Providing Access to Services: Street Children Project

Making visions come true

GCIS official, Marlene Hendricks, with the Vaalkoppies community

Beaufort West, February 2007 - Making our vision come true means ensuring access to integrated information and services, to build a better quality life for all. So logically, it is up to the partners of the Thusong Service Centre programme to co-ordinate their efforts to ensure services are indeed accessible to everyone. This may literally mean bringing services to the people! Ultimately, the success of a Thusong Service Centre is measured by the impact on the local community, bringing tangible improvements to people’s lives. In this regard, the Beaufort West Thusong Service Centre programme measures well. Reaching beyond the limits of the town to the marginalised homeless at Vaalkoppies dumping site, it brings government and other services to their doorstep.

Better lives for the poorest of the poor are no longer a dream but reality. Initially, information-sharing sessions on access to mass economic opportunities were organised at the dumping site by the Beaufort West Thusong Service Centre’s Senior Communication Officer, Marelene Hendricks. In partnership with the district municipality of Beaufort West, all stakeholders were mobilised to uplift and empower the homeless on the site. What started off as a project to inform and uplift the poor, is now a sustainable project reflected in the Integrated Development Plan cycle for 2007 − 2011. Government Communications (GCIS) co-ordinates the project, called Bringing Government to the Homeless People, on behalf of the district municipality and other partners.

The integrated efforts of the private sector and government departments made a difference to the project. The municipality is actively involved in improving the conditions in which these people live through funding and development. Water is now delivered on a weekly basis and temporary toilet facilities have been erected. A leading businessman (Solly Herchellman), the Departments of Labour, Land Affairs, Social Development, the Independent Electoral Commission, Badisa and the Traffic Violation System (private), are making a real contribution to our national effort to halve poverty by 2014.