In 1995, while in his thirties, Torsten Koehler was diagnosed with testicular cancer, ironically whilst educating young teenagers about sex education at a school where he was employed as a teacher. His journey of survival started by openly confronting his thoughts and emotions, relating the reactions of his friends, family and not least, his students,... Continue Reading →
by Dr Rama Naidu, Executive Director, Democracy Development Program South Africa no longer a priority for donor funding South Africa is no longer considered a priority area for funders and money is being channeled directly to Government through bi-laterals. There is a mistaken notion that democracy is fully consolidated in South Africa and that support... Continue Reading →
In 1961, the World Wildlife Fund was founded as an international organization in Switzerland. As its focus widened over the decades from wildlife to the environment as a whole, the international name changed in 1986 to WWF – the World Wide Fund for Nature (although Canada and the US retained the old name). This more... Continue Reading →
The New loveLife Trust, also known as loveLife, was established in 1999 as a joint initiative of leading South African NGOs, private foundations, and the South African government. Its initial mandate was to reduce new HIV infections and unplanned pregnancies among young people aged 15-24 years by half within a five-year period. As the organisation... Continue Reading →
by Shelagh Gastrow, Founder and Director, GastrowBloch Philanthropies There are more than 150 000 non-profit organisations registered with the South African Department of Social Development. This explosion of organisations has resulted in on-going pressure for funding. Whilst funding crises are the normal situation for many non-profits, it is important for them to make plans for... Continue Reading →
by Mukelani Dimba In mid-July 2018, more than 2 000 people representing governments, civil society formations, parliaments, multilateral institutions, and business met in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, for the fifth Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit. The summit was billed as an occasion to showcase the latest innovations in making governments more open, accountable... Continue Reading →
by Ezra Mbogori, Executive Director, MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation Having worked in the non-profit sector for over 35 years, I say nothing new by repeating what has been said many times before, that resources - both material and human - maybe even spiritual, continue to be the single biggest challenge for civil society... Continue Reading →
The CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation was established in 1979 by parents of children with cancer in South Africa. Childhood cancer is a life-changing, traumatic experience, and they aimed to ease the burden on parents and families facing the same journey by providing access to relevant, accurate information, as well as emotional and practical support. Globally,... Continue Reading →
This blog covers the period from 13-19 August 2018. This time next week I will be running the first stage of the 250km Fire and Ice Ultra in Iceland. It is incredible how quickly time flies. It feels like yesterday when I started training for the race back in March, and now, six months later,... Continue Reading →
Millions of young girls in South Africa, and across the African continent, miss days of school because they cannot afford sanitary products during their monthly menstrual period cycle. Some of them must resort to using old pieces of cloth or newspapers as an unhygienic substitute, which in turn could cause them to lose more days... Continue Reading →
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