Tshatshu

Tshatshu, between Queenstown and Lady Frere, is very rural and very beautiful, perched high on a hill looking out over a perfect valley dotted with rondavels and kraals. Most people rely on pensions or remittances from family members working in faraway towns for the cash necessary for survival in the remotest rural areas. The challenge remains: how does a community make subsistence agriculture properly viable? There are so many people jammed onto the land that it does not seem possible in the long term unless there is drastic rehabilitation of the land that has been lost to over-grazing and erosion.  Urbanisation is encouraged so that those who want to farm, who have the drive and the skill to farm, remain on the land.

What challenges face the Advice Office:

This community working through the Tshatshu Advice Office has been very active in lobbying for the very basic services that were denied to the people of the Eastern Cape. Ventilated improved pit latrines have been installed, as have taps that provide potable water to each street. This makes life a great deal easier for the women whose backbreaking duty it is to fetch water and wood.

The advice office's overall mission is to improve the quality of lives of people living in rural areas by offering support and guidance in the following areas: (i) self help projects (ii) skills development (iii) HIV & AIDS prevention. They also consciously target women and youth in their plans.

The advice office remains a force for change in a community where infrastructure is poor and basic services are not available. Through the social mobilisation interventions of the advice office, water, electricity and toilets are available and their lobbying and advocacy role is respected and supported in the community. Together with community health care workers and youth volunteers the advice office also selflessly provides home based care for people living with HIV & AIDS. The organisation also started a poultry project in the village which now supplies the Tshatshu community as well as the whole Emalahleni district with healthy fresh chickens. The poultry project has also created jobs by providing employment to ten people from the community.

Objectives and Programmes:

To promote human rights and provide a paralegal service to the Community of Tshatshu through educational workshops on human rights topics such as the Bill of Rights as well as establishing a paralegal desk at the office.

To empower women and raise awareness in the community about gender violence rape by holding community workshops.

To build the capacity of staff and management committee through training in order to understand their roles and responsibilities and render effective and efficient service delivery.

To raise HIV & AIDS awareness through treatment literacy. To provide support for all those affected by HIV & AIDS and to encourage positive living. Workshops will be conducted in conjunction with local clinics and focus will also be placed on strengthening home based carers.

Youth development will be a big focus specifically employment. The LDA hopes to establish a centre where they will be able to train the youth in computer skills.

Tshatshu Advice Office
P.O. Box 2600
KOMANI, 5322
Fax: 045 838 1639
Contact: Thandeka Kili