Civil society organisations, particularly community-based organisations, are often on the frontlines of responding to complex social challenges. Yet, they face a host of obstacles that limit their impact. Many are under-resourced and overstretched, relying on small teams to deliver programmes, fundraise and manage administrative tasks without access to adequate training, systems and leadership development courses.

When core organisational functions are weak, interventions suffer. Considering their critical role in South African society, the sector needs strong, resilient and innovative organisations. Strengthening the sector is a shared responsibility among the organisations themselves, various players in the NGO space, donors and government.

In this podcast, we discuss ways to support civil society through funding, resources and strategies that won’t fall flat. We talk to Malibongwe Nkunkuma, Innovation Manager at DGMT.

The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites.

Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows:
The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast
The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to.

To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

Owning books can change a child’s life trajectory. This is a profound statement rooted in evidence from research around the world. Toddlers who are read to learn more words, aiding their ability to speak and read when they start school, and children who read for enjoyment perform well academically.

The advantage of owning books is significant — children with books at home have the edge on children who don’t, irrespective of their parents’ income or educational attainment. But many South Africans, mostly in poorer communities, are not experiencing the positive impact of book ownership since a quarter of households have no books at all.

There is a solution — giving books to children for free to support their early language development and emergent literacy. Other countries are already doing this; for instance, the United Kingdom gives families free books to encourage reading to children at home.

In this podcast, we talk about the value of owning books and whether our country needs a national book giveaway programme for our poorest children. Our guests are Kwanda Ndoda, Project Lead of Umncedi, Ongeziwe Nxokwana, Innovation Manager at DGMT and Dorette Louw, Director of Programmes and Operations at Book Dash.

The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites.

Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows:
The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast
The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to.

To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za

Youth development practitioners often focus on the supply and demand side of unemployment: greater investment in skills development and quality education on the one hand, with job creation and economic growth on the other.

However, in South Africa, a country with high rates of poverty and inequality, we often miss an important part of the conversation — the experience of poverty on a young person’s ability to identify, connect with, and hold on to opportunities.

Poverty is not just about material deprivation; it impacts every aspect of a young person’s life, including their confidence. The inner or hidden dimensions of poverty also require policy attention and investment in evidence-based interventions.

In this podcast, we explore how the inner dimensions of poverty reinforce the everyday material hardships experienced by out-of-school and unemployed young people. We talk to Simone Peinke, project lead of FETCH and Anwar Parker, Psychologist for the Year Beyond programme, about how these compounding challenges trap them in cycles of exclusion and what we can do to help them break free.

The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites.

Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows:
The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast
The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to.

To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za