Stand On Your Own
ZIPHILELE
Organizational Vision
Citizen Base Strategy
Results
Ziphilele was founded in 1996 to develop the entrepreneurial skills of disadvantaged youth. Ziphilele, which means "Stand On Your Own," targets unemployed youth and high school learners as its primary clients.
Volunteerism is a basic tenet upon which Ziphilele was built and the organization's success can be attributed to the spirit of volunteerism in its founding and new members. It is these new volunteers who are providing the added value of building entrepreneurial spirit in Ziphilele's target audience.
Sustaining commitment from volunteers and giving them responsibilities
Ziphilele's "High School Program" (HSP) program is staffed primarily with volunteers. These volunteers sign a"social contract" with the organization to commit themselves to a full year of service provision. To find its volunteers, Ziphilele targets tertiary learning institutions such as universities and colleges. They also recruit through the Voluntary Center, a partner organization of Ziphilele.
The HSP provides weekend camps and workshop for learners. The objective of these sessions is to encourage youth to see self-employment as a career alternative through life skills and entrepreneurial training. Learners are also introduced to craft making to develop a practical skill.
During their contract period, volunteers commit to attending two volunteer training workshops and to making ten 'contacts' with learners. These 'contacts' mainly take place at the weekend camps where volunteers facilitate training workshops, as well as look after the learners. Volunteers also contribute substantially to the content of the HSP and are given complete autonomy with respect to workshop methodology.
Volunteers have contributed significantly to achieving HSP' s objective: to transform school leavers "from job seekers to job creators." This success has also translated into the growth of the volunteer program and has necessitated a more systematic approach. In the last two years, Ziphilele has engaged the services of a volunteer coordinator as well as drafted and adopted a "Volunteer Policy." The purpose of which is to provide guidance to staff and volunteers engaged in volunteer initiatives. Ziphilele volunteers have sought a more enriching program to boost their own growth and development, and they have started their own fundraising initiative to realize this objective. Volunteers are generating new funds to develop their program by hosting mini life skills and entrepreneurial training workshops at schools that are willing to pay for their services.
Other aspects of the ten-month long program are resourced in various ways. Learners make a small contribution towards their participation. Ziphilele's donors fund the weekend camps and volunteer training workshops. In general, corporate donors fund at least 60% of the organization's annual budget, while foundations contribute 25% of this amount. Corporate donors also sponsor materials for the craft making workshops. Funds generated from the sale of crafts at an annual exhibition and at a "K-TV Market Day" (a television channel's children's event) are also directed to sustaining Ziphilele's programs.