[av_layout_row border=” min_height_percent=” min_height=’0′ color=’main_color’ mobile=’av-flex-cells’ id=” av_element_hidden_in_editor=’0′ mobile_breaking=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av_uid=’av-qfqzh’] [av_cell_one_fourth av_uid=’av-jjp79′] [/av_cell_one_fourth][av_cell_one_half av_uid=’av-fj69p’] [av_heading heading=’Ubumbano Voice App Inspires Activists Formations’ tag=’h2′ link_apply=” link=’manually,http://’ link_target=” style=’blockquote modern-quote modern-centered’ size=” subheading_active=” subheading_size=’15’ margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=’30’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-k2ea77ck’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_heading] [av_masonry_gallery ids=’856,857′ items=’2′ columns=’2′ paginate=’pagination’ size=’fixed’ orientation=” gap=’large’ overlay_fx=” animation=’active’ container_links=’active’ id=” caption_elements=’none’ caption_styling=” caption_display=’always’ color=’custom’ custom_bg=’#ffffff’ av-medium-columns=” av-small-columns=” av-mini-columns=” av_uid=’av-k2ea8nse’] [av_hr class=’invisible’ height=’30’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=” icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ av_uid=’av-k2d0lowt’ admin_preview_bg=”] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-ax1k5′ admin_preview_bg=”]

Cape Town

A group of activists in Cape Town met to explore setting up a network around the Ubumbano Voice App. The group included – among others,  Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), Green Anglicans, Triangle Project and representatives from University of Cape Town. The group explored using the Ubumbano App  as a platform to support existing work of organisations, as well as deepen the awareness and active voices of community activists.

Soweto

Activists in the south western townships in Johannesburg have been meeting for 3 months and formed themselves into the South West Activists Network. This formation is the outcome of extending the Ubumbano Voice App to new communities. In their first activity network members engaged with young women in their communities to get their voice on critical issues that affect young women living in the township. They will be publishing these stories and  posting it on the Ubumbano Voice App and website, and hope that this will lead to greater involvement of young women in the Network.
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by Amo Tshabalala

From last year’s project of the access road that was in very bad condition which is now being fixed, the good news is that the mine read my story and decided to ask for a meeting to meet with me and the Sefikile Community Council as the mine is well aware that we are working together to take the community forward by developing it. At the meeting, the council made the mine aware that I was busy writing another story about cracked houses caused by the mine as we never experienced a problem with cracked houses before. On the 30th of August 2019, we spoke about a number of things including the project that was supposed to have been given to the Sefikile community but was never delivered. We discussed some projects and how they be managed going forward, including:

1. Salvage yard
2. Land fill
3. Organic farming

Eventually, the mine promised that everything that was meant for us will be granted before end of this year. It is all written in paper that it is what is exactly going to happen as there is proof that all those projects belong to the Sefikile Community and that it is part of the SLP that the mine need to comply with.

As for the main road that was in a bad condition, there is an internal road project and the good thing about it is that it is Amo who is monitoring it since from last. As activists taking our communities to the level where it should be is our vision and our mission is for us to be there when all is happening, witnessing it all being a success.

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The ACT Southern Africa Regional Forum (SARF) is a shared platform for ACT Alliance members in Southern Africa, whose objective is to increase the effectiveness and impact of development, humanitarian and advocacy work in the region. The 2019 meeting took place on 3-4 September in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, where delegates from faith-based organisations and churches in Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Malawi looked deeply at how to increase their preparedness for a coordinated regional response to disasters. Discussions were deepened with input from the SDG Center for Africa based in Rwanda, the National University for Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, and the ACT Alliance teams from Nairobi and Geneva.

The delegates spent some time updating internal matters, and the leadership of Ashmeer Joseph was appreciated as he was returned as the Regional Chair. For more information, you can reach him on director@elcsads.org.za
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ACT Ubumbano network participants also actively engage with the Southern African People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN), which has just concluded its People’s Summit parallel to the SADC Governmental Summit.