/25/2020 • 5:27 pm Comments Off on Looking for a meaningful contribution to South Africa? Look not further…

Looking for a meaningful contribution to South Africa? Look not further…

VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN A HOLISTIC FRAMEWORK: SAGCCI AND HOPE CAPE TOWN PILOT PROJECT

The Hope Cape Town Trust (HOPE) and the SA – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAGCCI) have entered into a MoU to create an integrated socioeconomic project in Delft (WP).
Forging partnerships that will yield the best results for the benefit of the Youth of under-resourced areas of Cape Town are key to our strategy. All stakeholders have to work together to maximize the potential of this training program.

SAGCCI has developed programs that complement and supplement curricula so that trainees are exposed to a variety of content and hands-on practices.

By providing additional academic and social support, HOPE Cape Town prepares the Youth who have the potential to succeed in further developing their analytical and critical thinking skills.
Jointly, the SAGCCI and HOPE Cape Town have developed a curriculum revolution by understanding the Youth from under-resourced communities, building humanizing relationships and enabling the trainees to be the innovators in their learning.

HOPE Cape Town undertakes to establish a separate and autonomous training center in Delft.
SAGCCI will provide TETA accredited tuition to trainees while they obtain their practical work experience under the mentorship of specifically accomplished trainers within nearby Logistics companies.

To achieve this within the desired time frame, HOPE Cape Town undertakes to marshal resources from foundations and the business sector. Furthermore, HOPE Cape Town will provide administration, liaison, security and maintenance for the center. The associated operational costs of running the center will also be born by HOPE Cape Town.

Through their CSI strategies and budgets, companies are invited to participate in the transformation of under-developed communities into sustainable communities by way of a multipronged holistic approach with a focus on a variety of available and accessible interventions and services.

HOPE Cape Town is a registered non-profit organization with PBO and a Level 4 BBBEE status.
Hope will provide you with an 18A certificate for contributions and thereby raise your BBBEE scorecard level for a contribution from your Corporate Social Investment budget towards one of the six focus areas that are aligned with your CSI strategy:

  • HIV and Healthcare Services
  • Social and Outreach Assistance
  • Early Childhood Development
  • Youth and Adult Education
  • Dual Vocational Training and Education
  • Skills Development, Entrepreneurship, Micro-Enterprises

This venture creates a win – win situation for all of us. Please discuss the proposal, which was presented at the Back to Work functions of the Chamber in Cape Town and in Johannesburg, with the relevant colleagues in your company.

FOR MORE DETAILED BACKGROUND ON THE PILOT PROJECT PLEASE CONTACT:

Ms Marlene Whitehead
Hope Cape Town
Phone: 021 507 5757

E-mail: marlene.whitehead@hopecapetown.com
info@hopecapetown.com

Thank you and best regards,

Matthias Boddenberg 
Chief  Executive

Southern African – German Chamber of Commerce and Industry NPC
P.O. Box 87078, Houghton 2041
47, Oxford Road, Forest Town, 2193
Johannesburg, South Africa
Tel. +27 (0)11 486 2775
Fax: +27 (0)866 791 206
mboddenberg@germanchamber.co.za
www.germanchamber.co.za
www.africa-business-guide.de

Filed under: Africa, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Networking, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, South Africa, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

07/16/2016 • 3:12 pm Comments Off on World Aids Conference 2016

World Aids Conference 2016

“What do you expect from the World Aids Conference 2016?” is one of the common questions asked in the last week. Well, what does one expect from a conference with more than 15000 participants in a country which was hit the most from the pandemic. Insights into new developments? I guess the most important factor for me is being able to get an overview first hand what is going on the world of HIV and AIDS around the globe. It is indeed the direct contact with activists and researchers where I learn the most  – while listening to their experience and insights – and which makes the trip to Durban worth time and effort. Communication, exchange, but also the feeling not to be alone in the fight against the pandemic leaves on with the resolve of continuing the work one is doing locally.

Durban 2016 is so different from the previous World Aids Conference held in Durban in 2000. At that time it was despair, hopelessness and the ignorance of politics which ruled the situation in South Africa. It was the time when HOPE Cape Town was born out of the need to stop the dying of children and parents. So Durban 2016 is also about achievements, about the millions on treatment, the figure of new mother-to-child transmission slowly going towards zero and the great feeling, that we from HOPE Cape Town have been part of this unbelievable journey of hope and frustration, often changing first place in the matter of an eye-blink.

There is still so much to do – the transmission rate in South Africa is still scary high, other countries also register more new infections and a vaccine seems to be still far away. There are still millions of South Africans dealing with stigma and discrimination on various levels. There is still so much stigma attached, so much fear and anxiety when it comes to dealing with HIV and Aids. We are definitely not there where we want to be, and the next 10 years will be crucial in the attempt to make a new generation of zero new infections a reality. Given the moment state of affair in South Africa, all the service delivery protests, corruption, political ignorance and the still wounded society there is more than a question mark to put behind the question: Will we achieve a victory?  HIV is more than a medical syndrome, it has to do with poverty, with hunger, with despair, with job creation, with investments, with intact families, with proper sex education, with the end of religious bias towards moral questions – and obviously when looking at it globally the amount of resources will depend on how governments want to spend their money. Looking at madness of violence and terrorism, racism and war it seems that HIV will continue to have only a backseat. And this might compromise the achievements reached till today.

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Medical and Research, Politics and Society, Reflection, South Africa, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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