The Umthombo Wesizwe Children's Organisation (www.uwfund.org ) formed in 2008
to respond to the need to equip South African pre-teens with
psychological and behavioral competencies to function effectively
in society.
It created a unique model designed to provide knowledge, life
skills and tools known as Cultural Diversity Intelligence (CDI) to
pre-teen children from socially different environments to enable
them to assume positions of ethical leadership within our
multicultural society.
A volunteer group of South African researchers, psychologists,
and professional people has teamed up to tackle the challenge by
developing the Umthombo "CDI" programme. The programme includes
selectively adapted local and international training tools. It
targets 11 to 12 year old children, an age when they are in the
pivotal process of identity formation; and where the potential
ability to understand abstract / theoretical concepts and retain
these as a cornerstone of the self is most pronounced.
Umthombo Wesizwe ran a Pilot Project in 2009 which culminated in
three camp-based children workshops where the CDI programme was
implemented. An evaluation report carried out by a professionally
qualified and independent research body, reported that the project
achieved its objectives and was such a success that its
implementation across the country was to be encouraged.
"At this time I was introduced to Common Purpose and, I
believe, both the people and the content of the course inspired me
in leading the Umthombo project", says Ruth Friedmann, CEO of
Umthombo.
Collaboration with a fellow participant Rolfe Eberhard resulted
in the 2010 programme successfully implemented in the Hout Bay area
with four schools. The programmes are poised to spread throughout
South Africa and the extent will only be dependent on training
capacity, availability of student facilitators and importantly, the
quantum of donor and other funds.
