On World Radio Day (today), Quo Vadis client, The Salvation Army, thanked all radio stations for their help in communicating its messages. Johannesburg community radio station, Radio Today, broadcast this message on its behalf.

The Salvation Army has again called on the public to report suspected cases of human trafficking through its hotline, 08000 73728.

South Africa is sitting on a ticking time bomb and what happened in Marikana is nothing compared to what could happen unless people work hard towards change, according to Ms Sibongile Masangwane, a community leader and activist from Alexandra Township in Gauteng.

A call has been made on Heritage Day (24 September) for the historic schools that have educated many of South Africa’s leaders to be fully restored as cultural icons.

South Africa’s historic schools should be designated as academies that provide publicly funded education in the context of high levels of autonomy, according to Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, Executive Director of the Historic Schools Restoration Project (HSRP).

Right-thinking and morally just South Africans have been called on to be vigilant in opposing attempts to undermine South Africa’s constitution.

Hundreds of youngsters of The Salvation Army are to reach out to their fellow young South Africans during June – Youth Month – and July in an effort to address social challenges such as drug addiction and teenage pregnancies.

As Africa gears up to mark Africa Day on Friday 25 May, The Salvation Army (TSA) is continuing to make a difference in communities in several countries on the continent through its development projects.

With the winter chill starting to bite in many parts of South Africa, The Salvation Army is appealing to the public to donate blankets and clothing to help the needy and homeless.

It is estimated that more than 415 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa rely on agriculture to eke out their living, and the lack of focused investment in infrastructure in rural areas is hampering productivity and growth in the sector.

Media clipping from Daily Dispatch regarding Healdtown school and the recently established Science and Technology Resource Centre at Healdtown in Eastern Cape on 8 May 2012.

The Healdtown Science and Technology Education Resource Centre (STERC), established recently at the Eastern Cape school famous for having educated Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe amongst others, is making a significant difference in the lives of over one hundred learners from surrounding areas.

Although commendable efforts and focus has been put on huge and expensive infrastructure requiring long lead times in Africa (such as port upgrades and highway construction),disproportionately little focus has been placed on relatively cheap infrastructure that facilitates Africa’s people at the grassroots to be productive and engage in economic activities.

One of South Africa’s most vibrant Churches, The Salvation Army, is undergoing a change in its leadership as Lieutenants-Colonel William and Thalitha Langa become Territorial Leaders with the rank of Commissioner of the Southern African region on 1 May 2012.

Africa is gaining increasing recognition as a profitable investment destination and is projected to become the world’s highest-growing region over the next decade. It is for this reason that the discussions of the 2012 meeting of the African Union and Economic Council for Africa’s conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance that took place during 26 and 27 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on how to unleash Africa’s potential as a pole of global growth and global rebalancing were critical.

Developing people that are willing to take entrepreneurial risks and become a pole for economic development in Africa is a prerequisite for the continent to unleash its full potential.

Potential investors and donors should be linked to African communities as the development of the grassroots sector has been left for too long in government’s hands. A concerted effort is needed to unleash the potential of the African people.

As the eastern coastal areas of South Africa mop up after the destruction of tropical storm Irina, The Salvation Army has appealed to the public to provide assistance to those impacted by the heavy rains.

As the global community commemorates International Women’s Day on Thursday 8 March 2012, The Salvation Army has vowed to redouble its efforts to support women and girl victims of human trafficking and domestic abuse.

Recent occurrences concerning human trafficking in some parts of South Africa, prove that the issue is still rife in the country, says The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army is asking South Africans to utilise its SMS service so as to help the children who cannot afford to attend school this year, due to poverty and the high costs of uniforms and books.

Adequate investment in agriculture by African governments and development partners could improve food security, reduce hunger and poverty, as well as manage the devastating effects of famine and climate change, according to African Monitor’s Development Support Monitor (DSM).

Failure to engage the grassroots citizenry will cripple the development agenda of the African continent, says a study released today in Sandton by an independent African monitoring organisation.

The Informal Sector must be included in the development of Africa, according to the independent monitoring agency, African Monitor. In its latest Development Support Monitor (DSM) report released today in Sandton, African Monitor says that this will help increase economic participation and enhance the capability of these communities to independently sustain their own livelihoods.

A strong call for an increase in economic opportunities for grassroots communities and the need and right to self-determination and self-actualisation is evident among communities in Africa as they express the need to independently and sustainably participate in the processes of development.

Wealth creation and economic growth are essential tools for sustainable development in Africa. This finding is contained in the Development Support Monitor (DSM) study, which was released today in Sandton. African Monitor, the independent organisation responsible for the report notes in the study that development of any kind – economic, social and cultural – has to be people focussed.

Africa is on the brink of a major development breakthrough; a momentum that is well-merited and anchored in solid foundations sufficient enough to carry the continent forward at a necessary pace, according to Africa Monitor’s latest Development Support Monitor study.

Burn treatment and management received a boost today as two additional intensive care units were opened at the Johnson & Johnson Burn Treatment Centre (JJBTC) at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Soweto which is commemorating 21 years of burn care and management.

Failure to embrace reconciliation and harmony is a threat to South Africa’s “young constitutional democracy” and undermines what should bind us as a nation together for the common good, according to Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, President and Founder of African Monitor.

Community perceptions about potters is gradually being altered by dynamic people like Isabel Sibiya, a very talented traditional potter from rural northern KwaZulu Natal.

Nestled in between two private game reserves at the end of a long and sandy road deep in rural northern Zululand, a group of local entrepreneurial woman are using their creativity to fight unemployment and poverty. They have combined their skills honed over generations with newly-acquired business acumen to do so.

Suicide is one of the top causes of unnatural death in South Africa; an indication that society is depressed because of stress factors which include financial troubles and unemployment, according to The Salvation Army’s medical department.

Throughout South Africa, women are involved in initiatives that are aimed at fighting poverty, crime, injustice and human trafficking. Therefore, they need to be celebrated every day and not just on special days, says the leader of The Salvation Army.

Findings by the Monitoring Action Project show that the Strubenvale Township in Springs has become a danger zone due to sewage that flows in the area from broken pipes.

The Salvation Army International is aiming to raise US$1 million to assist in wiping out the famine in East Africa; a cause to which the Southern Africa Territory has already contributed R100,000.

Millions of people in some parts of Africa are suffering due to drought and The Salvation Army is among many South African institutions stepping in to help alleviate the crisis.

Bench Marks Foundation supports the decision to encourage mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti and Gold Fields to look at ways in which to reward their former mine workers who have suffered work-related injuries and sicknesses.

South Africa’s steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, is slowly killing the future of many young people in the Joko Tea and Bophelong Townships in Vanderbijlpark, with the fumes produced by its Vanderbijlpark Works plant.

Throughout South Africa, women are involved in initiatives that are aimed at fighting poverty, crime, injustice and human trafficking. Therefore, they need to be celebrated every day and not just on special days, says the leader of The Salvation Army.

Four medical practitioners from Malawi have received specialised training in providing care for serious burn patients, thanks to a public private partnership between the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, and a university in the United States of America.

The number of South African family members reported to the Salvation Army’s international Family Tracing Service is amongst the highest in the world.

Taking up the responsibility for making the world a better place, The Salvation Army, led by its Territorial Commander, Commissioner André Cox, spent its 67 minutes of community service today at Diepsloot Combined School, north of Johannesburg, to commemorate Nelson Mandela Day.

Human trafficking is still a serious problem in South Africa, says one of South Africa’s leading experts in the field.

Education remains the most important tool for fighting the unregulated slaughter of Rhinos in South Africa, particularly through awareness campaigns targeted towards children who are often not aware of what is happening to their heritage.

Conventional thinking that small plots of land can be used only to provide for the basic needs of the farmer and his family, with little surplus left for sale, has been turned on its head by a vibrant group of Maputaland people in KwaZulu Natal.

South Africa is faced with the issue of hundreds of senior citizens who are neglected and abused in their own homes and by professional care givers daily. This has become one of the pressing issues in today’s society but is still treated as an unspoken problem.

Children in South Africa grow up in surroundings where they are exceptionally vulnerable to injuries, both deliberate and accidental and are the most vulnerable to human trafficking.

Some 5 000 families left stranded by the floods that devastated various parts of South Africa are being given emergency assistance by The Salvation Army.

There has been little improvement in moving the stranded families from the Barkly West area following recent floods. As a result the Salvation Army, together with the local municipality, continue to provide the families, whose homes in the Dikgatlong Municipality are situated in the flood plane, with three meals a day.

It is interesting to note that in its ten years of operation, the National Development Agency received its first unqualified audit in 2010. However, in spite of the fact that it does not have its own financial house in order, it imposes strict reporting requirements on its grantees and in some instances, projects and programmes have been terminated.

The impact of the inefficiencies by the National Development Agency (NDA) and the National Lotteries Board’s (NLB) grantmaking processes had a debilitating impact on civil society organisations with some having to retrench staff or close down.

With the effectiveness of the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF) and the National Development Agency (NDA) being questioned yet again this month, a groundbreaking report on the funding practices of these bodies will be released this coming Wednesday (30 March 2011) in Cape Town.

Several young women trapped in prostitution have left the streets and have been provided with an opportunity to a better and healthier life, following an initiative by the Salvation Army and the South African Police Service.

Faced by reports of an increase in the number of abandoned babies in Johannesburg, the Salvation Army says it has also seen a slight rise in the number of babies brought to them since the beginning of the year.

South Africans have been urged to recommit themselves to the protection of human rights at a time when people in other parts of the world are fighting for theirs.

In commemoration of the World Day of Social Justice, The Salvation Army encourages South Africans to assist in the fight against poverty, injustice and human trafficking in South Africa. 

“We believe that it is everyone’s duty to help make this country a better and safer place, especially for our children and other vulnerable members of our society.”

The highly anticipated Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards have now entered their fifth year, and Inyathelo is calling for nominations for 2011.

Some 5 000 families left stranded by the floods that devastated various parts of South Africa are being given emergency assistance by The Salvation Army.

There is limited space available for students who are serious about their studies at one of South Africa's top universities. Go to www.staugustine.ac.za to download the application pack and information or contact Chrissy Kleynhans during office hours on 011-380-9012.

The names of organisations suggested as recipients of donations in memory of Dr Ivan May have been released. They are:
 

·         The Salvation Army

·         The Wits Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics Home

·         The Green Trust

·         Radio Today

A tribute to the man, Dr Ivan May who died on the 31 December 2010 by Theo Coggin at the private service held on 5 January 2011.

With the Christmas festivities once again upon us, The Salvation Army is again geared to provide joy to those in sorrow and relief to those in crisis.

The Salvation Army joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Aids Day and has called on more people to participate in the fight against the HIV and AIDS scourge by ‘turning words into actions.’

The Bench Marks Foundation has successfully completed the year-long training of 19 community activists drawn from the country’s platinum and gold mining communities in the Limpopo, North West and Gauteng provinces.

As the world observes the United Nations 16 days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children, The Salvation Army has called for a more concerted effort from members of the public if South Africa is to succeed in its attempts at minimising women and child abuse.

The Salvation Army joins the rest of the world in commemorating World Aids Day and has called on more people to participate in the fight against the HIV and AIDS in order to remove the stigma and reduce the devastating impacts of this pandemic that affects vast numbers of people in the Southern Africa Region.

At the annual Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards held in Cape Town this evening (15 November 2010), fifteen exceptional people were honoured for their philanthropic efforts in South Africa.

Billions of Rands in investment in education is lost annually as a result of the high drop out rates of higher education students in South Africa, say academics attending a Vice-Chancellors’ retreat in Kleinmond, Western Cape in October.

Francoise Caillods, Senior Managing Editor of the 2010 World Social Science Report speaking at the South African Launch in October in Kleinmond. Click here to read about this launch.

The Salvation Army has called on the government to speed up the enactment of anti-human trafficking legislation as it believes this to be a big stumbling block in South Africa’s efforts to combat human trafficking.

The World Social Science Report (WSSR) - which addresses the world’s inequalities and how different nations, states and continents have different resources at their disposal for development - will be launched at a conference in Kleinmond, near Cape Town, on the 11^th October 2010.

Concerns about the effectiveness of the South African public service and its ability to respond to the country’s democratic and developmental challenges are some of the major issues that will be discussed at a seminar organised by CAF Southern Africa.

Dr Ivan May, doyen of South Africa’s marketers, strategist and five-time graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, takes office on Thursday 29 July as President of the University’s Convocation.

The Salvation Army has exhausted its winter relief resources in many parts of the country and is once again making a plea for the public to support local charities by donating blankets, jerseys, and soups to help the less privileged members of society.

The deadline date for the nominations for the Inyathelo Philanthropy Awards has been moved to 9^th July 2010.

As the FIFA 2010 World Cup action continues, 1485 AM Radio Today, the Johannesburg-based community radio station, has announced that it will host the BBC’s broadcast of World Cup Have Your Say on Friday 25 June from 10h00 to 10h30. The show will also give interns a unique opportunity to learn from an international DJ.