THEZA
RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
PROJECT

The majority of Blacks in South Africa still lives under disadvantaged circumstances. This situation is reflected in soaring unemployment rates and diminishing education possibilities. The rapidly increasing HIV/AIDS-rate is regarded as a correlating problem. Since the late 1980s the disease has spread particularly in South Africa´s Eastern and Northern Cape.

The majority of HIV-infected persons are middle-aged, which explains why it is stated that South Africa´s middle generation is dying off. This goes hand in hand with the increasing number of HIV-orphans. Thus, more and more households are solely run by children.

This vicious circle makes it difficult to define the problem´s starting point. Is it HIV/AIDS that results in poverty or is it poverty that prevents effective counter measures against HIV/AIDS?

Most social problems are interrelated, which can be expressed by using the following example: Children living in and/or leading child-headed households are often not able to visit schools, due to lacking financial means. Due to lacking education these children will never be able to receive decent work-placement and therefore have sufficient means to deal with the disease. Besides having to deal with HIV/AIDS, many families struck by the disease have to cope with a financial crisis, which again leads to malice and frustration.The Theza Rural Development Project approaches these problems in a clear and direct manner. The core aspect lies in creating work-placement within the eMthonjeni township community, in order to decrease poverty and create sustainable improvement. By doing so, we believe that it is possible to create a basis, on which effective counter measures against HIV/AIDS can flourish.



People of the community will be involved in breeding Saanen goats. The milk given by the goats is used to produce a range of products, which can be sold and thus turned into income. However, a large amount of the milk is directly used by the HIV-struck community itself, in order to make up for lacking nutrition. Emphasis is put on supporting the child-headed households by ensuring nutrition and medical consultation.

The milk is regarded as especially nutritious for persons with low immunity, due to the fact that goat milk can be absorbed better by HIV-infected persons than regular cow milk. The decision to support the Theza Rural Development Project and to believe in the effectiveness of its approach is based on the outcome of contemporary research.

By supporting the Theza Project, PfefferminzGreen will support a CBO (Community Based Organisation), whose guidelines accord with those of major organizations that are active on an international level (UNAIDS/UNICEF etc.). PfefferminzGreen puts emphasis on providing sustainable support that does without interfering with existing cultural and social structures of the community.

Project managers on site:

Together with their 4 children Naledi and Thebe Shale live in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Besides having a university degree in education science, both are regarded as traditional healers.

Traditional healing is the oldest form of structured medicine, that is a medicine that has an underlying philosophy and set of principles by which it is practised. Many South Africans still live according to traditional African culture. Thus, many people are dependant on consulting traditional healers when having mental or physical troubles. Moreover, the family Shale not only assures medical support, but also assures support that deals with social issues. Through their work they have detailed insight of day-to-day problems within the eMthonjeni township community. Both command respect and at the same time, they are persons on whom the community´s hopes are pinned.

Being the founders and managers of the Theza Project they know best where problems arise and how to deal with them. With the Theza Project they strongly believe that they can implement sustainable, self-reliant help for eMthonjeni.

This goes hand in hand with one of the project´s main objectives:
"Trusting people with their lives"!