OUR VISION

The vision is to renew social structures and attitudes in the Helderberg and its surroundings, to return justice to previously disadvantaged communities, and be a voice for the voiceless. To achieve this, we endeavour to educate, equip and empower those vulnerable groupings to consider themselves as valuable, contributing and active members of their communities.

BACKGROUND

During the early nineties, Bizweni Ministries identified a need within the Helderberg Basin for various community upliftment programmes. It started with a children’s shelter in 1994 (Brite Lights), caring for abused street children. As a host of other needs were identified, Bizweni established the Institute for Social Concerns a Non-profit organisation.

The purpose of the Institute was to endorse and facilitate the empowerment and upliftment of both children and adults within the Basin. It has since established the Centre for Mentally and Physically Disabled Children (1998) and grown to include three other initiatives, a Sewing Centre, a Peer Education Programme and an Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre in Sir Lowry’s Pass. The latter focuses on providing food and life skills training for children living in Sir Lowry’s Pass, whilst the former centre focuses on youth education, leadership and skills development.

WHERE WE WORK

The project operates in communities within what is known as the Helderberg basin and surrounding areas (Somerset West, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Macassar, Eerste Rivier). The community is characterized by poverty, unemployment, marital instability and alcohol abuse are endemic, and domestic violence is the common method of settling interpersonal problems.  The service point operates from the premises leased by the Department of Health, at the Sir Lowry’s Pass Community Health Centre.