Matie Community Service

Poverty is an enormous challenge in South Africa and Matie Community Service (MGD), one of the Community Interaction Flagship Projects of Stellenbosch University (SU), offers services that focus on opportunities for people to gain knowledge and skills so that they eventually are able to make an economic contribution to the country. MGD provides for the needs of communities both inside and outside Stellenbosch by means of a variety of service and development programmes. A further aim is to involve the students, the expertise and co-workers of SU, as well as co-workers and resources outside the University and to provide an organisational framework for participation in community service and development on the campuses of the SU.

The service and development programmes include the Khanyisa Learning Project, which offers extra classes to grade 12 learners to prepare them better for the job market and possible further training; the Primary Health Care Programme, which provides basic medical services to a number of communities; the One-Stop Service, which leads student groups in providing sustainable, effective community service in partnership with established non-profit organisations; Entrepreneurial Training and Development for young people and adults to address poverty and unemployment through the development of business skills; and an Adult Education and Training programme, which offers illiterate and semiliterate people an opportunity to become functionally literate and to improve their academic qualifications as well as life skills.

It is estimated that more than 4 000 people make use of MGD's services every year.

"It is an inspiration to get to know so many people who have decided to seize these opportunities. It is moving to listen to people talk about how their lives have changed, sometimes over a period of many years. The most important aspect is that people regain their self-confidence and once again feel that they can tackle challenges," says Ms Lydia Burger, Deputy Director and Head of MGD, who is in charge of the project.