Hope project is a project that was implemented in January 2013 by Families South Africa (FAMSA). This is one of the project that is proudly funded by Gamagara Development Forum (GDF), which has allocated R 5.5 million to the project. GDF is a forum that is committed to developing sustainable, empowered and prosperous communities. Currently GDF has 15 ongoing projects including (FAMSA) HOPE project.

This project deals with social issues faced by the GDF beneficiary communities which are teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, rape, abortion and alcohol and substance abuse. This project aims to engage and to address this social problems and to respond directly to the needs of the communities, implement sustainable programmes to improve long term healthy communities and sustainable transformation. The Primary focus of the project is on children, youth, women, victims of violence and abuse, persons living with HIV/AIDS and families. Hope project is currently focusing on five main projects, Door to door, Homework program, Support group, Awareness raising and they have currently started with the Holiday program.

GDF is an organization that is trying to alleviate unemployment in the Gamagara district hence with all our projects we make sure that we create employment. Employment was created through the Hope project as 13 people have been hired, this includes Deirdre Brande who is a qualified Social Worker and is working as the Project Manager, and is assisted by a coordinator, Supervisor and currently 10 Youth Workers. The Hope project is currently operating in the entire Gamagara areas and they are using the SIOC building in Kathu as their base office.

The Hope project manager Deirdre Brande says the challenges that they are facing is that the people are not making use of their services as much as they would like especially in terms of counselling as the people make appointments but they end up not pitching for their appointments. She emphasized that even though the people don’t come but when issues like child abuse and child neglect she makes it her point to visit that home and if there is no improvement she involves Social Development. She says that she urges the beneficiary communities especially those in Sishen to make use of their services as that the services are made for the communities.

Deirdre says that she is grateful to Gamagara Development Forum (GDF) for funding their project. She said she is grateful for employment created through this project, and also grateful that GDF has also made it possible that the employees receive training which will take a period of 2 years, and she says that the skills that they are learning are helping them improve the lives of the communities. Deirdre says she is also grateful also to Sishen Iron Ore Company-Community Development Trust (SIOC-cdt) also known as “Super Trust” for providing them with an office in the SIOC building. She says if it were not for them the project wouldn’t have been possible. Hope Project was made possible by SIOC-cdt.