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..in honour of Youth Day.. APRIL—JUNE 2014 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Newsletter Voice Connection

Voice Connection Newsletter

A Word from the Managing Director

IN THIS ISSUE:

We are on the move again! Page 1

Schools Programme Update Page 2

Longitudinal Intervention Study Page 2

Communications Chatter Page 3

Funder Focus Page 3

Staff Update Page 4

More Photos! Page 4

SANIBONANI friends of OneVoice South Africa (OVSA)!

Welcome to the June edition of our Voice Connection

Newsletter honouring national YOUTH DAY!

Following the Soweto uprising in 1976, which tragically

also led to the death of student Hector Pieterson, June

16th became National Youth Day in South Africa and in

1991 the African Union christened it the Day of the

African Child. Every year, this day is set aside to not

only commemorate the Soweto uprising, but also to

demand better education for all African children.

Increasing the availability and visibility of HIV and TB

education, information and prevention services could

dramatically reduce the number of new infections

among adolescents in South Africa. And this is why

OVSA is so passionate about partnering with young

people in school on critical health and lifestyle issues.

For far too many years, young people were ignored or

sidelined when it came to developing interventions or

policies regarding their health and futures. Thankfully

those days are long gone. Today young people are able

and willing to lead on health policy reforms,

peer-to-peer education programmes and the

promotion of the early detection of HIV and TB through

knowledge sharing.

OVSA provides young people with a safe platform to

openly discuss and debate the critical issues they face

on a daily basis. Guided by our OVSA Facilitators,

learners identify critical issues prevalent in their school

or school community and translate knowledge to

action. ...It truly is a case of taking ownership of the

problem and implementing a solution. From all those

at OVSA, young people, we salute you!! You are truly

inspiring!

Marlijn van Berne, Managing Director

WE ARE ON THE MOVE AGAIN!!

Dear Friend of OVSA, unfortunately we are moving

again!

Please note and adjust your records accordingly, that

we are sadly moving out of our lovely premises at 29

Esther Roberts Road, Glenwood, Durban, on the 1st of

May, and will be moving to our new premises at

60 Helen Joseph Road, Glenwood, Durban (just

around the corner!)

Our telephone number, fax number and email

addresses remain the same. However, should you not

be able to reach us during this time, please contact

the following:

Marlijn van Berne (Managing Director) - 082 898 0771

Karen Fuhri (Senior Administrator) - 082 4650 328 Pienaar Motabene (Programme & Research Manager) -

083 4016 241.

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APRIL-JUNE 2014 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Voice Connection Newsletter

Schools Programme Update

Longitudinal Intervention Study

During this quarter, OVSA has begun its evaluation

process to assess over time how the the Schools

Programme influences the lives and decisions that

learners make in comparison to that of their peers

who do not participate in OVSA projects. More over,

it is through this evaluation process that OVSA is

able to see how students understand and

conceptualise the lessons taught to them by the

OVSA Facilitators.

“What I like most about coming to class is learning

about things such as HIV an TB, and getting to

discuss them with my friends” - Learner (Grade 8).

To complete this evaluation the Schools Programme

team traveled to six school within the eThekwini

and ILembe school districts (Zwelibanzi High School,

KwaMgaga High School, J.G. Zuma High School, and

Nkosibomvu High School) and administered online

surveys via mobile phone technology (Mobenzi). The

online survey asked students a series of one

hundred questions about topics ranging from

prescribed notions of gender roles, and where

students primarily learn about topics ranging from

sex and sexuality, to questions about HIV and STI

transmission. In addition to participating in the

survey, students were also asked to speak about the

longitudinal study and how it has influenced the

decisions they make in their daily lives.

“Through the students who participated in the

Longitudinal Intervention Study we have managed to

trace approximately 85% percent of of the learners

currently involved in this endeavour, and will be able

to compare the study data for analysis.”

- Pienaar Motabene, Programme and Research

Manager.

Learners using the Mobenzi cell phone technology as

part of the LIS.

LIFE SKILLS PROJECT (GRADE 8)

The Grade 8 Life Skills Project has progressed well during

the first half of 2014. To date all the schools have

completed workshop 5 on ’Puberty’ (out of 12 annual

workshops). This year Advocacy Project planning has

started early compared to last year, in a bid to “deepen”

the projects and enhance impact. This year, learner-led

Advocacy Projects include: School Environmental Day, TB

Screening and HIV Information, Let it Grow!!, Let’s Ask

(WASH), and Circumcision Information.

LIFE SKILLS PROJECT (GRADE 10)

At J.L Dube High School — which leads on our Grade 10

Project - some classes have completed all the workshops,

while a few classes are left with only four workshops

remaining. In this school, the learners have identified

‘Teenage Pregnancy’ as a critical health and lifestyle

issue facing the school community—and are addressing

this through a targeted Advocacy Project. Other projects

include Menstruation Management and WASH.

ENTERPRISE PROJECT (GRADES 9 & 11)

Early in June, one of the OVSA schools in Umlazi

completed the Enterprise Project, and the remaining

participating seven schools are at Workshop 4 (out of a

series of seven workshops). This year learners will benefit

from two new workshops on ‘CV Writing’ and ‘Interview

Preparation.’

EARLY DETECTION OF TB PROJECT

Towards the end of June, the Early Detection of TB

Project in Umkhanyakude was concluded with a

Stakeholder Meeting (while its partner project in

eThekwini is ongoing until the end of 2014). Most notable,

were the Advocacy Projects at Umkhanyakude led by

OVSA Coordinator, Khanye Thembe and school learners

and staff, which included a TB Information and Screening

Day at three of the seven participating schools. The

campaign days were met with great success — and

supported by the Department of Health’s TB Unit At

Hlabisa.

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APRIL-JUNE 2014 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Voice Connection Newsletter

Communications Chatter

Funding Focus

MySchool/My Village

Thank you again for your valuable support over

the past two months. We are very proud to

announce that we have received the fo l lowing

substantia l f inancia l contributions:

February: R158.51

March: R319.17

April: R247.18

Continue to help us strengthen our Schools Programme

and support young people in KZN by using your card at

one of the following partners: Woolworths, Engene,

Waltons, Reggies, Supaquick, Altech Netstar, and

Kalahari.com. And please remember to fill out a

membership form and apply for your card at your

nearest Woolworths store or by visiting

www.myschool.co.za

Social media as a platform to bring about

awareness and change…

Over the course of this quarter, OVSA has continued to

work on mobilising our presence on both twitter and

Facebook.

It is through our Facebook profile that OVSA continues

to inform and educate not only the communities we

serve but also the global community about topics such

as WASH, and HIV. This is accomplished through the

positing of articles about what is occurring in the

world around these topics, and the projects that OVSA

and our partners are currently implementing on the

ground. It is also through Facebook that we are able

to post updates and photos about all of our programs

and where those who would like to volunteer and

donate to OVSA can do so by liking the OVSA Facebook

page.

Via twitter, OVSA provides both local and global

communities with short and informative messages

about ongoing projects and exciting news around the

topics of WASH and HIV education. It is also through

twitter that readers can learn about how to get

involved, or donate to OVSA and tell them how to find

OVSA on Facebook and the OVSA website.

This quarter we would like to focus on our partner,

OXFAM. OVSA is partnering with AusAid through OXFAM

on their ANCP (AusAID-NGO Cooperation Program)

and Aaces programmes. Founded in 1942, OXFAM is a

UK based organization who through their programs

raise awareness and address structural causes of

poverty around the globe. OXFAM is headquartered in

Oxford England, UK, and is a confederation of 17

organisations that work within 94 nations around the

globe. As an organisation, OXFAM in every programme

strives to uphold and maintain five core social values:

the right to a sustainable livelihood, the right to basic

social services, the right to life and security, the right

to be heard, and the right to an identity. It is through

the upholding and the creating of these values in the

communities that they serve that OXFAM continues to

create greater forms of social and socio-economic

equity across the globe.

Their partnership with OVSA focuses specifically on

WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and introducing

minimum WASH standards in school through the

mobilisation of the school community.

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APRIL-JUNE 2014 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 2

Voice Connection Newsletter

More Longitudinal Intervention Study Photos!

Staff Update

.

All the way from America and new to the OVSA team, at the

communications desk is Arielle N’Diaye! In addition to

volunteering at OVSA, Arielle is currently in Durban

conducting a Richter Fellowship Research Project which is

looking at how public health organisations use music to

provide HIV education to young black adults between the

ages of 18-29 years.

Born in the US, Arielle has worked in many areas of youth

development, most notably the Gear Up 4 LA program.

Gear Up 4 LA is a longitudinal grant and intervention

programme which through mentorship and classroom

assistance, seeks to show low-income and underprivileged

students the many ways in which they can obtain degrees

within the higher education realm.

Arielle currently attends Occidental College in Los Angeles,

California, where she is finishing a BA Sociology. Upon

completing her degree in May 2015, Arielle plans to attend

medical school where she will study to become a

neurosurgeon.

WELCOME ARIELLE!!!