Skillshare International and RTC – working together for peace and development
Skillshare International started the new year with an exciting new collaboration that will enable us to expand our peacebuilding work in Africa and Asia.
We have formed a strategic partnership with Responding to Conflict (RTC) - an organisation based in Birmingham with which we share core values of peace and international understanding. Since 2001 Skillshare International and RTC have worked together on programmes including the £1.5 million Integrating Development and Conflict Transformation (IDCT) project funded by DFID.
For Skillshare and RTC this partnership is a new opportunity to further develop the connections between development and peacebuilding across all our programmes and ways of working. It will enable RTC to continue to support people in developing countries to build peace with justice in their own communities and see joint programmes addressing conflict transformation and development issues in Kenya and Nepal.
Skillshare International's CEO Cliff Allum said, "This partnership is an important and innovative step forward in strengthening approaches to peace and development for both organisations. I am confident that by building on our shared values and roots in the peace movement, and working together in this way, we can maximise our efforts and the impact of our work."
In July 2009, Skillshare International agreed a new strategic partnership with SOS Sahel UK to support poverty reduction and peacebuilding programmes and build a more secure future for thousands of herders and farmers across Sudan. In January 2010 an important milestone was reached as SOS Sahel Sudan was registered as an independent NGO in Sudan.
Beckham delights township kids with visit to our programme
On 3rd December 2009, David Beckham visited our Coaching for Hope programme in Cape Town. Click here to read about his visit and see photos of him with some of our local coaches and young players.
Photo: David Beckham and former South Africa captain Lucas Radebe at a Coaching for Hope training session in Cape Town. Photo taken by Ed Suter.
Basarwa San Appeal
The Basarwa San, or Bushmen of the Kalahari, traditionally lead hunter-gatherer lifestyles in the harsh environment of the Kalahari Desert, but pressure on land from other ethnic groups, farmers, mining companies and conservationists has cut them off from their lands. Despite a court ruling that their evictions from the Kalahari and restricted access to water were unlawful, there is still pressure on them to leave these ancestral planes. For many, their independence has been taken away and they now survive on state aid, living in urban squatter camps and government settlements, or work as labourers on farms.
The Botswana Rural Communities Livelihoods Project aims to improve the capacity of our partner organisations in their work with marginalised Basarwa San households in Western and North Western Botswana. We now need to raise funds for the 800 Barsawa San working with our partner TXY (a local NGO) to fence off land that the local government recently granted to the San community. This land will provide a legacy of employment, income generation opportunities and sustainable food security.
We need to raise £4,500 by February 2010 to help secure sustainable livelihoods for the Basarwa San. Every £1.50 we raise in this appeal will release a further £8.50 of funding from the European Commission, so a little really will go a long way!
In May 2009, two of our partners from the Tribal communities of India will be visiting the UK. Rosnara Mohanty has spent six years fighting for the basic rights of Tribal people in the Kalahandi district of Orissa, and Madan Kirisani is a community leader fighting for the rights of his people. There will be several opportunities to meet Rosnara and Madan this month:
An open evening on how globalisation, climate change and social exclusion threaten the millions of
Tribal or Adhivasi people living across India. This is an opportunity for you to find out more about Tribal communities' unique culture and how you can help them claim their rights. Leicester, Tuesday 19th May - find out more and click here for directions to the venue.
A two-hour workshop for people interested in campaigning on climate
change issues, green activists, supporters of
minority rights, and friends of development in India to raise
awareness of the threat Tribal communities face from climate change. Leicester, Wednesday 20th May - find out more or click here for directions to the venue.
An opportunity to learn
about the climate change threat to India’s
Tribal communities and to draw lessons for
North & South NGO campaigning work. London, Thursday 21st May - find out more or click here for directions to the venue.
Online discussion or Skype teleconference on 20th May (evening).
Working towards gender justice: Skillshare launches new policy
Skillshare International is set to officially launch its gender policy at the Houses of Parliament, at 5pm on 21st May 2009.
"This gender policy provides us with an opportunity to make changes across everything we do, from the way we work with our partners to deliver programmes, to our internal systems and organisational culture. On behalf of Skillshare International’s Board of Trustees I would like to endorse this important policy and urge everyone in the Skillshare family to strive for gender justice." Gill Taylor, Trustee, Skillshare International.
Speaking at this event is Senelisiwe Ntshangase, Skillshare International's Swaziland Country Director. She will be joined by other speakers from our programmes. The event is timed to coincide with a visit to the UK from staff and partners in several of the countries where we work. Senelisiwe will be speaking about how Skillhare supports partners fighting gender injustice and promoting women’s leadership in the country.
"We work with our partners to build every woman, man, girl and boy’s self respect and to empower people with the aim of achieving gender justice. This gender policy provides us with an opportunity to make positive changes which I as CEO support and encourage both within our work and within our organisation." Cliff Allum, CEO, Skillshare International.
Senelisiwe Ntshangase
Have Your Say
The UK Government is currently running a consultation about the future of its international development work. We think this is a great opportunity for Skillshare International and our supporters to tell a Government minister what we think is important.
At the first consultation event in Birmingham in March 2009, Skillshare International development worker Fran Scott gave a presentation about her health work in Swaziland. At an event in Leicester on 13th May, our Swaziland Country Director Senelisiwe Ntshangase will be the headline NGO speaker.
In November 2008, Tquii Xu Yane Community Development Trust won a prestigious award for the most entrepreneurial education programmes in Africa, run by UK based education charity Teach A Man To Fish.
The EDUCATING AFRICA Pan-African Awards for Entrepreneurship in Education 2008 sought to identify the very best organisations rising to the challenges of supporting education across Africa, highlight their ways of working, and to reward their achievements.
Nik Kafka, Managing Director from Teach A Man To Fish said: “We were knocked out by the standard of entrants from across Africa. This competition set out to prove that the entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in all types of educational projects across the Continent – and we were proved right."
Skillshare International has been working with TXY for over five years to promote pre-school education and develop income generating activities such as growing vegetables, rearing chicken, cattle and goats, sewing and dressmaking.
Our development worker, Sifiso J. Buhlungu, supports TXY as a Business Advisor and is thrilled that TXY's members have been recognised and rewarded for their achievements: “We are very happy to have won such an important award. It is fantastic to know that our work is appreciated by our peers across the globe. The prize money will help us continue with our good work and make a real difference to the lives of marginalised people in our community.”
Tquii Xu Yane Community Development Trust addresses the welfare of the marginalised indigenous Basarwa people in and around Kang.
It was a tough decision for the judges as we had a very high standard of entries again this year, but they managed to narrow it down to three diverse and striking images.
This photo, taken by one of our development workers in India, won second prize.
Click here to see which photos took first and third place and to find out more about the images and photographers.
Kenya Green and Clean Appeal
Skillshare International has launched an appeal to provide drinking water and sanitation facilities for schools and communities in six districts of Kenya that are threatened by climate change. Find out more...
Skillshare partners collaborate to promote peace in Kenya
The violence that erupted throughout Kenya earlier this year in the immediate aftermath of the disputed 2007 elections affected Skillshare International’s partners in the country in many ways. Our development workers were evacuated and projects were temporarily suspended. However, it wasn't all negative - two of Skillshare International's partners in Kenya, Coalition for Peace in Africa (COPA) and Ngei 1 Development Youth Group, worked together to promote peace and build conflict management skills. Read more...
Celebrating the spirit of youth
To mark International Day of the African Child on 16th June 2008, young performers from the Tanzania House of Talent (THT) showcased their music, dance and theatrical talent in a 90-minute performance at the Russian Cultural Centre in Dar es Salaam. The event, called Young @ Art, was THT’s first independent production and was supported by Skillshare International and other sponsors.
THT's founder, Ruge Matahaba, said, "It’s a great way to raise awareness of the positive contribution children can give to Tanzanian society whilst also highlighting the challenges children still continue to face whilst growing up in Africa."
The audience was an eclectic mix of ambassadors, civil servants, representatives of the UN, the World Bank and DFID, and friends and family of the performers. THT also received donations which will help them to improve their facilities.
Skillshare International's Head of Communications, Jessica Lowe, said, "It's fantastic news that the Young @ Art event enabled Tanzania House of Talent to generate new funding. I visited them in Dar es Salaam at the end of last year and was hugely impressed by the performers and what the project is managing to achieve with its few resources and limited facilities. I'm sure the donations they received on the day will make a big difference to the centre."
THT gives children and young people the opportunity to develop their talents in performing and visual arts regardless of their social, financial or educational background. Skillshare International development worker Rebecca Young is managing the project and explains, "Many of the young people here are former street children, orphans or heads of households. Here at THT we do not discriminate but rather support and develop the individuals so that later on, they are able to find employment within the performing and visual arts sector."
Robyn Cox on BBC Radio 4
On 10th May 2008, returned development worker Robyn Cox talked about her time in Botswana on BBC Radio 4’s Excess Baggage programme.
Former Skillshare International development worker Robyn Cox has written a book about her experience of living and volunteering in Botswana. Robyn completed her placement at Ditshwanelo Human Rights Centre in 2007, and published her book Pula, Pula, Pula in 2008.
Share Your Skills raised over £1,400
Skillshare International's supporters and staff raised over £1,400 for international development projects in Southern Africa by sharing their skills in October 2007. Find out more.
Asian Tsunami project wins annual photo competition
Julie George won our 2007 photo competition with this striking image of a woman using the public telephone in a model village in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. The village was built after the Tsunami which devastated many homes in the area. Find out more and see the photos from Mali and Tanzania which came in second and third.
Tribal announces new support
Our strategic partner Tribal Group plc is gearing up for its second Give It Up fundraising campaign in October 2007. This year the Tribal Group Foundation has chosen to support three Skillshare International projects in Africa and Asia:
To find out more about our partnership with the Tribal Group plc, see the June 2007 issue of Skillshare News.
Coaching for Hope joins Skillshare International
The Coaching for Hope programme uses football to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS. Supported by DJ Norman Cook (Fatboy Slim) and clubs including Spurs and Everton, the programme has received significant funding from the English Football Association, FIFA, UK Sport and Adidas. So far, the programme has trained about 120 coaches in West Africa and run HIV awareness and football sessions for over 1,000 young people. Read more in our newsletter or visit www.coachingforhope.org
Samraksha visits Leicester
On Tuesday 12th June 2007, 30 supporters of Skillshare International and other local residents gathered at Leicester's New Walk Museum to find out more about HIV and AIDS in India. Sanghamitra Iyengar is the director of Samraksha, an organisation working to reduce the spread of HIV and care for people living with HIV and AIDS in India. She outlined Samraksha's work and answered questions about the continuum of care they provide from HIV education and prevention, to counselling, treatment and care for terminally ill patients.
Samraksha runs a hospice for people living with HIV and AIDS in Bangalore. It has 15 in-patient beds and a clinic which sees 40 out-patients a day. As a result of the dedication and expertise of the hospice staff, 70% of in-patients are able to return to their homes. It costs £120 per day to keep these facilities open. Skillshare International is working with Samraksha to secure long-term funding, but in the meantime the hospice and clinic must rely on donations from the public.
Samraksha was started in 1993 to prevent the spread of HIV and reduce its impact on those affected. Skillshare International has placed international volunteer development workers with Samraksha as specialists in reproductive and sexual health, palliative care and nursing. Samraksha has already reached people in over 900 villages and is working with 13,000 people who are living with HIV and AIDS in India.
Online To make a secure donation online in a range of currencies, click here and select the Samraksha option. To see the privacy policy, please click here.
Telephone Please call us on + 44 (0) 116 254 1862 to request a donor form by post or make a credit/debit card donation by phone.
Cheque/postal order Please download and complete a donor form and send your donation to Skillshare International, FREEPOST MID 16922, Leicester, LE1 7ZU. No stamp is necessary, but using one will reduce our costs. To view the form, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader – click here to download it.
Roger Blake celebrated his 25th anniversary as a Skillshare International trustee in 2006, having seen the organisation evolve over 40 years from the volunteer agency International Voluntary Service (IVS-UK) to Skillshare Africa, and now to the development agency Skillshare International. We spoke to him about work camps, seven years in Botswana and man on the moon. Read more...
Eliminating Gender Based Violence in Southern Africa
On 24th-27th April 2007, Skillshare International held a Gender Based Violence workshop in South Africa to promote best practice and share experiences. Twenty nine participants from Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana and Canada attended the workshop which was funded by CIDA through Canadian Crossroads International. Find out more.
G8 2007, our letter to Tony Blair
Skillshare International and 16 other UK-based NGOs have asked Prime Minister Tony Blair to use this year's G8 process to make decisive progress towards poverty eradication and to forge a strong international response to climate change. In a March letter we reminded him of the significant pledges made by the G8 in Scotland two years ago and urged him to use the 2007 G8 to achieve a lot more.
Skillshare Ireland goes online!
Skillshare International Ireland has recently launched its new website at www.skillshare.ie. It includes information about Skillshare Ireland's programmes in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland. Director Fran Flood explains: "Funding from Irish Aid and an IT company here in Dublin enabled us to develop the site."
Skillshare represented at the World Social Forum in Nairobi
This year's World Social Forum is being held in Nairobi, Kenya, on 20-25 January 2007. Civil society organisations, including Skillshare International, are coming together to debate ideas that address devastated economies, the marginalisation of women and indigenous communities, the destruction of our environment and the exploitation of poor people. Skillshare International will be represented at the event by staff from Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and the UK, as well as one of our international development workers. Regional Director Oliver Kantai says: "We will join hands with other social movements, networks and NGOs during this forum to pursue new thinking and express our solidarity with the poor and those whose rights have been trampled upon and are facing injustice and inequality. We want a move towards equitable social order."
Human Rights Award
On 13th December 2006, Mathuso Moroeng received an International Service Human Rights Award on behalf of the Phomolong Support Group.
The group of 50 volunteers protects the rights of orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho, many of whom are affected by HIV and AIDS. Income generation activities, including a chicken farm, enable the group to pay for 87 students to attend high school. Overall, Phomolong Support Group cares for over 400 local orphans and vulnerable children.
Jon Snow presented the award to Mathuso at the House of Commons in London. Phomolong Support Group also receives £3,000 prize money to support their work in Lesotho.
Special Studies Module on Global Health and Development expands to Nottingham
Skillshare International's module on Global Health and Development was offered to 3rd and 4th year medical students in Nottingham for the first time from the end of August 2006. Learning from our innovative partnership with Leicester medical school, we have developed a new partnership with the medical school in Nottingham. Dr Ann Bridgewater from the medical school and Skillshare International's Dr Raúl Pardiñaz-Solis coordinate the module.
Click here to read about how the UK-based Tribal Group Foundation and Skillshare International are working together to share expertise and assist with HIV and AIDS patient monitoring and treatment in Southern Africa.
Responding to conflict with the right skills
Skillshare International, in partnership
with Responding To Conflict, has launched a three-year
project on 'Integrating Development and Conflict
Transformation'. Click here to read more about this innovative new project....
Make a difference.... take a photo!
Click here to find out which image won our photo competition in June 2006.
Skillshare says G'day!
Skillshare International recently signed a contract with Australian Volunteers International (AVI) to administer their African programme on the ground.... read more
Find out what happened when Katie Junor cycled to Edinburgh to Make Poverty History in July 2005...
This page was updated in April 2009.
If you would like to use any of the photos on our website, please contact email us first at communications@skillshare.org
Skillshare International started the new year with an exciting new collaboration that will enable us to expand our peacebuilding work in Africa and Asia. 
In July 2009, Skillshare International agreed a new strategic partnership with SOS Sahel UK to support poverty reduction and peacebuilding programmes and build a more secure future for thousands of herders and farmers across Sudan. In January 2010 an important milestone was reached as SOS Sahel Sudan was registered as an independent NGO in Sudan. 
