“Whoever you are, however alone you feel today, in this book you will find resources and people to assist you.”
– Marthe Muller, COO, South African Women in Dialogue

Learn how to:

• Defend your human rights.
• Understand and influence government budgets.
• Become an active citizen or coordinate communal civil society action.
• Be an effective whistle-blower, protect yourself, and engage with organisations combating wrongdoing and corruption.
• Use available channels for representation and participation in the governance of our country.

“It is a handbook for human-scale development in the small places where human rights truly count in struggles for ‘equal justice, opportunity and dignity’.”
– Dr Marjorie Jobson, National Director, Khulumani Support Group

Learn how to:

• Become food secure – growing, storing and processing your own food.
• Combat social ills and facilitate positive social change.
• Reduce violence against women and children.
• Prevent, spot and deal with human trafficking.
• Prepare for and handle natural and other disasters.
• Understand and influence government budgets affecting your community.

“I cannot thank you enough that you have placed such a wealth of information in one book. It is a true Godsend that will empower and strengthen communities.”
– Washiela Sait, Disability Advisor

Every section contains suggested actions for creating a better world, making it an invaluable guide for faith-based organisations mobilising their constituents for the greater good of their communities.

“This book is for everyone, not just for the poor, because it suggests ways in which we all can improve our own welfare and that of our fellow citizens. I highly recommend this directory to all who wish to actively make a difference to the rampant poverty, hunger and socio-economic inequality in our country.”
– Mirna Lawrence, Writer & Educator

“The South African Conversations Resource Directory is an excellent source of useful information that will empower people to tap into opportunities and better their own lives.”
– Renee Andrews, Treasurer General, Black Business Chamber

Information, tools, apps, support, funding, training, books, lesson plans and more, to offer children the best start in life.

“The Directory – a practical and comprehensive tool – offers over 40 pages of guidance for educators and learners alike and includes free resources for early literacy education. It is the most useful resource and inspirational guide.”
– Lin Pedersen, Educator

The directory contains over 40 pages of information about tools, templates, apps, resources, opportunities, mentorships, and funding from government, CSI and NPO programmes to help people make a living when there are no jobs. The information covers sustainable livelihood options, as well as support for starting and running a successful business, cooperative or NPO of any size and in any sector – including the informal economy, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and more.

“Encyclopedic information – accessible even when there is no data, no computer or smartphone, and even when there is no electricity. It’s like a printed Google for South Africa.”
– Mpho Khauoe, CEO, Lintle Community Awakening

• Helplines, support and counselling for family violence, sexual offences, missing children, adoption, health and mental health conditions, and for substance addictions.
• Learn about the harmful effects of pornography and how to protect your family.
• Information on how to get birth certificates for your children.
• Resources to access housing and own land.
• Cost-effective strategies to feed nutritious food to your family – and your pets.
• Information to help you grow your own food and source supplemental nutrition from wild plants in your surroundings – the way our ancestors did.
• Find learning opportunities, scholarships and access to academic support for your children.

“It is my wish that every home could have access to this amazing labour of love.”
– Rev Theo Mayekiso

“This incredible book … will inspire the mothers and fathers of our nation to take control of their lives and build a better future for themselves and their families.”
– Lerato Moloi, Retired Civil Servant

• Useful definitions and information.
• National and international organisations and resources.
• Where to report hate crimes and discrimination.
• Where to link up with others on the same journey.
• Sympathetic healthcare providers.

• Find help for a botched circumcision.
• Relationship counselling resources.
• Learn to start a support group for men and boys.
• Connections and information to help you be a better father.
• Where to find help if you’ve committed rape … or have been the victim of rape.

“The directory is unique, highly educational and relevant to the African majority who do not have access to information and resources. It must reach the length and breadth of our country.”
– Moshe Lecheko

Learn what your rights are and where to find support for yourself and your family.

• Capacity-building tools, funding and support for your organisation.
• Information, apps, programmes and more to help your staff serve distressed individuals, families and communities in every aspect of their lives.

“An excellent way of educating individuals requiring services in any sector, about where they can get help. In addition, the Directory will assist organisations to refer clients appropriately and quickly. With the information being classified into sector services nationally, identification of where/who to refer to is made much easier.”
– Beena Chiba, Director, Gauteng Provincial APD

Emergency numbers and helplines, information, counselling, and support, as well as free and self-help tools for various mental health conditions and addictions.

“One of the things that struck me most was how current and varied the offerings are [in the Mental Health section]. It’s great that practices such as mindfulness, trauma-informed approaches and embodiment are highlighted in this guide as these are relevant and accessible tools for mental health to be used in the South African context. Very few people can afford or relate to 1:1 psychotherapy [or] data for online resources.”
– Marlize Swanepoel, Director, Spieel Collective

“For years I have wanted to try and put together something like this because I get numerous calls and emails requesting help with homes, assistance and services for mentally challenged women, men and children. This is an absolute winner.”
– Mary-Ann Dobrovic, Manager, The Schizophrenic and Bipolar Disorders Alliance

Resources, tools, facilities, schools, equipment, assistive devices, educational and work opportunities.

“Working for one of the leading organisations in the disability sector, I receive cries for help from persons with disabilities or their families daily. The scope of these requests varies widely but the intersectionality of poverty, accessibility, mental health issues, medical challenges, GBV and lack of information is clear in all of them. Here is one such request that I received recently.

‘I am writing on behalf of my friend Primrose because she desperately needs help. She is a mother of two disabled children. Her daughter Tembi is 10 years old and has severe cerebral palsy. Her son, Thato, is 7 and is autistic. My friend is on duty 24/7 every day of the year. She is very tired because she doesn’t have support. She must do everything for Tembi. She must turn her regularly to prevent her from getting pressure sores. She bathes her and must feed her very slowly to make sure she doesn’t choke. She tries to play with her and take her outside for fresh air when she has time. Thato can dress himself but he doesn’t speak and has terrible meltdowns when his routine is disrupted, and he gets upset in crowds and noisy places.
Primrose cannot work because she must take care of her children. Her husband was retrenched during Covid and has become even more abusive. He swears and screams at her and sometimes even hits her. Thato gets very upset when this happens and doesn’t eat for days. The family lives on the children’s disability grants. When they go to the clinic, the taxis charge double to transport the wheelchair. Most taxi drivers don’t pick up people with disabilities. Please can you help her?’

This is unfortunately the reality for most people with disabilities in SA. One book that is making a remarkable difference to all of us who work in the disability sector is the South African Conversations Resource Directory – precisely because it acknowledges the interconnectedness of the problems that poor and marginalised people face, and because it offers holistic solutions.
Copies of this directory must be available in every school, disability or welfare organisation (NPO), police station, clinic, community centre, and library because these are the places where poor people go to look for assistance – particularly in informal settlements and rural areas where people do not have access to information.
If those who serve have access to this directory, they will be able to guide those whom they serve to appropriate assistance in all areas of their lives.”
– Melanie Lubbe, Secretariat, South African Disability Alliance

Interspersed throughout the book are suggestions that often came from ordinary people in our Community Conversations, about actions the government could take to help improve particular situations. The directory also contains information about best practices in other countries.

“It complements Government efforts towards compliance with the Bill of Rights in our Constitution. It helps protect every citizen’s right to information and gives meaning to the principle that ‘working together we can do more’.”
–Lumko Mtimde, Former Special Advisor to the Minister in the Presidency, The Presidency, Republic of South Africa

“This resource of valuable information should be widely accessible. I believe it can become a driving force for positive change by fostering collaboration among non-profits, government, civil society and corporations, turning “trickles of good, into streams.”
– Truida Prekel

• Support for families of incarcerated breadwinners.
• Get justice if you were wrongfully accused.
• Find resources and support to get an education while in prison.
• Find out where to report poor prison conditions and the ill-treatment of inmates.
• Get support to make peace with people you have harmed, forgive yourself, find work and reintegrate into society.

“This book is step one in democratising culture, in right-sizing access to resources, in embedding equality and in empowering people to improve the quality of their own lives by accessing all available information and resources in our communities in a dignified, caring and compassionate way.”
– Marthe Muller, COO, South African Women in Dialogue

• Find protection against abuse.
• Find resources for food, housing and health concerns.
• Find the help and support you need if you’re your grandchildren’s sole caretaker.

“An insanely detailed and meticulous listing to help communities without access to data get help and resourcing.”
– Karen Brokensha, The Domino Foundation

Connect people with non-profit, government, civil society and corporate programmes, tools and resources to help improve the quality of every aspect of their lives.

“A client complains of domestic violence … But there are always multiple issues: unemployment, food insecurity, drugs, mental health … This directory helps us refer clients quickly and appropriately.”
– Eshia Moodley, Social Worker

“An encyclopedic guide to services and contacts, accessible even to non-tech-savvy individuals. It is like holding Google in your hands. A huge time-saver, as you get curated what you are looking for, in compact form – rather than getting lost, misled or distracted by surfing around.”
– Truida Prekel

• Resources to deal with problems such as student poverty, malnutrition, domestic violence, bullying, pregnancy, depression and more.
• Compile world-class lessons for any subject, using free, award-winning content and lesson plans from all over the world.
• Find quality, affordable or free computers and solar power, get help with infrastructure expansion, set up a library with good quality, free books, and start an edible school garden.
• Report corruption, mismanagement, child molestation and rape at the school.
• Help matriculants find their way to further studies, employment or entrepreneurship.
• Sign up for free professional development workshops and courses.

“The Education section provides comprehensive information about good quality, (mostly free) resources available in the education sector, for learners and teachers alike. There are subject-specific categories which include in-depth resources on a particular subject, as well as a general category which includes resources which make the links between different areas of knowledge. This is complemented by additional sections on libraries and books. It includes information on online teaching, home-schooling and specific resources for writing the matric exams. It offers assistance to school-leavers on where to find information on career guidance, study opportunities in South Africa and abroad, as well as bursaries and scholarships. Each of the sections points to resources both in South Africa and internationally.
The directory succeeds in presenting this vast amount of information in an easily accessible way.”
– George Dor, Mathematics and Advanced Programme Mathematics Educator

• Learn about NPO welfare programmes in your area.
• Find information about government grants, support for school fees, municipal services, subsidised accommodation, and temporary Relief of Distress assistance.
• Find shelters and empowerment programmes offered by government, non-profit and faith-based organisations.
• Learn about sustainable livelihood options, as well as learning and earning opportunities.
• Learn how to search or register for work online.
• Learn about your rights as a casual worker.
• Get your matric, improve your English and master new skills, free of charge.
• Learn cost-effective strategies to feed nutritious food to your family – and your pets.

   

  “… there are resources available to support every aspect of our lives – including practical advice on how to recognise wild edibles in one’s surroundings, as well as contact details of organisations that assist hungry, homeless and destitute people.”

  – Mirna Lawrence, Writer & Educator

  “This book should circulate our townships and rural areas where communities are deprived of information. Every household in impoverished communities should have a copy of this book. It will change their lives.”

  – Renee Andrews, Treasurer General, Black Business Chamber

• Information, counselling and support for crisis pregnancies, birth control, family relationships, single and teen parenting, victims of rape and domestic violence, and much more.
• Learn to protect yourself and your children from harm.
• Information to promote the health and wellbeing of your family.
• Tools, resources and support to develop your own inner resilience.

“This directory provides access, ideas and direction to South Africans across careers, professions, income and education levels. An absolute must-have for every South African – not only those without access to the internet.”
– Ali Engelbrecht, Former CEO, Women in Business

• Information, tools, apps and resources to make your life work.
• Help with accommodation, hunger, depression, addictions, relationships and more.
• Access to global youth programmes.
• Study and internship options, opportunities and world-class resources: free or sponsored, in South Africa, overseas, or online.
• Local and international bursaries and scholarships.
• Free ebooks and academic textbooks.

“Every young person should have access to this book …”
– Lumko Mtimde, Former Special Advisor to the Minister in the Presidency, The Presidency, Republic of South Africa