Grantees
The following grantees reflect our ongoing focus on human rights-centered activist organizations and social movements that advocate for the voiceless and vulnerable of South Africa.
Abahlali baseMjondolo, Durban The shack-dwelling communities collective, Abahlali, has grown from a regional movement to an international model for landless people around the globe. Abahlali is fighting against evictions and forced removals sanctioned under the notorious Slums Clearance Bill which seeks to rid KwaZulu-Natal of informal settlements before the 2010 World Cup comes to South Africa.
Anti-Privatisation Forum, Johannesburg With the private sector taking over utilities, prices for water, electricity and most other services continue to rise. Cutoffs and the continued prevalence of prepaid meters have caused many to go without basic necessities. In order to attain universal access to basic services, APF member organizations are educating, organizing and mobilizing people to force change in government policy.
Artist Proof Studio’s Advocacy Unit, Johannesburg Artist Proof is a world-class printmaking studio that acts as a breeding ground for developing township artists. SADF has been funding the Studio’s Saturday class for the last couple years, a skills-development directive that coaches aspiring artists in the creation of a portfolio. Along with their printmaking and their teaching, Artist Proof has now ventured into social justice and HIV/AIDS advocacy with its Advocacy Unit. The Advocacy Unit’s goals are to immerse the students at Artist Proof with a social justice consciousness by focusing on particularly relevant human rights issues, partnering with NGO’s, and engaging with the government.
Children’s Rights Centre, Durban The Children’s Rights Centre was created in 1988 in response to gross violations to children’s rights in South Africa. During the past eight years, the organization has taken the lead on the impact of the AIDS epidemic on children’s rights and is an active member of the South African National AIDS Council.
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Johannesburg The South African government’s passive response to the disastrous situation in Zimbabwe motivated this civil society group to action. In response, Crisis in Zimbabwe's Johannesburg office organizes South African NGOs working for democracy in Zimbabwe and disseminates news, stats, and background information to the international and domestic press corps as well as the thousands of Zimbabwe refugees in South Africa.
Direct Action Centre for Peace and Memory, Cape Town DACPM has a dual mission: to be a support system for former Umkhonto We Sizwe liberation combatants, political prisoners and torture victims, and to promote peace-building through its workshops and heritage tours. Former freedom fighters lead the organization’s Journey of Remembrance tour of sites of significant anti-apartheid events that occurred in Cape Town’s townships.
Freedom of Expression Institute, Johannesburg The Freedom of Expression Institute monitors censorship in South Africa, protecting the rights of grassroots social movements to assemble and dissent by providing legal assistance and a revolving bail fund. SADF helped fund FXI’s new anti-censorship and anti-repression legal assistance fund.
groundWork, Pietermaritzburg Acting as both an advocate for vulnerable communities and a corporate pollution watchdog, groundWork has become one of the leading environmental justice organizations in South Africa. GroundWork tackles the issues of air quality, waste management and industrial pollution by empowering affected communities with information and helping them to organize effective awareness campaigns and mass protests.
Ilitha Lomso, Khayelitsha Ilitha Lomso is a small, youth-focused environmental justice and conservation organization in Khayelitsha that concentrates much of its work on water usage/service delivery in their impoverished community and the protection of the nearby Macassar Dunes. To combat the problems, Ilitha Lomso train youths in community education, as well as information gathering and research methods.
Social Justice Coalition, Cape Town The Social Justice Coalition began in 2008 as a response to the xenophobic violence that erupted in South Africa and the government's weak response to the crisis. They have now evolved into a broader activist organization focused on keeping the South African government accountable for its treatment of the country's most vulnerable and marginalised.
Sonke Gender Justice, Cape Town Male attitudes toward condoms, testing, and ARV therapy, combined with the disproportionately high rate of domestic violence and rape in South Africa, have created an unfortunate cycle of infection. Sonke Gender Justice aims to create a more just society through its One Man Can Campaign, where boys and men are provided with the resources, tools and education to reverse this trend.
Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee, Johannesburg This populist social movement, founded by Soweto-based veterans of the struggle for democracy, is tireless in its fight for free basic services, including water, electricity, housing, education, health care and public transport. Although the bulk of their work remains in public campaigns, SECC has established an advice office to dispense free legal assistance on evictions and service cutoffs.
Treatment Action Campaign, Cape Town Now in its 11th year, the Treatment Action Campaign continues to be South Africa’s leading voice for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention advocacy. Whether it be their work with treatment literacy, community health, challenging governmental policy, or pushing for efficient implementation of the National Strategic Plan, TAC remains one of the most essential activist organizations in the country.
Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance, Sasolburg VEJA is a coalition of organizations representing communities adversely affected by pollution in the heavily industrialized Vaal Triangle. VEJA has evolved into an indispensable watchdog which oversees the monitoring of waste management, air quality, and the impact of industrial pollutants in the region.
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Cape Town As part of the Poor People’s Alliance, the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign advocates for adequate and fair housing practices in the Western Cape. Recently, the Anti-Eviction Campaign’s time and energy has been spent protesting the housing department’s ambitious N2 Gateway Project, which has evicted thousands of shack-dwelling families from their homes in the Cape Flats.
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