Almost every household in South Africa has access to a mobile phone[1]. This has transformed the face of social development, with many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) embracing mobile technology to connect with their target audiences. In this learning brief, we explore the diverse opportunities – but also challenges – that come with using mobile platforms […]
Posted on 16 Jan 2019
“We are drowning in information, while starving for wisdom” reads a quote by E.O. Wilson, who wrote the book, ‘Consilience: The unity of knowledge’. Through the newly revived and rebranded edition of our Hands-on Learning publication, we hope to play a helpful role in synthesising information from innovators and implementers in civil society, supporting them […]
Tags: Early literacy Development, Embrace, Hands-on Learning, Implementation Experience, Mobile technology
Posted on 6 Nov 2018
In this piece, written for City Press in the build-up to the 2018 SA Innovation Summit, DGMT Deputy CEO Janet Jobson, addresses aspiring social innovators as she reflects on key aspects that we must get right to make a lasting impact. 1. Bridge the divides that define South Africa Too often social innovation (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_innovation) fixates […]
Posted on 13 Sep 2018
We spend a lot of time thinking about change – change that would allow every person in South Africa to have the opportunity to fufill their life potential. We think about what is at the heart of situations -what drives a detremental situation to exist and to persist? We ponder how to activate change – […]
Tags: Books, Civil Society, Reading list, Social Change
Posted on 5 May 2018
Writing proposals and reports to funders can be one of the most stressful parts of working in the social change sector. To make it less nerve wracking, it can be helpful to remember that funders are just people. Many of them have also worked for non-profit organisations, social movements or government departments, and understand the […]
Tags: Communicating to funders about your work, Tips and resources
Posted on 29 Jan 2018
The message behind Mandela Day is that we all have the ability and responsibility to change the world for the better. In theory many people agree with this sentiment, judging from the 2.8K likes that a Nelson Mandela quote like “our society needs to re-establish a culture of caring” can garner on the Nelson Mandela […]
Tags: Mandela Day, Resourceful Young Children
Posted on 18 Jul 2016
There is some disagreement about what the word “hack” refers to outside of programming contexts. We see it as a way of doing something that may not provide the most straightforward or expected solution, and yet it presents a clever way to satisfactorily solve a meaningful problem. Here are a few good examples that can […]
Tags: Online resources, Tools
Posted on 1 Feb 2016
Imagine: A parent is trying to decide whether to send her child to the preschool at the end of her street, or the one in a nearby neighbourhood. She’s heard the faraway preschool is better, but it also has higher fees, and she’s not quite sure what “better” means. An NGO is planning a […]
Tags: Early literacy Development, Education, India
Posted on 23 Nov 2015
A quick note to let you know about some recent online discoveries we’ve found helpful and inspiring: The Community Tool Box is a public service of the University of Kansas and is developed and managed by the KU Work Group for Community Health and Development together with national and international partners. It is a free, online resource for […]
Tags: Online resources
Posted on 28 Oct 2015
I recently discovered StoryCorps on the internet. It’s the most exciting discovery I’ve made all year; in fact, it tops my list of internet discoveries for the past few years. Before I spend a lot of time explaining what Storycorps is – and why this discovery might be relevant to you – take a look […]
Tags: Storycorps
Posted on 9 Oct 2015