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19 December 2023
Faculty of Community and Health Sciences engages and host external stakeholders in the forefront of community engagement and outreach
The CHS Community engagement and outreach portfolio under the custodian of Deputy Dean-Clinical and Community Engagement Professor Firdouza Waggie ended the 2023 academic year on a high note when it engaged and hosted several stakeholders in the community outreach and engagement sphere at its CHS Bellville campus on Wednesday, 6th December 2023. Ms Megan Alexander, Lecturer with Occupational Therapy Department welcomed and thanked those for attending the engagement especially with their busy schedule at this time of the year.
 

 In welcoming the delegates, Prof Waggie said “Community is at the heart of what we do as the faculty, it is wonderful to have the stakeholders at our campus as they steer community engagement with passion and commitment, we value the current partnerships and collaborations we have with your organization and we are looking forward to mutually beneficial partnership and collaborations in 2024. 

CHS has anchored itself in the Bellville community since 2018 when it opened its dual campus in the heart of Bellville CBD and since then it has become a formidable force and entrenched partnerships in the Bellville CBD, the hub of economic activity.

The engagement served several aims, first to recognize and pay gratitude for their collaborations with CHS over the years, secondly to get an understanding of their visions, mission and operation in the community engagement and outreach space , thirdly look at similar goals of upliftment and capacity building strategies of communities, lastly build stronger relationship going forward in 2024 that translate into strong partnerships into more formalized structure, with prospects of an MOU and possible placements of CHS students in the respective organizations. 
 

All the organizations each were given a platform to present to the forum their formalised vision, mission, operations and strategies, target locations or geographical footprint in the community engagement and outreach sphere. The work the organizations are doing is extremely commendable and CHS is proud to be partnering with them in various outreach initiatives in areas such as Bellville, Mitchelsplain, Fisantekraal, Klipheuwel, UWC Robert Sobukwe, Genadendal, Langa, Nyanga and Dwars River Valley (Lanquedoc) in 2023. The organizations that attended the forum are as follows:

MES (https://mes.org.za/mes-cape-town/)
The one-stop Centre of Hope which provides these services to the homeless and street people communities in Bellville, Parow, Brackenfell and Durbanville.

Pebbles Project (http://www.pebblesproject.org/)
The Pebbles Project enables children from farming communities to access quality education programmes and health, nutrition and social work services.

Tygerberg Hospice (https://www.tygerberghospice.org/)
Tygerberg Hospice provides holistic palliative care to patients facing a life-limiting illness. Apart from making sure that the patient is cared for in all areas – physical, spiritual, emotional and social – we also provide support for the families involved.

Project Playground (https://www.project-playground.org.za/)
Project Playground is a non-profit organisation, founded in 2010, engaging over 840 vulnerable children and youth in townships outside Cape Town in South Africa. 

Anova Health (https://www.anovahealth.co.za/)
The Anova Health Institute is an NGO that empowers people and changes lives. Good health and quality of life are what motivates us to provide healthcare solutions and support for those who need it most. With a specific focus on HIV, our work is built on a foundation of research to ensure that funds are focused where we can make the most difference.

VRCID (https://vrcid.co.za/)
The Voortrekker Corridor Improvement District (VRCID) was established in 2012 as a Special Ratings Area (SRA) to service the area on and around Voortrekker Road in Bellville and Parow. As a non-profit company, the VRCID provides supplementary services to the local authority services and works closely alongside them in areas such as security, cleansing, social development and improving the public spaces.

OASIS (https://www.oasis.org.za/)
Oasis’ purpose is to improve the lives of people living with intellectual disability by managing several programmes and projects specifically designed to help them develop to their full potential.
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