In 2023, DGMT, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project partnered to launch the Sukuthula! Unmute & Act initiative. The three-year initiative aims to address gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa through coordinated funding for community-based organisations (CBOs) in four districts in the Eastern Cape and Limpopo. This initiative aims to demonstrate that South Africa needs a coordinated funding approach at community level to adequately respond to gender-based violence.
Thirty-six non-profit organisations embedded in community settings were chosen to be part of the first cohort of grant recipients. CBOs are non-profits operating at the local level, often with limited financial resources at their disposal. They tend to be reliant on volunteers, responsive to the unique needs of their community and often best placed to diagnose problems and identify solutions with residents. Many are financially excluded from mainstream donor funding because they operate in rural locations with limited visibility and recognition; they don’t have established track records; and they don’t always have the administrative capacity to provide the financial, monitoring and compliance documents that traditional donors expect. Despite these constraints, they play a crucial role in grassroots development, community empowerment and creating sustainable social change.
Supporting the cohort
In mid-2024, Sukuthula project manager Zandi Mqwathi and administrative intern Leandre Schuman visited grantees in the Eastern Cape to see first-hand how the initiative is making a difference. These visits were also an opportunity to monitor the progress of the projects with a view to offering targeted support. This is important considering that Sukuthula is a trust-based funding initiative which is distinct from traditional donor funding approaches. The trust-based funding model acknowledges that communities and the organisations located within them often have the best understanding of people’s needs and are best placed to determine how resources are utilised to achieve positive outcomes. You can read more about trust-based funding here. These site visits affirmed the need for a flexible and responsive funding model to support community-led social impact work.
Mthatha
In Mthatha, the team visited eight CBOs that are making a difference in their communities in various ways. For instance, Faith and Hope Integrated AIDS Programme provides comprehensive support to their beneficiaries through HIV/AIDS testing and counselling and home-based care in informal settlements. Meanwhile, Ubuntu Restoration Foundation began as a non-profit providing much-needed food parcels to later expanding its package of support to include psychosocial support services.
East London
The team visited six CBOs in East London where socio-economic challenges are throttling communities, such as high levels of substance abuse, crime, poverty, unemployment and the pervasiveness of harmful gender norms within patriarchal systems. These factors are among the drivers of gender-based violence and femicide. The team heard disturbing stories about abuse and murder – reinforcing the need for survivors to access legal support offered by organisations like Sugare GBV+f Edu Dev & Poverty Support Centre.
