The Department of Social Development is conducting nationwide oversight visits to various community-based organisations that are funded to render social development services across South Africa.
In a statement on Sunday, the department said the visits form part of the department’s ongoing measures to build and strengthen the capacity of non-governmental organisations that render much-needed services to communities.
This includes psychosocial support to vulnerable children and families, HIV prevention, teenage and unplanned pregnancies targeting children and young people.
The department highlighted that South Africa remains the epicentre of the HIV epidemic and there is a great need to prevent and reduce new infections, with a strong focus on young people.
“As one of the key departments in HIV and AIDS response, Social Development has developed a compendium of social and behaviour change programmes which seek to contribute to the reduction of new HIV infections as well as mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS on individuals, families and communities.
“The compendium of programmes consists of the following programmes: You Only Live Once (YOLO), ChommY, Boys Championing Change, Men Championing Change, Family’s Matter and the Rock Leadership programme, which specifically targets traditional leaders,” the department said.
The community-based organisations that were visited last week include Brother Services Community Development in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. The organisation received funding to prevent new HIV infections, child protection and teenage pregnancy in Lillydale and surrounding communities under the Bushbuckridge Local Municipality.
“With a staff complement of 23 receiving a monthly stipend and reaching over 5000 beneficiaries through its various programmes, the organisation plans to expand its services by working closely with local schools,” the department said.
A 2022 report by the Department of Health focusing on adolescent and youth district data showed that every year, young girls become pregnant, with Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and Mpumalanga respectively identified as teenage pregnancy hot spots.
The department noted that early pregnancies among teenagers presents a myriad of long-term socio-economic challenges such as health risks for teenage mothers and their babies, perpetuating the cycle of intergenerational poverty due to early school dropout, the spread of HIV infections, emotional, psychological, and post-natal depression, among others.
“Social and behaviour change (SBC) programmes are essential components of HIV prevention represent one of the priority interventions highlighted in the National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs (2023-2028). Social and behaviour change efforts aim to reinforce protective sexual behaviour by addressing knowledge, attitudes, skills and social norms,” the department said.
In Limpopo, the Deputy Minister of Social Development Ganief Hendricks visited Nhlayiso Community Health Drop-in Centre, which renders care and support services persons living with HIV and AIDS as well as psychosocial social support services to orphans and vulnerable children in Greater Tzaneen under the Mopani District.
The organisation also works with local schools and health facilities to prevent teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, substance use, addiction, and other substance-related harms.
“One of the key successes of the organisation is that it provides job opportunities for unemployed social service professionals such as social work graduates, social auxiliary workers and child and youth care workers,” the department said.
In line with its developmental mandate, the department will continue with its oversight visits to funded community-based organisations to monitor the effectiveness of the compendium of social and behaviour change programmes especially those that are targeted at children and young people. – SAnews.gov.za
