Khanya’s 3rd NGO Fair 2011 – August 28, 2011

Portia Mosia* provides a brief outline of Khanya’s 3rd NGO/CBO fair.

The NGO/CBO Fair is part of the Khanya College Winter School that takes place annually. This year the College celebrated its 12th Winter School and its 3rd NGO/CBO Fair. The Fair is an opportunity for organisations nationally to share their vision, their work and experiences, to debate and to build solidarity within the NGO/CBO sector. The event was held at Museum Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg on the 3rd August 2011. The main focus of the Fair was on the Environment, the Conference of Parties (COP17) that will be held in Durban later in the year and social justice.

Different organisations set up advocacy stalls to make the Fair interesting, in their civersity including women and gender, environmental, sex-workers and cultural organisations, as well as students volunteers from universities and paralegal NGOs. Stall-holders arrived a day before, on the 2nd August 2011 to set-up their stalls for the main event on the 3rd August 2011.

Some of the organisations that participated in the Fair with stalls included Black Sash and Probono with information on the different aspects on which they provide advice to the public. NISAA women’s shelter in Lenasia provided information and also sold some of the jewellery made by women in their shelters. The Environmental Justice Network from Cape Town had an exhibition on the effects of climate change on the environment, including people. This was also the first time that Sisonke Sex Workers held a stall at the Fair.

Besides the exhibition and stalls, the Fair also included seminars, a theatre programme for school from the inner city, round table discussions, workshops and film screening. The informal sector workers also discussed the launch of their CD.

The Fair is a great platform for NGOs/CBOs to share their experiences and to build broad-based solidarity with each other. The College will try to include as many organisations as possible to participate in the Fair. This is a space for the public, communities and NGOs to engage.