Human Rights Office, Projects and Progress

Selfhelp Manenberg

Manenberg is a township in Cape Town created by the apartheid government for ‘Coloured’ families. With an estimated population of 70,000 residents, the area has become overcrowded leading to problematic living conditions. Although much improved from the past, there is still a high incidence of crime, gangsterism and social disturbance in Manenberg. Such problems gave rise to the inception of Self Help Manenberg in 1992, a non-profit organisation with a vision to ensure Manenberg is a prosperous and safe suburb of the city for all its residents.

The mission of Selfhelp Manenberg is to FIND, ENCOURAGE and SUPPORT residents of all ages to build their vision of a positive future, to promote and participate in community organising, to encourage a culture of life long learning and to link this with the determination of the Cape Town City Council to make Cape Town a city that works for everyone.

- We currently work with two groups within Manenberg; Manenberg Girls and Manenberg Boys.

- Manenberg Girls main aim is to empower young women from the community. The rights of women are often overlooked in such communities which is why such a project is so important to the women living there. We try to arrange as many trips out of Manenberg for the women as possible as this allows them to experience other parts of Cape Town which they have never had the opportunity in their situation to see. They are taken to Museums and places of interest in Cape Town to teach them about where they came from and to educate them about the history of their country. The young women are aged 18-25 and are uneducated so such knowledge has never been available to them before. They are very keen to get involved and learn about how they can make a difference to their own lives.

There is also a focus on economic development. We want to teach these girls the skills they need to start and manage their own enterprises. This is the best way to get them out of poverty and assist them in improving their future prospects.

To learn more about the Manenberg Girls Project please click here to read one volunteers account of the work that is being done and the progress that is being made.

- Manenberg Boys aims to show young male adults what positivity can be found in their future. Through interactive means, volunteers educate the boys on their options for the future, encouraging them to take responsibility for their actions and providing support for them whenever they may need it. This is leading to a long term goal which involves focusing on the history of Manenberg and developing and chronicling a coffee table book on the history of Manenberg. This is a great way to teach the boys about the history of their area and the impact that apartheid had on their community. This then leads on to educating them about how they can be positive influences in their community.

Click here to read about when two of our volunteers took some of the boys from Manenberg on a day trip around Cape Town

Click here to read about our Manenberg boys soccer tournament

There is much scope for volunteers within this project and any fresh ideas are welcome. Much has been achieved up to date with the dedication and persistence of volunteers but there is much more to do and much more progress to be made.