The newsletter is published in March, July and November. Reproduced below is our July edition which includes information on a successful funding appeal for SWAGAA, an introduction to our new Regional Director and what the Swaziland Prime Minister said about us at the recent launch of the Corporate Strategy and Country Plan.
Comic Relief for SWAGAA
Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA) has been awarded £157,864 by Comic Relief.
The funds will provide resources and support to continue SWAGAA's work with survivors of abuse in Swaziland.
This will include providing counselling for women and children, raising awareness of the issues surrounding abuse, and advocacy to sensitise lawmakers and legal practitioners on the need to protect vulnerable women and children, against abuse.
Peter MacFadyen from Comic Relief, said: "Comic Relief is particularly pleased to be able to support the work of SWAGAA because violence against women and children is a worldwide problem which is so clearly totally unacceptable.
"I was hugely impressed, on my visit to the organisation in Swaziland, with the dedication and competence of voluntary counsellors and staff in Swaziland and have every confidence that Skillshare Africa will give them the support they need and make a significant difference."
SWAGAA was launched in 1990 and is the only organisation of its kind in Swaziland to tackle abuse issues. Committed to the eradication of violence in all its forms - particularly against women and children - it provides support and counselling on a voluntary basis.
In the last two years there has been an increase in the demand for counselling services. SWAGAA started with a caseload of 5-8 per month but this rose in less than six months to around 40-45.
The first seven months of 1999 saw 612 cases in need of SWAGAA's support and the current caseload is an average of 50 to 55 per month. This has surpassed the expected counselling numbers by almost 300 per cent.
It is a vital resource for vulnerable people in Swaziland and the Comic Relief funding will help continue and improve their service for the next three years.
It will also help support SWAGAA's research into abuse which will help form a basis to lobby for changes in the law and legal practices and serve to clarify the disparity in the laws.
Development worker, Shilpa Patel was with SWAGAA to help strengthen the organisation from 1996 until 1998 when her role was localised. It is now run entirely by local people.
PM Speaks at Swaziland Launch
His Excellency, The Right Honourable Dr BSS Dlamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland was guest of honour at Skillshare Africa's recent launch of the Corporate Strategy and Country Plan.
Speaking at the launch, held at the Mountain Inn, Mbabane, Dr Dlamini said: "Today we are celebrating the launch of a five year Country Plan that maps out the strategies for the next period of this organisation's [Skillshare Africa] life.
"Celebration of the plan itself may be somewhat premature, though we can certainly celebrate its vision and the achievements of Skillshare Africa to date.
"It remains for me to encourage all those involved with this NGO [Non-Governmental Organisation] to do justice to the quality of design of the Country Plan by making the implementation stage a resounding success."
Also present at the event on May 11 were Neil Hook, British High Commissioner of Swaziland, Ministers from the Houses of Parliament, Mrs Nokukhanya Gamedze, Chair of the Programme Advisory Committee and a whole host of other distinguished guests and Skillshare Africa staff.
The Swaziland Country Plan has a particular emphasis on education, training and employment, rural development, HIV and AIDS and the empowerment of disadvantaged groups, especially women.
Copies of the individual country plans for each of the countries in which we work are available from all Skillshare Africa Offices.
Funding for YWCA
The YWCA in Maun has been awarded a grant for £8,609 to help with the construction of a centre designed to support young women in Botswana, after a shortfall in funding from other sources meant it could not be completed.
The grant from the States of Guernsey and further funding from the Department for International Development's Joint Funding Scheme (DFID JFS) will help to support the YWCA's work with young women, particularly young mothers.
Until recently, young pregnant women were not allowed to continue with their education until their child was at least 12-months old.
This meant that not only were they behind in their studies but also faced with the dilemma of how to pay childcare fees.
The original proposal for funding had included a day centre, based on a similar successful project in Gaborone, where the women could continue their studies and meet other young mothers in a similar situation.
But following campaigning from PACT (the YWCA's peer counselling project) and other projects like them, the law has now been changed.
The centre will therefore now act as a daycare centre for the children while the mothers are at school.
Research carried out by the charity into the lives of development workers reported that many felt their experiences overseas were not being valued as they should be.
One development worker who took part in the study said: "It would help if there was generally a more positive image of overseas development workers amongst employers. Certainly the job in Lesotho is the hardest job I ever did."
While most (54 per cent) found returning to employment after working overseas easy, many were frustrated at the lack of understanding from employers on what they had to offer - particularly when they themselves valued it as the most difficult and challenging role they had ever embarked upon.
Cliff Allum, Director of Skillshare Africa, said: "Having to acclimatise to a new culture and way of life as well as a new job is a massive undertaking.
"While their main commitment is to the people and communities where they are based, many development workers pick up skills and ways of working that could be of benefit to any organisation when they return home.
"Our research shows that employers are not sufficiently aware of this and may be missing out on some very skilled people."
The report formed part of the research process for the development of the current Corporate Strategy. It not only looks at statistical data such as age gender and occupation of development workers but also goes into their thoughts on their time in southern Africa and how it has changed their lives.
Copies of the report are available from Skillshare Africa's UK office. Call +44 116 254 1862 or email info@skillshare.org to receive a copy.