We believe that those who are included and who are left out of mainstream society is largely determined by the institutions and policy choices of governments and the values of broader society. Certainly, some individuals ‘opt out’ of the general norms and patterns of society – either by design or by the long-term effects of substance abuse. But in the main, people provided with the confidence, ability and enabling context to seize opportunity will do so.
At the same time, there are people who – for reasons of youth or frailty, other incapacitation or extreme social exclusion – are not able to seize opportunity. They are still part of our society and are entitled to the same respect as anyone else.
Many of the poorest and frailest members of our society carry an enormous burden on behalf of society, especially with respect to the care of children orphaned by HIV and AIDS. We lean heavily on them. We aim to find new ways of systematically including those who are most left out of South African society, building their networks and access to resources.
We will support programmes that:
- Continue to provide direct support in response to the needs of those who are most left out
- Build capacity of community-based organisations that show promise
- Leverage new or expanded support by systematic links to quality service providers
- Strengthen their voice and visibility by supporting advocacy groups for the aged, disabled and other groups that are most left out
