When a group of social auxiliary workers could not find employment, they created their own through Phaphama Mzansi Foundation (PMF).
Phaphama directly translates to ‘arise’ and it serves as a call to South Africans to arise and assume their positions in the battle against social ills that have infiltrated our society.
Founded in 2017, the foundation was a chance for the group to also make a positive contribution to the society. Thato Gaffane, the secretary of the board explained that the social auxiliary workers were trained by the Department of Social Development (DSD). “Unfortunately, the DSD was placed under administration and as a result could not employ them,” he explained. This did not discourage them and they rose against the adversity.
“Motivated by the pandemic of gender-based violence, the ongoing abuse of substance that leads to the distortion of our children’s future, the abuse and neglect of child rights, the stigmatisation and abuse towards persons with HIV/aids, we strategically developed programmes to address these social ills. Currently, only the gender-based violence and substance abuse programmes are active,” he explained.
The aim is to ensure that the social ills are eliminated directly from the roots and this is done through awareness campaigns, research and advocacy. They also go the extra mile of providing support for victims of GBV and substance abuse to ensure their mental health is unimpaired.
The challenge that the organisation currently faces is effectively assisting clients who need psychotherapy support due to lack of resources to employ a social worker. “We are relatively small and still need resources and equipment to effectively carry out all our objectives. Despite this, we are committed to fulfilling the objectives of the organisation in the best way possible with one of our highlights being visiting pre-schools in mascots during national child protection week to empower children to speak against abuse and encouraging them to stay away from substances,” he added.
Schools have taken to the objectives of the foundation and they have been invited to implement the projects, however, the lack of resources has limited their ability to implement these with the frequency they wish. PMF believes in unity, hence it is open to partnering with other organisations to ensure that social justice and social development prevails. “We appreciate the support that we receive from the Department of Social Development and the National Lotteries Commission,” he added. For more information Thato Gaffane can be reached at thato@pm-f.org.za or 076 044 9588.
