This month, our Interim CEO, Dr. Shungu Gwarinda was privileged to deliver a keynote address at The Great Funders Conference in Sandton. The event called different development partners, academics, and stakeholders from the development space from around Johannesburg to look into ways of developing the first South Africa CSI development agenda. The event themed ‘The Localised Sustainable Goals’ narrowed down on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were established to hold governments accountable towards achieving a sustainable future for all in areas of equality, poverty, climate change, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice.
The theme of the event aimed at Engaging Corporate Social Investors in building partnerships for transformation with non-profit organisation; maximizing joint efforts to fight inequality and towards eliminating poverty , Agenda 2030.
The Great Funders’ Conference report published by Corporate Social Responsibility News South Africa on 30th September 2019 revealed many gaps in how CSI is currently undertaken. In the coming months, we hope to dialogue further on how we may deepen our support for employees and their communities, broaden our reach, and collaborate with one another to boost the effectiveness of what we do, all under the umbrella of The Citizen’s Agenda.
To get more news on the event contact: info@gracamacheltrust.org
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.