Strategies for strengthening social cohesion in a Pandemic
September 9, 2021Building a socially cohesive society in a deeply divided and economically unequal society
September 13, 2021
Working with Communities in Umlazi Township, Durban South, and surroundings Msizi Khumalo is an Executive Director and Civic Educator for the Centre for Community Development (CCD)
CCD is a network that facilitates and monitors the social and economic development or advancement of the community, for the community to be partners in this.
This is done through the following Programs Rendered to the Community which is:
- Skills Development
- Community Mobilization
- Community Dialogues
- Social Crime Prevention
- Commemoration of Calendar Events
- Patriotism and Social Cohesion Program
- Social-Ills Awareness Campaign
- Social Behaviour Change Program
Guided by these Objectives:
- To be a vehicle for community development and addresses the challenges facing it,
- To lobby or advocacy government, public and private institutions in the community development sector,
- To act as an umbrella body or network for local Community-Based Organizations,
- To facilitate access to resources, information, training, and research opportunities for its network members,
- To have an integrated and positive approach in and around the issues of community development and,
- To promote economic participation for the community by entrepreneurship promotion.
“I started working with DDP whilst I was in Umlazi Community Resources as the then Centre Manager in 2005.
I have benefited immensely from DDP through the Training and Information they shared with us which brought to the start of floating the idea of starting the organization called Centre for Community Development and in 2007 was registered started its operations in 2012”, said Khumalo.
Adding that DDP has been and continues hosting Civic Education Dialogues in different communities through its partner organizations and individuals whom they have trained in Facilitating such. Hosted Civil Society engagements with the IEC of which a role of Civil Society Organisations in the Local Government Elections was employed.
DDP aims to build strong and active communities that can participate and able hold those in power to account. Hosting also the following helps us to prepare for the upcoming Local Government Elections which are:
- public and political forums that produce a constructive dialogue
- democracy education
- opportunity to observing elections
- capacity building for civil society and strengthening it to hear, and able to make the community voices heard
