Description

Citizen Voice and Action in 6 ADPs of World Vision South Africa
CVA in Education
The CVA orientation meetings were held in 6 ADPs (Atlantis, Mangaung, Khauhelo, Umvoti, KwaMaphumulo and Thabanchu) which are Canadian funded in the previous years and education related issues were identified in most of the ADPs. The issues include
o Poor access to basic education services (long distances) for Mangaung Urban Learning Site, in the Free State and Umvoti ADP in KwaZulu Natal.
o School dropout in Khauhelo ADP, Free State and Pella Township under Atlantis ADP in the Western Cape.
The CVA meetings were held with the Local and District Departments of Education in the KZN. The KZN Education District is currently sharing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with World Vision South Africa and their internal stakeholders. Meanwhile WVSA has scheduled the meeting with the Education District so as to finalise and start implementing the plans communicated in the MoU. The CVA Community Facilitating groups were orientated on the CVA model. The policy on learner transport which is one of the key issues in KwaZulu Natal has been translated to IsiZulu language. The policy education workshop will be facilitated for the CVA Community Facilitators in the first week of May was successful. This will enable communities to influence the implementation of this new policy by fully participating in all action steps. Eventually deep rural villages of Umvoti ADP will benefit as children that walk the longest distance to reach school will be transported. Hence the gap of poor access to schools will be addressed to some extent. The CVA model has been introduced to the Metro North Education District of the Western Cape. The District has committed to work collaboratively with WVSA. The MoU will be sent to Education District for segregation of roles and responsibilities in May 2013. Community conversation sessions will be held for confirmation of situational analysis and prioritization of educational issues with communities in the Atlantis ADP in the second week of May. The Mangaung Urban Learning Site confirmed the issue of poor access to education for children. The CVA Project and Mangaung Learning Site are planning to engage government and SGBs on the CVA processes.
CVA in Health
The ADP Health related issues identified involve the following: Poor access to PHC services i.e. long distance – contributes to lack of compliance to treatment (ARVs, TB). Health centres are understaffed – undersupply of doctors and other health workers, delayed ambulance service, overcrowding of patients in hospitals. CVA has been launched in the local Health Centres in Mangaung Urban Programme, Khauhelo and ThabaNchu ADPs in the Free State Province. The total of 547 people i.e. stakeholders from government departments, NGOs, CBOs and community members participated. There were 47 CVA Community Facilitators trained in CVA model and in health public policies. The CVA Community Facilitators consist of representatives of community based organisations and clinic committees. The policy documents they were orientated in include: National Policy on quality health care, Patients’ Charter and Free State Provincial Complaints Policy and procedures. Community education on complaints policy was conducted for at least 300 participants in ThabaNchu and Botshabelo towns in the Free State. The 14 Health officials from six clinics in ThabaNchu and Khauhelo ADP were orientated in CVA model. Monitoring standards and score cards CVA processes were demonstrated through review of National Policy on quality health care and Free State Provincial Complaints Policy and procedures.
Results so far
• CVA was submitted as a public participation framework as called by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
• CVA was presented to the Department of Public Service and Administration and they liked it as linked to the Batho Pele principles and linked WVSA to the provincial coordinators
• Improved attitudes of staff in six clinic in ThabaNchu and Botshabelo
• Clear roles for the committees in six clinics
• Communities have been empowered in the policies and “ community is educating community on these themselves”
More community members in all the ADPs are attending meetings that are called by the government departments than before and engaging or making informed oral submission