Fruits of the Red Shoe Workshop

 Recently mentioned in the Grahamstown local paper, Grocott’s Mail, the women of the Sakhisizwe Esitsha Self Help Group are working hard at improving their lives one shoe at a time.  In June the nine women of the Sakhisizwe Esitsha Self Help Group took part in Sally Scott’s four-day Red Shoe Workshop.  The workshop was to build alliance and team spirit within the group.  Each group member shared their personal stories then made a pair of shoes which metaphorically embodied their story.

Ida Khwababa, our Community Development Co-ordinator, had hoped that the workshop would heal the members of the group and help them grow as both individuals and as a team.  The aim of the workshop was to warrant the group members’ spiritual and personal well being.  Ida was very proud of how the group members had grown so much confidence in themselves as well as the success of the group.  The creativity and new skill developed by the group members would also serve as another product which the group could produce to sell.

This workshop was funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa.  There are seven other groups affiliated with the CSD which would also greatly benefit from the workshop.  So in light of this CSD will fund the next workshops.

From the workshop, the members carry with them Sally Scott’s message of never allowing anyone to take away from them what they have created themselves.

Picture: Sakhisizwe Esitsha Self Help Group Members wearing their Shoes.

Self Help Groups

One of the most exciting developments over the last 3 years has been the introduction of Self Help Groups as promoted by Kindernothilife and co-ordinated in South Africa by Funding Development Services. The first group started at Kwandwe Game Reserve and there are now some 16 groups operating successfully in and around Grahamstown.

The underlying principle is that poverty is not simply an economic problem, but includes a continuous process of disempowerment and isolation. Consequently, simply meeting material needs does not always alleviate poverty. Standing alone, individuals experience weakness, but when standing together the poor can have great strength. Learning to rely on themselves in the power of a group situation builds confidence and development.

Self Help Groups (SHGs) consist of between 10 and 20 members, all of whom come from similar socio-economic backgrounds and live within a close distance of each other. The two basic requirements of the group are that they save a small amount weekly (anything from 50c) and that they meet once a week. These two activities set off the joint processes of social and economic development. By meeting once a week they bring themselves together as a group and as a result the apparent loneliness of poverty is eradicated. Saving encourages fiscal responsibility and a sense of achievement and overcoming obstacles. Other skills, including leadership and management, are also developed together with a greater sense of entrepreneurship. These processes are slow but ultimately yield amazing results.

In contrast to other Community Development Processes, where new initiatives are started by approaching community leaders, SHGs are started amongst the poorest of the poor who are identified through Participatory Rural Approach assessments. Only the most vulnerable or disempowered unrepresented are invited to form an SHG. Initially no material resources are pumped into the group as it would actively work against the formation of self-belief. The process is closely monitored and supported by a Community Facilitator, who encourages them to take small loans for their needs and gradually to start some income-generating activities. Clear rules are set out by members of the SHG from the start, especially in relation to loans made by the SHG.

In terms of organisation, about 8 SHGs come together to form a Cluster Level Organisation (CLOs) (in affect representing 150 - 200 families) which would have the power to address district or municipal issues. Furthermore 10 CLOs would form a Federation (now representing 1500 - 2000 families). Within these higher levels, larger community issues are addressed and these higher institutions also interact with government on a provincial and national level.

Conference bags!