UNITE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY

As a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation, we are dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Through our work alongside children, families and communities, we help improve the lives of people in South Africa and indeed all over the world - and thus contribute to the hope of millions.

As part of the continuous effort to maximize its impact, our organisation focuses on reinforcing our Christian foundations, identity and witness; strengthening our grass roots field capacity and ministry; growing resources and influence to increase our impact with children, community and supporters; being an authoritative voice at all levels, driving change; and building the organisation and our sustainability.

The work done by World Vision South Africa (WVSA) pivots on long-term sustainability. It is a momentous challenge – taking the extreme and vast situations of poverty and economic poverty in the country into consideration – yet WVSA is making important and significant progress within the communities where the 15 Area Development Programmes (ADP’s) are managed. Mobilizing communities to utilize their skills, resources and potential to overcome poverty, the WVSA ADP-staff facilitates change by working with and through families and communities to promote child protection, child participation and child welfare and growth.

The WVSA ADP staff, who live in the communities where they are working in order to liaise closely with the people and all other partners, focus on transformational development, agriculture and food security, water and sanitation, education, health and HIV/AIDS, local economic development, humanitarian emergency affairs, and policy and advocacy. The 15 Area Development Programmes are spread over South Africa, in six of the nine provinces.

WVSA calls on the whole nation – the public at large, the private sector, the donor community, governmental organizations, decision makers and policy developers – to unite and join hands in fighting the crippling war against poverty and injustice in the beautiful land of South Africa.

Background to World Vision in South Africa

Since 1967, World Vision has been working with under-privileged communities in South Africa in its endeavor to come-up with lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Initially this work consisted of providing food, clothing, education and shelter to children in rural communities. Since the late 1970s, the focus has shifted to addressing the causes of poverty and enabling people to find their own solutions to the problems that confront them.

World Vision’s main focus in South Africa is within its 15 Area Development Programmes (ADPs). These programmes have a holistic approach to development that facilitates communities towards greater independence. Currently, over 53 000 children, their families and communities benefit from World Vision’s work, which is funded largely through international and national child sponsorship.

In South Africa, World Vision focuses on:

• Improving community access to quality health care through educational programmes for health care workers and parents;
• A focused response to HIV/AIDS through prevention, care and advocacy programming;
• Improving access to clean water and sanitation by protecting existing water sources and erecting water tanks;
• Helping communities improve their nutrition and achieve greater food security by providing seeds, tools and training in agriculture and animal husbandry;
• Improving community education and literacy skills through training courses and improvement of school; and
• Supporting economic development through, micro-finance institutions, business training and skills development for up-coming entrepreneurs.