Funding Sustainability

The projects are planned and carried out on a limited time frame and budget. Extended activities are only undertaken if funding has been secured. The projects are therefore short to mid-term, with the possibility of further continuation. The emphasis is on individual and community development and tangible outcome. Yabonga has been rated by Empowerdex with top empowerment credentials (100% empowered on ownership level plus bonus point). We are actively involved in securing long term funding sustainability through participation in broad based BEE ownership transactions.

To date Yabonga is the proud owner of a Brimstone shareholding and was awarded a shareholding in the Sasol BEE transaction.

Strengths

The sustainability of Yabonga's activities rests on a number of interrelated factors:

1. The linking of the Yabonga programme to existing health facilities within the communities

By being attached to community-based clinics, Yabonga is able to complement the services offered by medical staff, and also to offer at under-staffed clinics. The medical services receive a boost with Yabonga’s holistic approach to dealing with HIV and poverty.

2. The genuine involvement of people living with HIV and Aids

Yabonga's niche is that its programme is run and implemented by people living with HIV. This means, field workers, lay counsellors and peer educators truly understand, empathise with, and support clients.

3. Building Yabonga's organisational structure from within

Yabonga is effectively contributing to the sustainability of its programme by building its organisation from within, using its current pool of staff, while new recruits to the programme are solicited from within the support groups.

4. Consistent programme monitoring and support

Yabonga supplementary ongoing training and support includes extra training for peer educators in current topics and information and psychological debriefing and support.

5. A strong link to the local fieldwork network

Yabonga's HIV and Aids programme has demonstrated its appeal beyond the scope of the support centre containers. Demand can be seen for its services from schools, local military bases, and other local organisations and businesses. Yabonga peer educator and field workers are asked, with increasing frequency, to represent Yabonga by giving talks, as well as providing HIV education sessions.In addition, Yabonga works closely with other NGOs in the same communities, particularly in joint efforts to respond to HIV and Aids stigma and discrimination.