Strengthening Community Resilience: Exploring Local Philanthropy, Voluntarism and Women's Roles in South Africa

• In Event: Fascinating and Under-explored philanthropy

Abstract

Giving and volunteering in times of need have historically been instruments and mechanisms for community development, sustainability, and social cohesion, particularly in Africa. Community philanthropy is one of the traditional ways of community sustenance and sharing that has lasted for millennia as societies have faced recurrent challenges (Gastrow, 2015). The concept of “Ubuntu” which underpins cultures of giving is regarded as a core value in traditional African culture (Ajayi, 2016; Gastrow, 2015). South African communities encounter a variety of socioeconomic and environmental upheavals in an ever-changing globe. The research aims to investigate the complex manner in which these domains affect South African communities. It focuses on preserving and adapting local and traditional giving cultures, with a special emphasis on the critical roles women play in driving and sustaining these philanthropic activities in post-crisis community recovery and development.

The study takes an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on sociology, gender studies, and philanthropy studies for its findings. It tries to unravel the rich tapestry of philanthropic practices and varied kinds of giving in South Africa through an examination of scholarly literature and case studies, many of which are firmly based on historical, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts. It emphasizes the vital role of women in driving social change and community development through philanthropy through a localized resource mobilization strategy to not only increase the culture of local giving but also to deepen power horizontally of, by, and for the community. It also looks at how South Africa's local and traditional giving traditions, such as "stokvels," have offered critical mechanisms for post-crisis rebuilding, bolstered by women's active participation (Bophela, 2018). Bates, (2020) argued that motivations for giving in South Africa are stated through local cultures of giving and personal beliefs, all under the umbrella of the Ubuntu, which is prominent in Africa. Stokvels are one of the most important poverty-relief measures that the majority of black South Africans have used for many years (Matuku & Kaseke, 2014a). While the majority of South Africans come from modest or low-income families, giving resources, materials, and time is considered normal and, in many cases, unavoidable (Samuels, 2013). To address some of the challenges, families, friends, and community members have long formed clubs using historical and traditional practices such as stokvels, and burial societies, among other forms of communities pooling resources to address a societal challenge (Mashigo & Schoeman, 2012; Matuku & Kaseke, 2014b).

This study will use a qualitative research technique that will involve qualitative interviews and surveys. The qualitative component entails in-depth interviews with women actively involved in community philanthropy and voluntarism. These interviews try to record these women's motivations, challenges, and experiences, as well as the impact of their work in their local communities. The qualitative data will be analyzed thematically to find patterns and themes that emerge from the participants' narratives. The survey component aims to collect quantitative data from a larger sample of South African women interested in philanthropy and voluntarism.

References

In text citations.

Authors

• Thandi Makhubele, Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI)

• Bhekinkosi Moyo, Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment CAPSI