Community development in Lesedi & Letsatsi: Lessons on partnership - DGMT's Place-based Synergies

HANDS-ON Experience Learning October 2023 | Issue 25

PLACE-BASED SYNERGIES

Place-based interventions unlock the true power of DGMT’s 10 opportunities to escape the inequality gap.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LESEDI AND LETSATSI: LESSONS ON PARTNERSHIPS FROM DGMT’S PLACE-BASED SYNERGIES TEAM To improve developmental outcomes in economically depressed communities, we need holistic investment from womb to adulthood. This investment aims to bridge opportunity gaps and establish pathways toward selfsufficiency. The involvement of DGMT’s place-based synergies team in the Lesedi Solar Park Trust (Lesedi) and the Letsatsi Solar Park Trust (Letsatsi) aims to assess and showcase the effectiveness of a comprehensive package of socio-economic development interventions in communities, spanning a minimum of 20 years. Successful partnerships play a pivotal role in achieving the desired outcomes in both Lesedi and Letsatsi.

This brief seeks to explore the lessons learned and challenges faced within partnerships facilitated

by DGMT’s place-based synergies approach, which involves implementing partners, communities and other stakeholders.

1

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LESEDI AND LETSATSI

Issue 25 /// October 2023

DGMT’s role in managing community development funds DGMT’s place-based synergies team is responsible for managing community development funds for the Lesedi Solar Park Trust and the Letsatsi Solar Park Trust (the trusts). They are community trusts, established in accordance with the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme. The Trusts each have a mandate to invest in black people living within a 50km radius of the power plants that fund them. Funding is secured for a 20-year period, with the possibility of extension. The DGMT team has been working with the trusts since 2017.

The Lesedi Power Project is situated in the Northern Cape. As a result, the Lesedi Trust directs its investments towards three towns and four rural settlements: Postmasburg, Danielskuil, Groenwater, Lime Acres, Skeifontein, Beeshoek and Maranteng. On the other hand, the Letsatsi Power Project is situated in the Free State, prompting the Letsatsi Trust to invest in three towns in close proximity: Bloemfontein, Dealesville and Soutpan.

The DGMT team comprises community project coordinators (referred to as CPCs) who partner with implementing teams, local leaders, stakeholders and community members to support local ownership and co-creation. Patricia Sebelego serves as the CPC for the Lesedi Community Trust in the Northern Cape, Tlholohelo Ramosoeu works with the Letsatsi Community Trust in the Free State as a CPC, and Sinazo Nkwelo leads the team as its director.

BACKGROUND: LIFE IN LESEDI AND LETSATSI The proliferation of mining activities in the Lesedi area (there are 13 mines and three power companies) has led to substantial population growth and urbanisation. This has intensified pressure on municipal services and caused issues including overcrowded schools.1 Despite significant economic activity in and around these communities, unemployment remains high and people continue to face overlapping burdens and hindrances.

A Youth Survey conducted in Tsantsabane Local Municipality, a central municipality within the Lesedi Trust’s catchment area, revealed that 79% of young people were unemployed.2 Consequently, most young people either have no income at all, or earn less than R1 000 per month. Even those who are employed earn low salaries, averaging around R5 000 per month or less.3 1 2 3

"Escaping the inequality trap - DGMT’S five-year strategy 2023 – 2026” Quantify Research (2018). Tsantsabane Youth Survey

This predicament is not unique to the Tsantsabane Local Municipality; all communities within the Lesedi and Letsatsi catchment areas have relatively low economic activity and high unemployment rates. These communities also grapple with inadequate services like inconsistent access to clean water and proper sanitation. Tsantsabane Local Municipality, for example, has struggled with water supply issues for several years, largely due to debt owed to the Sedibeng Water Board4, resulting in prolonged water suspensions that impact businesses, schools and childcare facilities.

In 2018, the Lesedi and Letsatsi Trusts commissioned a baseline assessment of access to and quality of early childhood development (ECD) services in their catchment communities. The assessment revealed that fewer than half of children under the age of six were accessing early learning centres. To close this early learning gap, the trusts partnered with SmartStart to implement a playgroup model, offering sessional programmes for children a few times a week.

4

Available here: https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/n-cape-residents-wantanswers-to-water-crisis/

Escaping the inequality trap.” Available here: https://tinyurl.com/3mersdw8

GOAL 1, 2 & 3 ///

Place-based synergies

2

In 2022, Flourish mom-and-baby classes were introduced in the trusts’ areas to bolster ECD services. These classes educate parents on the importance of good maternal and child nutrition and maternal mental health in the crucial first 1 0005 days of a child’s life.

“In our communities the awareness that a child’s development starts in the womb did not exist because antenatal care is something that our people really could not afford,” explains Ramosoeu (DGMT team member in the Free State). By engaging with mothers, Flourish aims to address childhood stunting6 and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)7, both prevalent issues in these communities.

THE PLACE-BASED SYNERGIES APPROACH TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

“With 20 years of funding, potentially longer, we have an opportunity to change things for a generation of children. A child born today will have better prospects 20 to 30 years from now than their parents did. Hopefully, they will have a level of self-sufficiency and social mobility that their parents did not have.”

Sinazo Nkwelo, DGMT innovation director, place-based synergies

Ensuring that every South African child reaches their full potential in adulthood requires coordinated programmes that address their needs at every developmental stage, starting in the womb. The approach acknowledges that strategic investments in early childhood development yield cost-effective benefits in later stages. However, interventions focusing solely on the child, outside of their household and family context, risk inefficacy. This is because healthy and supportive families are a key contributor to human development, and these families thrive within flourishing communities. Hence, evidence underscores that effective human development demands successful collaboration with households and communities.

3

5

The first 1 000 days of a child’s life (i.e. from conception to age two) is an opportunity to establish a foundation for their academic success, health and general well-being.

However, it is also a period of vulnerability to stunting. For more information visit: https://www.growgreat.co.za/

6

Stunting is a (largely preventable) condition where young children are short for their age and do not reach their full growth potential due to chronic nutritional deprivation, repeated infections and poor psycho-social stimulation. See DGMT Hands-on Learning Brief, Issue 24.

7

FASD is caused when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol. The alcohol poisons the unborn baby and may damage any of their organs, although the brain and the nervous system are the most vulnerable.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LESEDI AND LETSATSI

Issue 25 /// October 2023

KEY MILESTONES FROM WOMB TO ADULTHOOD FLOURISH

A social franchise helping parents provide responsive caregiving to their children through evidence-based mom and baby classes.

NAL'IBALI Nal’ibali (isiXhosa for “here’s the story”) is a national reading-for-enjoyment campaign. It seeks to spark and embed a culture of reading in children from birth to 12 years of age, across South Africa, through cultivating, enticing reading content in all South African languages.

WORDWORKS

Wordworks is a South African non-profit organisation that focuses on early language and literacy development in the first eight years of children’s lives.

postseco postseco high sch middle g early gra kinderga healthy

pregnan

rten rea

de readin

rade ma t

ool grad

ndar y en

employm n d a r y co

e nt

mpletion

rolment

uation

h

g

diness

cies

TIMCA: Math club program

SMARTSTART:

TARL:

A social franchise that aims to expand access to quality early learning in South Africa for three- and four-year-old children.

The Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach targets the root of the learning crisis by transforming the structures that lead to it.

Figure 1: Key milestones from womb to adulthood

GOAL 1, 2 & 3 ///

Place-based synergies

4

The trusts’ programmatic and funding investments aim to assist communities in reaching their developmental milestones while injecting much-needed funding to stimulate economic activity. Examples of this include:

SMARTSTART AND FLOURISH Both are social franchise models.

SmartStart aims to expand access to quality early learning for three- and four-year-old children. Flourish assists parents in providing responsive caregiving through mom-and-baby classes.

The implementing partner is the franchisor and specially selected and trained members of the community become franchisees. Franchisees receive free training, educational materials and a small stipend to support their micro-businesses.

A coach offers moral support and ensures programme fidelity during implementation.

The standard models assume that parents pay fees, which generate income for the franchisees. However, in poorer communities, SmartStarters require regular stipends to cover their costs since parents are unlikely to afford fees for early learning services.

SmartStart No. of Children (currently)

No. of Franchisees

395

58

157

37

Lesedi Letsatsi

Flourish No. of moms (currently)

No. of Hosts

140

6

36

2

Lesedi Letsatsi

SOCIAL CHANGE ASSISTANCE TRUST (SCAT) The SCAT is an NGO that acts as an intermediary that provides financial support, mentorship, and capacity building to community-based organisations (CBOs) to strengthen their organisational management and programme implementation.

SCAT No. of CBOs Supported Lesedi Letsatsi

6 6

Table 1: This table shows the number of children, hosts and franchisees supported by SmartStart and Flourish in Lesedi and Letsatsi.

It also shows the number of CBOs supported by SCAT. 5

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LESEDI AND LETSATSI

Issue 25 /// October 2023

WHAT DOES PARTNERSHIP MEAN TO THE DGMT PLACEBASED SYNERGIES TEAM? DGMT’s approach aims to ensure that development happens with communities, not to them. Achieving this requires communities to be involved in all stages of development.

The process begins by consulting community members about their needs, understanding the challenges they face, and identifying local resources that can be supported to better address these needs. The nature of engagement with community members varies. At its basic level, engagement ensures community awareness of DGMT’s work. More meaningful engagement includes involving community members as consultative stakeholders, co-creators, and implementing partners.

"Community leadership in development processes is important to us. Over the years, we have learned that this leadership can take a number of forms but must be anchored in community engagement and trust."

Partnerships take place in the context of, and in service to, community development and come in at least two forms, as outlined below:

PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES DGMT partners with community members and communitybased organisations in a number of ways. In some instances, the partnership approach involves investing in communityled programmes and interventions. In other instances, partnership entails working with community members as employees in programmes led by external organisations or involving them as advisors or trustees.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH NGOS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS Occasionally, the expertise required to address community issues is not locally available. In these instances, DGMT partners with NGOs or service providers from outside the communities in question, yet capable of implementing best practice programmes. Getting community buy-in and input in development processes led by external organisations remains a key element of DGMT’s strategy and values.

Sinazo Nkwelo, DGMT innovation director, place-based synergies

GOAL 1, 2 & 3 ///

Place-based synergies

6

LESSONS FROM PARTNERSHIPS WITH COMMUNITIES

1

COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVE TRUSTEES OFFER VALUABLE INSIGHT AND CREDIBILITY

Community representative trustees contribute significantly to both partnership strategies and implementation. Trustees are typically individuals who are deeply rooted in the area, well-connected, and respected in their community. When they speak in meetings and conversations, others tend to listen.

In the Free State, Kegomoditswe Gladys Mokhobo, a former mayor and community trustee, plays a pivotal role. She sits on the School Governing Body of Tshomarelo primary school and provides guidance to the DGMT team on critical community dynamics. Her experience and commitment have helped align implementation models with community needs. As Tlholohelo Ramosoeu (DGMT team member in the Free State) explains, “With stakeholder management, her experience as a former politician has been instrumental in helping us find the right approach to engaging the local municipality … her objectivity and commitment to the wellbeing of her community and desire to see tangible impact has helped us recognise where implementation models and operational processes were contextually misaligned.”

“As a citizen of Dealesville, I know first-hand that many in my community are unemployed and uneducated, so I agreed to be part of the Trust to make a difference, because I know about the needs in my community. I am helping in administering and distributing funds that will meet these needs.”

Kegomoditswe Gladys Mokhobo, Letsatsi community trustee

In Danielskuil in the Nothern Cape, when community members protested outside the SmartStart coach’s house because they were dissatisfied with their stipends, local trustee Fritz Steenkamp intervened. He facilitated an emergency meeting, contacted the SmartStart head office and ensured he was present at all related meetings. Patricia Sebelego (DGMT team member in the Northern Cape) says that Steencamp played an invaluable role in getting the programme back on track.

7

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN LESEDI AND LETSATSI

2

ADOPT A DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH WHEN PARTNERING WITH LOCAL ORGANISATIONS

Community-based organisations in deeply rural communities often lack funding and opportunities for skills development.

In such instances, an intermediary like the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT) secures investments from larger foundations to provide funding and capacity building services to CBOs. DGMT enlisted SCAT to provide support and connect CBOs to organisations in rural areas facing similar developmental challenges.

One of the contextual challenges that CBOs face is developing governance and resource management skills. SCAT, with its 38 years of experience, supports CBOs in these areas. Joanne Harding, SCAT Executive Director, explains: “It would not be developmental to put money into organisations without adequate capacity building support, especially if they are new to managing money and reporting to donors. SCAT provides support and capacity building to ensure a sustainable transition from having fewer financial resources to managing a large pool of funds.”

Many CBOs report that SCAT’s support positively impacts both their organisational development and their staff’s personal development as agents of social change.

3

BE IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN

SCAT’s experience underscores that development takes time. In communities like these, ad-hoc development projects often stall due to minor obstacles. For instance, a beekeeping project in the Lesedi catchment area struggled after the vandalisation of a solar panel that powered a borehole. Water could not be pumped into the project’s gardens, which withered, causing the bee population to dwindle. With support from the Lesedi Trust, SCAT continues to seek solutions, like relocating the solar panel to prevent further vandalism. This approach capitalises on the trained beekeepers’ knowledge and skills to provide a more sustainable income in the long run.

“We value the fact that this is a long-term project. We can’t just give projects money and then walk away.

If you want to see transformation you must be in it for the long haul.”

Joanne Harding, SCAT Executive Director

Issue 25 /// October 2023

LESSONS FROM PARTNERING WITH NGOS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS At times, NGOs with a proven track record lack a presence in local rural communities. In such cases, community trusts might consider partnering with NGOs from outside their communities. DGMT views this as an opportunity to achieve specific outcomes and transfer skills locally. Partnerships with SmartStart and Flourish exemplify this approach.

1

FREQUENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS VITAL

During the early stages of the SmartStart social franchise programme’s rollout in the Lesedi catchment area, 12 franchisees took the project’s implementing partner to the ​ Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over a stipend disagreement. This two-year legal wrangle disrupted the project’s implementation. Fortunately, the setback did not deter others from becoming franchisees, resulting in steady growth to around 60 practitioners implementing the programme. Although the CCMA dismissed the case, SmartStart learned the importance of more frequent engagement in these communities.

Typically, SmartStart’s community engagement model becomes less frequent once implementation progresses, but in this instance, it was clear that more engagement was needed. Sane Mdlalose, SmartStart Chief Growth Officer, explains: “You need to know how the SmartStart programme is being experienced on the ground, what challenges the franchisees are having, [and] what kinds of challenges the people are having with regards to payment of fees – that kind of understanding needs to happen more frequently.”

Mdlalose says engaging with ward councillors and leadership structures is crucial, because they are well positioned to support programmes when implementation issues arise. For example, SmartStart occasionally found that expansion was hindered because of a lack of safe spaces to host playgroups or early learning programmes. As Mdlalose explains, finding spaces to implement the SmartStart programme requires partnerships and buy-in from councillors: “A piece of ground can be utilised with a container, but that needs the councillor to weigh in.” These stakeholders become active partners in development, and can help unlock land and spaces for programme implementation. Building trusting relationships with these stakeholders requires time and frequent engagement.

GOAL 1, 2 & 3 ///

2

CONTEXT MATTERS, SO BE ADAPTABLE

In poorer communities, the standard social franchise model was not viable because parents were unable to afford fees.

Thus, the trusts increased the stipend paid to franchisees.

Sometimes original models must be tweaked to achieve desired outcomes. For instance, the frequency of a programme might need to be adjusted. Initially children in Letsatsi were offered the minimum dosage of the playgroup model – a three-hour session, twice a week. Parents expressed dissatisfaction, as they wanted the children to be engaged for longer periods while they were working or seeking employment. As a result, SmartStart introduced the day mother model, which operates for a full day, five days a week. This adaptation, launched in 2022, provides children with extended engagement and enrichment.

Nkwelo emphasises the importance of understanding the local context and being patient with organisations as they adapt their approaches to community needs. She explains: “Our funding approach used to be that we would fund organisations to roll out their programmes based on their track record in other contexts, without giving them time to better understand the nuances of each new community they expand into. This meant that organisations missed the opportunity to test their assumptions in a new context, accurately determine costs, and link up with existing community assets and resources.”

“Now, we begin many of our partnerships with a design phase, allowing NGOs time to engage with beneficiaries and relevant local stakeholders before rolling out their programmes. This is also a great opportunity for local stakeholders to get a detailed understanding of the programme and determine if they want it in their communities.”

Sinazo Nkwelo, DGMT innovation director, placebased synergies.

Place-based synergies

8

3

FOSTER INPUT DIVERSITY, FROM MANAGERS TO IMPLEMENTERS

Community members sometimes felt their lived experiences were overlooked. For example, the standard Flourish model was piloted in a context where franchisees (also referred to as hosts) could afford to cover certain operational costs, like transport to training events, out of pocket and be reimbursed later. However, this was not always possible for Flourish hosts in the poorer catchment areas of Lesedi and Letsatsi, as they were often sole breadwinners.

Franchise models are about replication and standardisation.

This design principle can make it hard to adapt such programmes, especially if the capacity to do so is not built into the model. This demand to innovate in a context where so much is standardised can take time. It requires leadership to distinguish between unalterable elements and those that can be adapted to local contexts. Listening to those implementing the models is crucial, as they are best placed to identify what works and how things can be adapted in a contextually appropriate way. Including them as valuable and equal partners fosters a collaborative approach. DGMT’s approach now involves both senior team members and those at the implementation level in management meetings. Empowering on-the-ground staff with strategic management skills enables informed decision-making when obstacles arise.

WHAT'S NEXT? Years of project implementation in the Lesedi and Letsatsi catchment areas have yielded valuable lessons for DGMT. Moving forward, the team recognises the need for empowering residents with economic and political agency.

Mitigating political risks is essential, as local government and leadership disputes can affect project rollouts. Ensuring synergy and coordination among projects is also a priority.

1

EMPOWERMENT WITH ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL AGENCY

Functional local government is crucial for effective development. Active citizenry is important if people are to demand better services from their local government.

To do so, they need to know about the mechanisms available to them to initiate change.

POLITICAL 2 ADDRESS ROADBLOCKS Many communities within the Lesedi and Letsatsi catchment areas experience politically charged climates.

3 ENHANCE PROJECT COORDINATION

DGMT hosts bi-annual events with all its partners to enable better integration. WhatsApp groups are also widely used, and recently the trust created a monthly newsletter where programmes can share information about their plans.

The bi-annual events help to foster cohesion and a shared vision among implementing organisations and their staff.

“Politics or personal issues between people need to be managed so they don’t become a problem in the work that you are doing. A politically fraught atmosphere means that people can be afraid to speak up or act on behalf of their communities.”

Tlholohelo Ramosoeu, DGMT team member in the Free State

This learning brief was written by Daniella Horwitz and edited by Rahima Essop, with contributions from DGMT’s place-based synergies team, SCAT, SmartStart and Flourish.

Th i s i s t h e l e a r n i n g ex p e r i e n c e of :

"We value the fact that this is a long-term project.

We can’t just give projects money and then walk away.

If you want to see transformation, you must be in it for the long haul."

Joanne Harding, SCAT Executive Director

GOAL 1, 2 & 3 ///

Place-based synergies

10