NACOSA members awarded for service excellence

The Eastern Cape Department of Social Development hosted the 2nd Charlotte Makgomo Maxeke Service Excellence Awards in Mthatha on the 28 February 2019. Hosting this event were Social Development MEC, Dr. Pumza Dyantyi and HOD Ms. Ntombi Baart. Mrs. Nomsa Titus, the District Director acknowledged all present with great emphasis on the NPOs who were the stars of the evening. District and Provincial Chairperson of the NPO Forum, Mrs. Vuyelwa Duma, inspired and motivated the NPOs present, acknowledging the hardships they go through tirelessly and passionately serving the people in their communities.

She encouraged the small organisations to work together, learn from each other and grow to be able to compete with the big NGOs in getting international funding.

The Charlotte Maxeke Service Excellence Awards recognise the exceptional work done by NPOs in addressing the psychosocial and economic challenges in communities. Charlotte Maxeke (1874-1939) was the first Black woman graduate in South Africa and one of the first Black South Africans to fight for freedom from exploitative and social conditions of African women. The Honourable MEC, Dr. Pumza Dyantyi, had three special awards over and above the fourteen categories. In her speech she emphasised the need to involve the youth in maximizing the use of resources we have at our disposal to ensure that we eradicate poverty and eliminate unemployment.

Among the runner ups and winners were members of the NACOSA network – current and previous sub recipients.

The categories and their winners were as follows:

• Early Childhood Development Centres Category: winner was Cingco Day Care Centre
• Child and Youth Care Centres Category: won by Mzomtsha Child and Youth Centre, Mthatha
• Child Care and Protection Services Category: winning organisation was Child Welfare, Grahamstown
• Community-based Child Care Services Category: the winner was the Community Development Centre – Isibindi Lwandile, Mthatha
• Services to Families Category: won by FAMSA East London
• Services to Older Persons Category: won by Huis Welverdiend Home for the Aged, Sarah Baartman.
• Service to People with Disability: the winner was Eluphilisweni Care Centre, O.R. Tambo.
• Crime Prevention Services Category: NICRO
• The Victim Empowerment Programme Category: won by Maluti Victim Support Centre, Alfred Nzo.
• Substance Abuse Program Category: SANCA, Buffalo City Metro.
• HIV/AIDS Programs Category: Ngokholo Community Centre, O.R. Tambo. We Care HCBC (right) a NACOSA SR was first runner up in this category.
• Women Development Initiative Category: first place winner was Mzingisi Cooperative, Buffalo City Metro.
• Youth Development Initiative Category: Khulani Youth Development Project, Amathole
• The Food Production and Sustainable Livelihoods Category: Entlango Primary Agricultural Cooperative, Buffalo City Metro
• MEC’s Special Award winners were: Ametiste Clothing and Beadwork; Khanyisa Day Care Centre; Mechaeling Pre Primary

Buffalo City Metro was the proud producers of both overall winners with NICRO in the NPO Category and Mzingisi Cooperative in the Cooperatives Category.

The Guest of Honour, Professor Nontando Mesatywa HOD Social Worker & Psychology at Walter Sisulu University (WSU) Mthatha Campus, had earlier motivated unemployed Social Workers saying “As much as we are bursary holders, we cannot wait to be employed. With the challenge government has in placing Social Workers in employment, we should take the initiative of starting our own NPOs or Cooperatives and render the much needed services in our communities. We have the knowledge and skills that can greatly benefit our communities and we need to put them to good use.”

The winner of the Services to Families Category, FAMSA East London, Buffalo City Metro was a NACOSA sub-recipient in the OVC CSS program, funded by PEPFAR and USAID, which ended in 2016. Second Runner Up in the Victim Empowerment Program Category, Masimanyane Women Support Centre is a NACOSA sub-recipient on the GBV Programme, funded by the Global Fund. We Care is a NACOSA sub-recipient in the Stigma and Discrimination Reduction (SD) small grants and CSS program also funded by the Global Fund.

By Ntombomzi Thabede, Chairperson of the Eastern Cape NACOSA Provincial Advisory Council