South Africa Development Fund

Actively involved in HIV prevention advocacy, social movements for housing and clean water, and campaigns fighting toxic waste and corporate pollution.

Why do we exist?

By the mid-eighties, thousands of South Africans had fled into exile to escape political oppression and the international anti-apartheid movement was established. The South Africa Development Fund was founded in 1985 by exiles living in the U.S. to provide financial aid to organizations working in South Africa's urban and rural communities. South Africa is now a democracy, but the legacy of the apartheid social policies will take many years to undo.

Whole generations grew up without a decent education and are left illiterate and unemployed. Millions of black South Africans still live in makeshift shacks with no electricity or clean water. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has hit South Africa incredibly hard, with six million South Africans living with HIV. But with the advent of democracy, there began the hope that South Africa can become the society that people dreamed of for so long - and along the way, provide a model of freedom and justice for the entire continent.

The new South African Constitution states that every South African is entitled to a clean and healthy environment, health care services and sufficient food and water. Millions of South Africans live in disadvantaged conditions that deny them these rights. Newly-formed social movements have transformed the possibilities for participatory governance in South Africa, offering previously disenfranchised citizens a collective voice.

What have you accomplished?

With the help of our supporters in the US, the South Africa Development Fund has raised more than $13 million for a variety of projects in South Africa. For much of its existence, SADF has focused on addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic, toxic environments, poverty, disempowerment of woman and children, education, social justice, and other human rights issues faced by the still-disadvantaged sectors of South African society.

After years of violence and oppression, the peaceful transformation from an apartheid state to a democracy in 1994 was both remarkable and an inspiration to people around the world. Sadly, in the intervening years, economists say that South Africa has become the most unequal society in the world, falling behind Brazil. This situation is a threat to social stability and is reflected in the rise of grassroots movements seeking fulfillment of their constitutional rights. We see their goals as an organic extension of our mission which began in 1985 - to bring justice to all South Africans.

SADF is concentrating its efforts in the arena of human rights, specifically the rights enshrined in South Africa’s constitution. Here are two examples of the impact of SADF-supported organizations.TAC and Abahlali are models of responsible civil activism - they challenged bad policy and lack of political will on behalf of marginalized people.

1. The number of shack communities in urban areas is on the rise. A policy was put in place in 2004 to upgrade these communities on site rather than to mimic apartheid-style forced removals to outlying areas. However, this policy has been ignored in favor of uprooting and relocation of homes, making it next to impossible for residents to access employment, schools and healthcare. Abahlali baseMjondolo, a shack-dwellers coalition, is the largest social movement in post-apartheid South Africa. In 2009, it challenged the legality of forced removals in the Durban area and won a landmark decision in the Constitutional Court.

2. The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) was established in 1998 in response to the lack of treatment for HIV-positive South Africans. Their struggle was an uphill battle in the face of the AIDS-denialism of the national government. Ultimately, TAC won its court battles against the government and is credited for the largest HIV-treatment program in the world. TAC continues to fight every day for equitable health services and prevention efforts.

	How do you help people in my community?		Why do you need my support?
	How can I be sure that you will use my money wisely and won't waste it?		Can I Volunteer? How?