ALPS kicks-off resilience-building activities for the Somali community in Pretoria
With a new round of funding from the United States’ Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), ALPS Resilience and the Somali Association of South Africa (SASA) have expanded their partnership to Gauteng, opening a new office and community centre in Pretoria. The new centre will serve the Somali community in Pretoria West, offering classes, workshops, after-school programmes, and support mechanisms to the community.
ALPS is currently overseeing training activities at the centre and equipping the office with much needed resources for the community. Several activities have already started, including English classes, women’s workshops, and youth soccer classes. Computer classes commenced at the start of the year with the arrival of seven new computers. Led by SASA staff, these classes form an essential part of the resilience-building curriculum, equipping beneficiaries with the skills they need to look for jobs, develop their CVs, and enhance their employability.
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a key component of the project. To ensure the success of project activities, ALPS and SASA will work together to maintain consistent feedback loops within the project in order to rapidly identify challenges and strengths. In January, ALPS oversaw the training of SASA Pretoria staff in M&E principles, processes, and tools. Staff M&E training not only ensures implementation of a successful project, but also allows for important organisational capacity development within SASA itself.
