South Africa

The International Fellowships Programme Alumni Association was formally launched on 13 May 2006 at Rosebank, Gauteng, South Africa where it was agreed by the founding members that the Association would be proactive in promoting social justice in South Africa and the world at large. The founding members agreed at the launch to implement a number of activities in pursuit of this objective. The launch was followed by the establishment of a non-profit organization in the form of a voluntary association. The constitution of the Association reflected the following broad objectives:

• Forming a South African Alumni association,
• Forming a forum for the advocacy of social justice in South Africa,
• Carrying out activities aimed at promoting social justice in South Africa and the world at large,
• Acting as a link between South African alumni and other regional and global alumni of the International Fellowships Programme.

Snapshot o Alumni Members

The members of the Association are those who have completed the International Fellowships Programme (IFP). The Association is instrumental in fostering long-lasting bonds among its members consisting of scholars, researchers and professionals. The International Fellowship Programme enabled alumni to enhance their skills for the betterment of their individual and professional lives and more importantly, society at large. The Association has formed the basis of a coordinated approach by alumni towards the promotion of social justice, which would draw upon collective and individual contributions. Participants in the International Fellowships Programme are part of the state, private sector and civil society and accordingly they are uniquely placed to engage in the corridors of powers directly and indirectly. It further allows them to engage effectively for social justice in a multi-pronged and multi-faceted process, which addresses the needs of a diverse community: youth, women, and the physically challenged and other marginalized groups.

The Association is committed to the enduring success of its objectives through the strengthened relationships with the alumni who are dedicated to the promotion of social justice. Future activities are aimed at ensuring the Association’s sustainability: assisting alumni in finding employment upon the completion of their studies, enhancing educational and other skills of alumni, and hosting leadership development programmes aimed at promoting social justice.

The Association’s relationship with prospective alumni begins with the assistance that it would provide in collaboration with the Africa-America Institute in finding suitable academic institutions for fellows of the International Fellowships Programme. This includes the sharing of experiences from alumni and the compilation of written material aimed at facilitating the placement and relocation process. Ongoing support and mentoring are also provided to fellows whilst studying at their host institutions. This includes periodic surveys that would assess the needs of fellows in order to inform intervention strategies. The Association further prepares the fellows for the re-integration process upon the finalization of their study programmes.

Past And Future Alumni Activites

1. Inward Workshops

The Association has engaged in a partnership with the African-American Institute in the hosting of a number of inward workshops focused on enhancing the capacity and skills of alumni and fellows. These workshops, which are hosted in pre-selected venues in South Africa, target all existing alumni and South African-based fellows. Future workshops are aimed at addressing the following needs:

• Linkages with fellows studying locally – regional co-coordinators to prepare database; coordinate formal and informal meetings; arrange workshops/dialogues to assist with academic growth and provide ongoing support; arrange training for students who lack the basic research skills; provide academic support to enhance academic study and opportunities in the development of study strategies.
• Challenges and advantages of the Sandwich Programme – assisting with the selection of appropriate destinations/academic institutions and the choice of acceptable time frames to complete sandwich programmes; opportunity for international academic perspective and cooperative study; enhancing skills and competencies.
• Engaging with broader membership in the planning of activities – decisions in different areas of interest, academic, political, social, educational and economic are broad-based. Planning becomes easier with the contributions of many more sources. This also improves and encourages networking.
• Role of association in the post-selection orientation – Alumni can act as facilitators based on experiences related to the academic development of students. Students are eager to hear from people who have gone through similar processes. Alumni could address challenges/highlights related to various issues such as medical insurance, purchase of equipment, professional enhancement funds and reporting strategies.
• The importance of the ‘buddy system’ – this process is aimed at lending a helping hand to fellows that need to achieve their academic goals. Students can be paired off with Alumni for professional and academic growth. Regular meetings will be encouraged to assist students to meet academic and other deadlines. Because students are drawn from different schooling backgrounds, a close buddy system will assist in closing the gap that exists in the local study area. The emphasis is on basic skills that are necessary for academic success and development.

2. Outward Workshops

The outward workshop is aimed at mobilizing, empowering and enhancing the knowledge base of alumni related to social justice in the South African context. Consideration will be given to practical approaches towards dealing with the challenges of social justice in South Africa. Contributors will include alumni and other experts who will provide different practical and academic perspectives on contributing towards the fulfillment of social justice in South Africa.

Bulungula Incubator Project – Eastern Cape, South Africa

This project has been identified for implementation as it addresses social justice through poverty alleviation, job-creation and skills development in a deep rural area in the Eastern Cape.

The Association will provide the following:

Internship – two interns will be appointed to oversee:

• Administration – the rapid growth of the Bulungula project has resulted in the need for greater administrative capacity.
• Early Childhood Development – an intern with skills and experience in early childhood development could assist with the start up of the Early Learning Centre.
• Engineering / building management - various building activities will be taking place to accommodate the expansion of the organization and its staff. An intern with building management skills will assist with the supervision of local labourers, and impart valuable skills to improve local building capacity.

Early Learning Initiative

• The establishment of a dynamic pre-school for children between 2 and 6 years in the village (integrating education, health, nutrition and social services) in order to lay a solid foundation for learning.
• Foster an appreciation of the importance of early childhood education and promote the concept of family and household as primary sites of learning.
• Encouraging “education activism.”
• Provide mentorship and support for local primary schools to ensure a continuation of education excellence for children graduating from pre-school.
• Support with birth registration and grant access.
• Regular health worker visits – open to all community members and covering immunizations, de-worming, micronutrient supplementation etc.
• Nutritional support - through the provision of balanced daily meals for children attending the centre, and information sharing and training for caregivers.
• Training and support for representatives from other villages interested in establishing similar centers.
• Importantly, the pre-school will create a space in which local skills and resources are respected and celebrated, alongside the latest developments and best practices in early childhood education.

Tools Together Youth Development Programme (Ttydp)

This is a capacity development project in the Limpopo Province. The main focus is on enhancing rural development aimed at:

• Crime prevention
• HIV/AIDS
• Drama
• Career guidance

The Capacity Development Project will equip young people in the rural areas with skills to apply for bursaries and jobs as well as to run an organization. It has been identified that most families in rural areas of Limpopo lack funds to support their children in furthering their studies beyond Grade 12.

3. Ongoing Coordination Organisational Development

In addition to the workshops, the Executive Committee meets on a regular basis to perform a coordination and management function. The day-to-day administration is provided by the African-American Institute (AAI). Further capacity development of alumni is enhanced by the Annual General Meeting which incorporates a seminar that addresses various academic issues.