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Assisting Rural Communities in becoming Self-Sufficient:
Educating and assisting inhabitants of rural communities in cultivating their own food, with the intention of purchasing as little as possible with the aid of Umthathi Training Projects.
Evaluating the sanitation, water and power needs, and with the help of GPH Solutions, work out a sustainable and affordable strategy for resolving the needs of the community. Based on the resolution strategies proposed by GPH Solutions, purchasing the necessary supplies in order to implement the strategies
With the aid of companies like Project Build and Imison SA and provided there is enough funding, facilitate with the building of new dwellings and schools.
Ascertaining the level of skills development training required, the requirements for training (facilities/venues, materials, educators etc.), and implementation of training programmes with the expertise of Skills Development Companies like Action Empowerment Education and University of Pretoria.
Assisting the newly trained skilled individuals in either obtaining work, or creating business opportunities for themselves and others with the assistance of Scatterlings and Bike Empowernet Network .
Establishing sports and adventure centers at which individuals will be able to learn to play new sports and become exposed to the wide variety of adventure activities available with the assistance of companies like Underprivileged children in Sports Development and Vertical Life.
Depending on the amount of funds generated from the advertisers on The Adventure Begins website and entertainment guide, the intention is to implement some or all of the above.
SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSAL
The Adventure Begins is a website and entertainment guide aimed at advertising companies. This company wishes to use a portion of its profit to coordinate between organizations and communities in order to provide basic services to the disadvantaged. These basic services include:
1. Aiding the inhabitants of the rural areas to grow their own fruit and vegetables, emphasizing the importance of moderation of food supplies, and while providing food for themselves, they could sell excess foods, thus creating a small business for themselves.
2. Finding out what the needs are regarding housing (new housing and upgrading current dwellings), water (sanitation and running water) and power (gas and solar), and with the help of affiliated companies, instilling procedures and services that will aid the community in solving the problems they are currently facing.
3. Utilizing the expertise of retrenched personnel and educators, corporate companies and volunteers to educate unskilled workers in all fields, allowing them to further develop their skills in areas of interest.
4. Provide sport centers, sports fields and adventure centers for the under-privileged, enabling training by both professionals and volunteers who are experts in their fields and are able to convey their knowledge, in an environment where the individuals would otherwise not have access to these services.
As The Adventure Begins will be travelling from town to town, and amongst many communities, the amount of beneficiaries of these basic services is innumerable and dependant on what their needs and services are.
The project, which will be viewed as a pilot, will emphasize:
- Self-reliance and self-sufficiency, thereby providing communities with independence and upliftment.
- Community-based projects and establishing structures to ensure a beneficial cooperative community.
- Carefully monitoring, evaluating and recording all projects to facilitate continuity and adaptation for future ventures.
SECTION 1: LACK OF BASIC SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS
Many communities in South Africa are lacking basic human needs and services which we, as privileged individuals, take for granted. These needs and services include:
- Running water
- Electricity/power enabling lighting and cooking
- Sanitation
- Refuse disposal services/facilities
These rural communities are also lacking access to certain other developmental processes, such as:
- Access to skills training
- Access to education
- Access to a community-based activity area (e.g. community centers etc.)
- Sports fields
- Adventure centers
SECTION 2: OBJECTIVE OF THE ADVENTURE BEGINS IN SUPPORT OF BASIC SERVICES
The overall vision of The Adventure Begins is encapsulated in the following statement:
The Adventure Begins works to pave the way to create a society in which all persons are provided with basic services such as food, education, housing, job creation and sanitation.
We do this through:
- Involving the communities and affiliates in supporting the disadvantaged.
- Educating the disadvantaged on self-reliance, upliftment and self-sufficiency.
- Assessing the ability of the communities to sustain themselves without the help of external forces after a period of time. Following the success of self-sufficiency of the pilot projects, replicability in other communities can be implemented, and the projects adapted per community as necessary.
The goal of the communities in support of The Adventure Begins project can be stated as follows:
Within the next two to three years, the majority of families will be self-sustainable, living in a family context, supported by the community and enjoying an acceptable standard of living conditions.
SECTION 3: OVERVIEW
The overview of The Adventure Begins is to travel through South Africa, stopping off at various townships, settlements, rural areas and other lesser known communities, in order to find out what their specific needs are. Once these needs are clear, the various organizations who deal with those specific needs will be contacted, as well as community leaders, in order to facilitate finding a solution to the problem, where after processes will be implemented to assist in alleviating the need.
However, we believe that, for the project to succeed, extensive community participation is needed in conjunction with intensive involvement of professionals from the following fields:
- Environmentalists (e.g. GPH Solutions)
- Agriculturists (e.g. Umthathi Training Projects)
- Builders (e.g. Imison SA)
- Educators and entrepreneurs
- Experts in sports, medical fields, adventures, and trade.
SECTION 4: CONCLUSION
In summary:
- We are requesting support from South African organizations who are able to assist in the promotion of and the travelling of the personnel of The Adventure Begins website and entertainment guide, so that the majority of the profits made from The Adventure Begins website and entertainment guide can be utilized for the upliftment, education, skills development and job creation of the communities.
- We are also looking for support from companies with the necessary expertise that can aid the personnel of The Adventure Begins in uplifting communities.
- This project is specifically aimed at ensuring that all disadvantaged individuals in this country have access to the basic services and means required in order to allow them to enjoy a dignified lifestyle and improved quality of life.
- We believe that the lack of services and sustainable means in this country makes such a project imperative, and that through the implementation of such a project, the overall standard of living in South Africa will improve, thereby enabling us to join the ranks of first world countries.
- The dire need for district development and community based projects makes it highly likely that the project will be success, and with the correct resources and community participation, it is possible that the projects will be sustainable at a community level.
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