Opening of the 3rd Khanya NGO Fair – August 28, 2011

Nduvho Ranulongo* reports.

The 3rd annual Khanya College NGO/CBO opened up at Museum Africa in Newtown. The keynote speakers included Maria van Driel from Khanya College, Dean Van Rooyen from the Africa Group of Sweden and Marcus Solomon, the founder of the Children’s Resource Centre in Cape Town.

Van Driel welcomed all the delegates in attendance including the students from the five inner city schools in Johannesburg. She passionately reminded the delegates that the new South Africa is about democracy, freedom and maximising human potential which fits in well with the theme of the Fair from ‘Crisis to Resistance’. Van Driel also asked delegates to focus on ‘How do we mobilise and organise’. She also noted that the realisation that Khanya College is also part of the inner city community and needs to work in the inner city and not just with the communities in the townships. Hence this year Khanya’s programme has included the work with the schools in the inner city.

The next speaker, Dean Van Rooyen explained that AGS was formed to support the struggles of people in South Africa against apartheid. The AGS continues to give support to organisations in the new South Africa and to develop links between the struggles in the North and the South. The AGS supports struggles on a wide range of issues such as poverty, unemployment and states not providing adequate funds for social development. In closing Dean Van Rooyen reminded the audience of the importance to build organisations and encouraged people to build relationships across colour. Students need to understand the issues being discussued at the COP 17 so that they are conscious of the everything around them.

Marcus Solomon began his presentation with an old African song “Ndoda uyazi oyi funayo”, highlighting his deep belief in the unity that can be brought by culture. As Solomon put it “culture is the cementing programme”. Solomon informed the audience that the Children Resource Centre (CRC) was formed in the 80’s in the struggle to help children organise themselves. The CRC organises children between the ages of 7-14. He also mentioned that their slogan is “The Future is now” and their philosophy is “every single child is an agent for change”. He concluded his presentation by encouraging people to be effective participants in all things that affect their lives.