ACT Ubumbano supported The Circle of Concerned African Theologians to launch

A Time like No Other – COVID-19 in Women’s Voices, a collection of women’s stories about their lived experiences.

To get a hard copy of the book or to download a pdf version, click here

ELCSA Development Service (ELCSA-DS), as part of the holistic ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA), is a non-profit organisation engaged in Rural Community Development activities and Emergency Disaster Response, as well as Post Disaster Rehabilitation.

It is an expression of the diaconic ministry of the church, to the poor and marginalized of Southern Africa, in the context of poverty, deprivation and the scourge of the HIV & AIDS pandemic. Committed to the improvement of the quality of life of the poor, in areas of endemic need, ELCSA-DS is engaged in activities to alleviate suffering and reduce vulnerability. Therefore, ELCSA-DS, with its holistic people centred approach reaches out to people in need irrespective of gender, racial, religious, political convictions or other affiliations.
Key to ELCSA-DS’s strategic approach is the participation of community and group beneficiaries, in needs identification, resource identification, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and total ownership of their project. Therefore, in this approach there is no hand-over.

Activities include but not limited to:

• Improved Food Security
  • Training of subsistence farmers
  • Supporting the establishment of small-scale irrigation schemes
  • Training of livestock owners in livestock management
  • Household are trained on how to establish nutritional gardens
• Improved Income and Employment opportunities
• Entrepreneurial Training
• Increased awareness of environmental conditions
• Improved health and sanitation conditions
  • HIV and AIDS
• Stop Human Trafficking
• Cultural Diversity Education
• Lutheran Action Against Gender Based Violence (LAAGBV)

To read more about ELCSA Development Service, click here.

The Ubumbano Solidarity Action initiative is a platform to facilitate connection of people and organisations, and to provide some financial support (max. ZAR30.000) to enable those connections and actions to take place. Proposals are again invited from all our partners in the region. We are particularly interested in connecting with organisations and initiatives in Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and Eswatini.

The proposals for support should not be longer than 2 pages, and can be submitted via email to thabo@actubumbano.org. They should respond to the following questions:

• What are the challenges you are facing in your community or in your area of work?
• How does your proposed action respond to the challenge?
• How do you involve those who are most affected?
• Is the action something that you have done before? Was it effective?
• Is there anything new or innovative in how you plan to undertake the action?
• What support do you need to do the work? This could be practical skills such as media work, or support on how to organise a campaign, or partnership with another organisation.
• If you require funds, what will the money be used for? Provide a simple budget against which you will need to report on use of the funds.
• Do you plan to work with any other organisations, churches, or faith institutions?

The opportunity is open to any organisation or association that is part of the ACT Ubumbano network, or willing to work with ACT Ubumbano partner organisations in Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Any funding support that may be provided in this initiative is intended to help with taking action for change or in solidarity with those who are under stress. It is not intended for general or core support for organisations, although some of the funds will need to be used for organisational costs.

It is expected that proposals will need to be discussed in order to make the most of the opportunity for collaboration. For further information, please contact Thabo or Zanele.

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The outcome was twelve case studies and 3 interfaith briefs on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health rights and teenage pregnancy which were produced. Furthermore, faith leaders used the interfaith briefs as basis to undertake advocacy activities within their congregations, in institutions and communities. These actions have now been captured in the following videos:
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