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A BRIEF HISTORY
In South Africa up to 40% of the population are jobless. Nationally, the number of officially unemployed increased from 1.8 million in 1985 to 5.2 million in 2000. No doubt, apartheid left indelible marks on the economy with political violence and unrest.
Cape Town, the Western Region of South Africa, is one of the most unequal cities in the world. While Oranjezicht, Camps Bay and Bishops Court can boast of unemployment figures of under 3%, official 2000 statistics point to unemployment levels of 65% for Rural areas and informal settlements. Western Cape NGO, NPO, CBO and faith based organisations played a pivotal role in the informal settlements.
The Mustadafin Foundation was established in 1986 and emerged as a result of political unrest and violence in Crossroads.
Crossroads, at the time, was isolated.
The violence was due to faction fighting and had a devastating effect on the local community, particularly women and children.
In order to support the community, a group of people started to work within it to provide services such as accommodation, food and clothing provision, medical care and trauma counselling.
Those involved included doctors, lawyers, social workers and community leaders as well as students and other members of the public.
This group encompassed such a wide range of people working constructively towards a common goal that it was decided to formalise the situation in the hope that this initiative could be maintained.
In light of this the Mustadafin Foundation was born.
The Mustadafin Foundation, in all its activities, seeks to work with and supports other organisations working in the same area.
It also seeks to expand its area of activity since demands made by other groups for the support of the Mustadafin Foundation demonstrate a clear need for wider involvement.
Currently however the potential demand would overwhelm the resources (material, financial and voluntary labour) that the Foundation can offer.
The Foundation sees itself as a servant of the communities in which it operates; the Mustadafin Foundation bases their major projects on the needs of the communities.
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