Addressing Rural Poverty

“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom” – Nelson Mandela

The Challenge: Endemic Rural Poverty

Some 15 million rural South Africans remain trapped in poverty, due to the social engineering of apartheid and the priority given to urban industries in the previous government’s economic policies. Reversing the damage of apartheid’s economic and educational policies and bridging the gap between rural and urban communities is a daunting challenge. Rural communities endure underdeveloped local infrastructure and an inability to communicate effectively through modern means, due to their physical location. Limited fixed line telephone access, no access to the internet and inadequate cell phone signal coverage, make sustainable economic development a huge challenge.

A Solution: The P.E.A.C.E Model

Established 28 years ago, the P.E.A.C.E Foundation has, over the years, developed a model which has proven its efficacy in a number of communities – creating cooperative jobs, improving education and providing essential, centralized services, to support cooperatives. The P.E.A.C.E. Model has been evaluated by Ashoka as being designed to coordinate and facilitate strategies for the alleviation of poverty in rural communities through the promotion and support of LED. At the heart of the model is the provision of centralized community access to information that supports and promotes LED initiatives, with a focus on the cooperative approach and improved educational standards. The model which is original, sustainable and replicable has an holistic approach to development, which accommodates and services the five central components of the P.E.A.C.E. acronym. Most recently, the P.E.A.C.E. Foundation became part of Elephants, Rhinos and People (ERP), an initiative of group elephant.com which is a for profit global company, characterised by a primary strategic imperative in terms of how they go “Beyond Corporate Purpose” in their day-to-day activities.