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Connect Network

Connect Network facilitates the networking of Christian-value based Organizations, Churches and Individuals. Currently we have more than 80 members, who provide services to more than 100,000 children and 15,000 women per month.*

We endeavour to enhance the Christian response to Women and Children at risk through our four basic functions:

  1. Providing care and support to the people working in member organisations.
  2. Advocating effective relationships, synergies and a "collective voice" between members.
  3. Identifying and assisting with partnerships and collaboration.
  4. Sharing information and solutions on relevant resources.

Our three focus areas are structured around topical focus or workgroups, consisting of members and managed by a coordination team: (Click on the Hyperlinks for more information on these focus areas)

  1. Women at Risk: Crisis Pregnancy and Abortion, Human Trafficking and Prostitution, Residential Care, Job Support, Counseling and Support Services.
  2. Youth at Risk: Street Children, Youth in Prison, Life skills, Education and Prevention Programmes in Schools.
  3. Children at Risk: Early Childhood Development, Child Sexual Exploitation, Orphan Care.

In addition to our three focus areas we have associated with specific area networks in the region. Together these networks aim to provide the best topical and geographic response possible.

The Connect Network office also facilitate the coordination of four projects. The need for these projects were instigated by our members and we play only a facilitative role in the coordination and management of the projects. They include: (Click on the Hyperlinks for more information on these focus areas)

  1. Equipped to Serve (ETS): The ETS course teaches effective trauma counseling. Connect Network coordinates the training events together with our trainer members.
  2. SuperCamps: Together with four of our "camping specialist" members, Connect Network facilitates bi-annual camps for 9 to 13 year olds sent by our members. For all of these children the Camp is filled with first time adventures and the funders (SuperCamps UK) uses every opportunity to spoil them.
  3. World Weekend of Prayer (WWP): The WWP is an international day set aside to pray for children. Our members facilitates various initiatives during this day, ranging from Children-praying-for-children to a "Green Ribbon" day where Christains wear green ribbons against child abuse and invites Police Officers to Church Services to pray for them.
  4. QualityImprovement: Directly impacts the quality and quantity of care for children in Cape Town through organisational strengthening using a peer-learning method focusing on five Modules. The standards for the programmes where developed by VIVA, an international NPO based in Oxford.

Please click here to see an illustration depicting the information discussed.

We have a tiered membership structure to accomodate the needs of organisations, individuals, affiliated networks and ultimately Children and Women at Risk:

  1. Members of Connect Network are Christian-value based  organisations and projects who claim ownership over and are actively involved in the joint activities of the network in order to better help women an children at risk. They have joined membership and pay an annual subscription fee. Benefits of membership include access to information and resources, subsidized opportunities for training, being part of a unified  response to women and children at risk, and being part of a collaborated effort worldwide through the VIVA community.
  2. Accredited Members are those members who partook and completed our Quality Improvement System .
  3. Country Members are members that are situated outside of our area of operation (the greater Cape Town area). Although they share the same benefits of our normal members in terms of access of information, their access to programmes, training and more tangible support are limited due to the distance restraints.
  4. Individual Members are Individuals who work with or have a passion to help Children and Women at Risk, but whose organisation or project does not fit our membership criteria. We provide all benefits of support to these individual members.
  5. Affiliated Networks are networks that consist of stakeholders who have a interest in helping Women and Children at Risk. We provide information, resources and support to these networks in enabling partnerships.
  6. Partners are individuals or organisations who do not fit our membership criteria, but with whom we have special working relationships or partnerships

For more information, to apply for membership or to pay membership fees, please click here or contact us.

Please click here to see our calendar for upcoming events

* Numbers derived from Statistics provided by Members.