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Table Of Contents

Acknowledgements Pg. 3
Introduction Pg.4
Purpose Pg.5
Data Collection Pg.6
Analysis Pg.7-15
Resources Pg.16
Summary of Results Pg.17-19
Suggested Action Plan Pg.20
Sources Pg.21
Sample Forms/
Extra Resources Attached

Acknowledgements:

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The author would like to thank the following individuals
and organizations for their help in compiling this
assessment:

Mrs. Joan Dutton

Umvoti Aids Centre
Mr. H.Van Rooyen , Magistrate
Department of Social Welfare- Mrs. Boniswa Mfetsi
Worldvision- Greytown ( especially Khazi, Sbongia, Siya)
Rev. Cyril Muller, St. James Anglican Church
Mr. Phelani Madi

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Introduction and History of Greytown:

Greytown was founded in 1850 by Lord Grey. It is a

largely rural area with some light industrial hubs and
farmland, about 60 kms from the capital city of KwaZulu
Natal in Pietermaritzburg. While Greytown itself is a
mostly suburban environment, the towns surrounding
Umvoti Municipality are largely rural, with 80% of the
140,348 residents living in somewhat isolated and rural
areas with poor roads and limited access to sanitation,
water, and services such as clinics, hospitals, and social
welfare agencies. Many of those living in these rural parts
could be classified as living in abject poverty. Child
Headed Families ( CHF’s) are increasingly common in the
Umvoti District. As of March of this year, over 44% of
children in the area were identified as orphaned. The racial
makeup of the town and municipality is evenly divided
between Black, White, and Coloured populations with a
diversity of economic classes.

The local economy of Umvoti is based primarily around

Agriculture. Small scale farms as well as larger commercial
farms make up the majority of industries in the area. This
being said, only 55% of residents are employed and this
number may drop given the current global economic
outlook. As many families do not have family members
earning stable incomes, 70% are dependent on Child
Support Grants to help care for their dependent children,
putting a strain on local government to care for an
increasing number of needy families.

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The Purpose Of This Assessment:

As the Umvoti Municipality continues to grow, it will be

faced with new social and economic challenges that it must
adapt to. This assessment seeks to look at the current
strengths, needs, and resources of the community and
makes specific recommendations for civic and non-
governmental agencies in meeting the demands of
community stakeholders. This assessment seeks to analyze
raw and collated data based around a simple set of 4 primal
questions:

1.What are the strengths and resources of the community?

2.What are the needs of the community?
3. Are existing systems meeting these needs?
4.What things are important to key stakeholders in the
community?

In this assessment, the author seeks to answer these

questions and provide a framework for change in the
community. This document should not be read as a
definitive guidebook to large scale change, but as a tool to
help facilitate tangible and realistic community engagement
that empowers the community to solve its own problems in
a collaborative manner. It is the hope of the author that this
document will provide a base from which the community
members and local officials can create a sustainable and
healthy Umvoti.

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Data Collection Methods Used:

• Informal interviews with individuals and groups

representing key groups from the Black, White, and
Coloured populations.

• Surveys targeting subgroups within the community

such as Orphans and Vulnerable Children ( OVC’s),
People Living With HIV/AIDS ( PLWHA), Elders,
and women.

• Formal interviews and statistical analysis from civic

and private agencies involved in social welfare,
including the Department of Social Welfare,
Department Of Social Development ( Statistics),
Magistrate’s Office, Greytown Police, Greytown
Hospital, and various faith communities in the area.

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Analysis and Resource Audit:

In compiling data, economic disparity was seen as the

primary factor affecting the community. The most recent
Integrated Development Plan ( IDP) for Umvoti states that
this is the case due to lack of skills:

The lack of educational training facilities is linked to the

poor skills base. This means that there is limited capacity
to capitalize on the eminent local economic opportunities.
The level of poverty in the municipal area is also
increasing due to the following reasons: low disposable
income, poor access to services, poor access to land
and other means of production and high rate of functional
education, high rate of unemployment, and low output.

Service Delivery:

While still a cause for concern, economic disparity is

not the only drain on local resources. Many residents spoke
to the need for better delivery of services to more rural
areas. A key example of this is the fact that recently, only
26.6% of the population have access to piped water inside
their property (IDP census, 2007). Part of this service
delivery must also include funding for agricultural
schemes, as agriculture makes up over 43% of the local
economy, and alternative sources of potable water. Umvoti
Magistrate Mr. Van Rooyen stated that service delivery
issues, combined with poverty and low food security were

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creating a dependency in the community. Due to this factor
and many factors, most residents of Umvoti municipality
bring in very low incomes ( See table below).

Income Chart (Yearly):

QuickTimeª and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

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*NOTE: Over 68,103 people earned no measurable
income in 2001. The author was not able to find more
recent income statistics, but assumes an increase.

With the majority of Umvoti residents earning under

$1,000 rand a year (the racial makeup of these earners is
not known), it is clear that good-paying jobs are scarce.
Careful study reveals that the majority of residents could be
considered to be poor while only a small minority could be
considered underemployed or “working poor”. In speaking
with residents of Greytown and nearby towns in Umvoti
district, it is apparent to the author that most households in
Greytown had a large number of wage earners while
households in informal settlements and rural villages had
only one or no wage earners. Of those households that had
one or less family members bringing in an income, the
majority self-reported a lack of higher level skills with
which to find better paying jobs. The lack of advanced
skills was seen as the main barrier to self-sufficiency and
economic security by most survey respondents.

Along with economic hardship, issues of basic utilities such

as water, electricity and gas have led to a lack of quality
housing projects. The graph below highlights the
percentage of the population residing in various types of
housing:

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 QuickTimeª and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

As the graph shows, the majority of residents surveyed

between 2001 and 2007 lived in traditional structures,
though the number of residents living in these structures
did show a decrease of 17.8%. It can be safely assumed
that the benefits of economic prosperity and a stable
income are not easily within reach of many Umvoti
residents, although most have adequate housing. There is a
real disconnect between service delivery in urban vs rural
areas.

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Lack of documentation hurts needy children:

In observation of Home-Based Care follow up visits, it was

observed that many children trying to access social grants
and other government services often lack the necessary
documentation such as a parents death certificate ( if
Orphaned or Vulnerable) or a proper birth certificate.
Statistics for Kwa-Zulu Natal as a whole ( Social
Development Report on Children’s Access to Benefits,
2008) show that on average, only 62% of children are
registered at birth. On top of this, the process of applying
for social grants and receiving them can be a long process,
often delaying much needed benefits from being received
in a timely manner. The author noted that follow up on
Social Grant applications was not consistent. Some
residents surveyed had constant access to a social worker
while many said there was no follow up and that their were
often delays in getting applications processed. Theft and
abuse of Child Care Grants is not uncommon in the region,
and is a concern for social workers dealing with families
and children in need.

Stemming the tide of Child Sexual Abuse:

In meetings with members of the Department of Social

Welfare, Worldvision, and the Magistrate, the author has
concluded that sexual abuse of children is a pervasive
threat to the health and safety of the community. All
agencies involve agreed on an increased need for child
protection and enforcement of child rights, however many

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agencies felt that more resources and cooperation were
needed to tackle the issue. While some of the agencies the
author talked to were actively collaborating and sharing
data, not all of the agencies were in a collaborative
relationship. It is the author’s conclusion that increased
collaboration between agencies would improve reporting
and intervention statistics.

Recent data (Childline report, 2000) shows that as

many as 4,797+ children under 18 have been sexually
assaulted yearly. According to data about KwaZulu Natal
from Childline and Municipal agencies “..statistics of
reported child abuse over the last 10 years suggests that
there has been an increase of about 400% in the number of
reported cases of child sexual abuse”. Various agencies
working on this issue stated feelings of “burn out” and
backlogs in closing cases due to the overwhelming number
of children needing legal assistance, counseling services,
and protective custody. According to Childline’s 2009
report, perpetrators of such crimes were mostly relatives
(87%) who were known to the victim and the victim’s
family. In the majority of cases, the perpetrator was alone
in the house with the child at the time of the assault. The
Worldvision workers the author spoke with stated a
concern that perpetrators of abuse are not properly
prosecuted and many still live in the same communities as
their victims despite being known sexual offenders. In the
interest of justice, all parties interviewed believe that police
and courts need to do a better job of securing convictions
and handing down longer jail terms to offenders.

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The rise of Orphans due to HIV/AIDS

The increase in orphaned children is a major concern for

residents in the Umvoti municipality. The most recent
statistics available to the author pointed to over 44% of
children being classified as orphans. While various
agencies such as Umvoti Aids Centre and Khayalami have
made substantial impact in housing and care for these
orphans, the demand for care is high enough as to
overwhelm existing resources. The author notes that this is
probably due to stigma and lack of testing, understanding
of preventative methods and access to treatment amongst
the poorest citizens. Some families who had lost loved ones
to HIV reported that their family member had defaulted on
treatment and died, leaving their dependent children in the
care of other family members. The chart below allows for
comparison with various provincial statistics by situation:

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It is worth noting that in 2005, KZN had the highest
number of maternal orphans out of all provinces, at 137,
379. It is estimated that this number has increased and that
it is likely that the number of orphans in KZN may double
by 2012 without proper intervention. The author believes
that factors such as access to treatment, poverty,
stigmatization of HIV, ignorance about transmission, and
risky sexual behavior amongst residents all add to an
increase in the number of AIDS deaths in the area, and
consequentially, an increased number of orphans.

Looking further into the high rate of child headed families

and orphans, the author noted the latest IDP Census
( released May 2010) shows an absence of men in the
community and an increase in single parent households.
Women outnumbered men in all wards. Most men in
Umvoti who are working travel outside of the community
to find work, leading to a high rate of male absenteeism.

Informal Settlements: Invisible Populations?

Tintown is one of two informal settlements in the area

of Greytown. Most of these settlements are small clusters
of shacks made of tin, mud, and cardboard and offering no
protection from weather changes. Tuck shops located
nearby provide some very basic necessities. While there is
access to basic utilities such as water, other services such as
electricity are not always available to residents. Lack of
water, a problem in Enhlalakahle, is also a problem in these
settlements. There are no social service outfits inside
Tintown and residents must walk into town to get services,

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a short walk, but often a long wait for assistance.

The author believes that informal settlements such as

Tintown are often “invisible” when it comes to government
services and local initiatives. While programs often focus
on urban poor in areas such as Enhlalakahle and other
towns, they often don’t fully reach those in informal
settlements. The author concludes that emphasis must be
put into delivery of services to these informal settlements,
not just commonly targeted communities. It is the author’s
opinion that health issues in these settlements are directly
linked to unequal access to services and sanitation. Women
also come into the equation as caretakers and breadwinners
in an arena where more men are dying of HIV. In many
ways, settlements have become a dumping ground for poor
women. Without current Home Based Care visits, many
residents would risk little to no access to healthcare.
Ultimately, agencies will be in a constant state of catch up
as more HBC workers will need to be recruited and trained.

Perspectives from Communities Of Faith:

Often times, communities of faith are not consulted in

analysis and reporting, despite being major hubs of cultural
values and interaction. The author spoke with leaders of
various churches in the area as well as the local mosque
and Hindu temple. Leaders expressed optimism around
how their respective places of worship were responding to
the community needs. Many stated that their congregations
were actively involved in giving back and that they
continually encouraged them to do more.

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Rev. Cyril Muller ( St.James Anglican Church) and other
leaders from the Christian community expressed a positive
outlook on the role of churches in the delivery of social
support. While the overall theme was of positive change,
clergy members suggested there was limited recognition of
their work and the work of social service agencies by
municipal and provincial government. Rev. Muller stated
that while most churches were actively collaborating on
social programs, certain churches such as the Pentecostal
church were still struggling to move from internal programs
to more of an outreach focus. This being noted, he did state
that some of the Pentecostal churches had moved
effectively on social concerns.

In talking to members of the Hindu and Muslim

communities, there was a large emphasis on the role of
these communities beyond their own members. Both the
Imam and the leader of the Hindu temple mentioned
poverty and a lack of resources as a major problem in the
community. They noted that educational facilities and other
organizations were attempting to meet this need, but that,
like their Christian counterparts observed, provincial and
local government needed to be more actively involved in
listening and addressing the concerns of the community.

Community members speak:

The author sat down with a number of municipal and NGO

staff to talk about issues facing the region:

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“ I’m frustrated with the sustainability of projects. The
projects help for a short time, but then they don’t last”

“There is more to be done”

-Mr. Van Rooyen, Magistrate

“I’m happy to say that we have a lot of collaboration with

other agencies”

-Ms. Boniswa Mfetsi, Social Welfare Department

“The churches here are all involved. Whether it ( the

response) is sufficient, I can’t say. They seem to make a
significant impact in the life of this community”

Rev. Cyril Muller, St. James Anglican Church

Resources in Umvoti:

• The Umvoti municipality is blessed with large areas of

farmable land. Soil content is healthy and water tables
are relatively stable, providing consistent irrigation for
crops. Weather patterns bring rain in from the coast
and reduce the risk of chronic drought.

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 • Access to primary and secondary education is stable,
with the Greytown area offering a variety of high
quality public and private educational facilities.

• Access to social services has increased in the past 3

years, and while more rural residents may have to find
transport for services, many important services can be
accessed in the larger towns. Many agencies have
increased their Home-Based Care (HBC) services to
meet the needs of more rural clients such as
healthcare, documentation, and applications for Child
Support Grants.

• An increase in logging/forestry in the area provides

the potential for employment and job training in a
growing sector. Currently, major logging operations
are taking place in the area of Seven Oaks.

Summary Of Results:

• The majority of residents surveyed expressed concerns

and frustration over the high unemployment and lack
of jobs in the area. This was most prevalent when
talking with youth. Residents felt that there were no
realistic opportunities for employment within the
Umvoti area. The latest government sponsored

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 Integrated Development Plan shows small farm
workers increasingly struggling to find work as
markets shift towards commercial farming ( Umvoti
IDP, 2010). Rough estimates show that 400-600
families rely on Social Welfare grants (Umvoti
Magistrate’s Office, 2010)
• While there is an awareness of the high incidences of
rape, sexual abuse, and neglect of children in the area,
the response to such incidents has not yet met the
staggering incident rate ( over 4,797 cases reported in
2000 and perhaps double this amount in 2010,
according to Childline reports). All residents
expressed a need for concrete preventative measures
to protect children from abuse. The current conviction
rate for child abuse in KZN is less then 10% of all
reported cases. The justice system should make sure
that sexual offenders are given longer sentences and
blocked from having access to their victims via
proximity.

• Residents of informal settlements expressed feelings

of frustration and “invisibility” when it came to their
needs. These residents feel as if their rights as citizens
are not being respected and believe that local and
provincial government entities need to do more to help
them. When the author discussed this with agencies,
most felt that their response to these communities was
meeting their needs, but that the demand for services
meant that there was no space for them to expand into
these informal settlements. The author noted the

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 differences between what the residents of the
settlements felt and what various agencies felt in terms
of access to social services.

• Members of minority racial groups (Whites,

Coloureds) were largely optimistic about their lives,
owing to economic stability and high quality of life.
This contrasted sharply with the views black residents
had about their lives.

• With an AIDS rate over 40%, ongoing education and

prevention campaigns to fight stigma and myth need
to be increased dramatically.

• Collaboration between agencies has been greatly

improved in the last few years. The Department of
Social Welfare reported an increase in collaboration
with other agencies and organizations. The author
believes these collaborations are vital to civic
engagement and improved service delivery in Umvoti.

• There is a major difference between service delivery

in the urban/suburban parts of the district and the
larger, rural area. Many respondents in the rural areas
expressed concerns that municipal government had
little understanding of what was going on outside of
their urban hub.

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• Meetings around local municipal council and
provincial needs are often made in the paper, but there
is otherwise very little attendance by community
members outside of Greytown due to issues of
transport. The author suggests that transport be made
available, if possible, to allow rural residents to attend
these meetings and air their concerns.

• The author is concerned that the latest IDP addressed

core issues but did not present much new data.
Considering the rapidly growing population of the
area and the pressing needs of service delivery, the
author believes that accurate and comprehensive data
is vital to addressing community needs.

Suggested Action Plan:

• Invest in Job Creation and Job Training programs to

target youth and women, especially men 18-30 years
old. Encourage youth to enhance skills rather then rely
on social grants. Engage younger youth in activities
such as scouts and after-school programs.

• Create a task force of local faith leaders, civic leaders,

community members, school officials and political
heads to meet monthly around Child Protection issues.

• Improve adherence to ARV/TB regimens by creating

increased access to treatment in rural communities via

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 a mobile clinic.

• Meet with members of informal settlements regularly

over their needs and encourage them to obtain
identification so as to access key services. Increase
presence of social service agencies WITHIN these
settlements as opposed to in town.

• Secure more consistent access to basic utilities such as

water and electricity to speed up the construction of
housing projects for needy residents .

• Promote registration of newborns for identity

documents.

• Continue and expand existing prevention and testing

awareness campaigns around HIV and TB.

Sources:

SA Social Investment Exchange ( SASIX) Proposal for

Umvoti Aids Centre, March 2010

Annual Report, Umvoti Aids Centre, Aug 2008-Sept 2009

Umvoti IDP, 2007 http://www.umvoti.za

Rev. Cyril Muller, Vicar, St. James Anglican Church

Social Development Report on Children’s Access to

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Benefits, Dept of Social Development, 2008)

Childline Annual Report, 2009

Magistrate’s Office, Umvoti Municipality

Umvoti IDP, 2009-2010

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Photos:

Most of Umvoti Municipality is extremely rural

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A typical house in the rural area of Umvoti

Students learning outside due to lack of classrooms

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A shack in Tintown, one of two informal settlements in
Greytown.

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Sample Questionnaire:

Community Member Survey:

Age:

Race ( Circle One): Black/White/Coloured

Location:

(If Over 18) Employment Status:

Employed/Unemployed/Retired

Please answer the following questions in paragraph form:

1. What are the strengths in your community?

2. What do you see as YOUR needs.. What are the needs of

your community?

3. Are YOUR needs being met? Why or Why Not?

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4. What buildings/organizations/ or groups do you feel are
important in your community?

5. What would you like to see happening in your

community that you don’t see currently?

6. Do you feel hopeful for the future?

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