The Crisp Trust

CONTACT PERSON: Bhanumathi Devnarain PHYSICAL ADDRESS: Suite 2 Brentley 100 Bulwer Road Glenwood Durban South Africa, 4001 TELEPHONE: +27 (0)31 2028081/2 FAX: +27 31 2028071 E-MAIL:bashi@crispcc.co.zaCrisp’s vision is the provision of appropriate, socially relevant training, research and facilitation that contribute to a well functioning and peaceful society. With this in mind CRISP identifies and responds to training, research and facilitation needs in the broader community, and with a specific emphasis on communities that have been historically under resourced.

Aims

• The provision of training services to a range of sectors, including the education system (educators, school learners and the broader school community).
• Research that will make a socially relevant contribution, specifically to inform interventions that are appropriate for their contexts.
• Facilitate dialogue, interaction and networking among individuals, organisations and communities for the enhancement of the functioning of these entities.

Areas of work During the year under review Crisp’s primary focus remained intervention, training and research that worked towards the creation of a more enabling environment for children and youth in order that they realise their inherent rights. In particular the primary activities of the Crisp Trust were focussed on:

• Role of service in Service Learning at higher education institutions’ supported by Joint Education Trust. Service Learning is a process through which students are involved in community work that contributes significantly to positive change in individuals, organisations and to larger systems in the community. The implication is that there is a firm commitment for academic institutions to contribute to the reconstruction and development of its surrounding communities by connecting with the priorities of local communities as well as the broader society;
• Whole School Development Programme - Linking School, Home and Community’ in partnership with NOVIB Netherlands. Young people in South Africa are exposed to violence in many forms. Often the impact of the violence manifests itself in the school context and this makes school-based interventions highly appropriate. In addition, the school setting appeared to be a logical point from which to launch any such attempts both as it has become clear that it has been (and continues to be) the site of many injustices against the girl child (Human Rights Watch, 2001), and that it provides a structured environment within which interventions could, ideally and potentially be integrated into curriculum content and in this way be incorporated into the broader ‘life space’ of children as they learn to apply their school-based knowledge to the wider world. The project is being implemented across 5 schools in each of the four regions of KwaZulu-Natal (Kokstad, Port Shepstone, Jozini, Ingwavuma and Empangeni);
• Exploring the potential for partnership between local NGO’s and local municipalities in implementing children’s rights with focus on access to food in Umkhanyakude District supported by Oxfam Australia. Research was conducted for this component of the work;
• Food Security supported by Seeds For Africa. The seeds were donated to the Hlabisa Municipality to promote and supplement food production within Crèche facilities within the jurisdiction;
• University of Michigan, International Research Training Programme. Starting in 2002, Crisp has hosted annually a group of American students conducting research on youth violence in South Africa. Crisp staff has mentored and coordinated the research conducted by students. The qualitative research focused on exploring risk factors for violent and criminal behaviour among young people and the qualitative research related to services to orphan and vulnerable children;
• Child Labour Supported by International Labour Organisation, through the South African Programme Towards the elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour. Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, Arts and the Media involved an Action Programme implemented by Crisp and its partners in Kokstad, KZN. This programme aimed at identifying child labourers and children at risk in the above geographical area. The programme focussed on education, services connected to education and social security. The objectives of the Action Programme included: preventing/withdrawing 650 children from child labour; strengthen the capacity of partner organizations in dealing with child labour; training educators on child labour issues; and raising awareness with caregivers on child labour.

Crisp has also produced materials consisting of two booklets: a manual titled ‘Capacity building resources: Using education to prevent and eliminate child labour’ and an activity manual.

Conclusion The work carried out through the above projects has impacted on the lives of the children and broader communities that they have served. This has been confirmed by both the research based evaluation processes and through ongoing contact with children and their communities.