WHAT WE DO
Our mission is to be a growing catalyst for collectively addressing the challenge of Persons of concern (POC’s) in society, particularly, women and children. By advancing durable and transformative changes that strengthen their socioeconomic well-being.
OPERATIONAL MODEL
Our organisational competencies and experience within HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness focus on building partnerships with local communities and national structures to foster a human-rights-based approach to ensure the well-being and dignity of vulnerable groups. Within this context, given the intrinsic linkages between HIV/AIDS and Gender-Based Violence, PSDS takes a“whole of society” approach in
our collaborative work. This enables our organisation to tackle the discrimination of the vulnerable populations which are often stigmatised and neglected in development programmes.
Furthermore, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, PSDS has key competencies in integration technology and innovation in our work. This is critical to implement new methodologies to reach and support the needy and vulnerable communities without exposing them to COVID-19. Technology is also at the center of data collection, processing, and reporting to ensure accurate, timely, and comprehensive reporting that assists with compliance and provides in-depth insights for programme management. We utilise our competencies and experience to support vulnerable communities in five broad areas:
Facilitate collaboration between communities, those who make the change, and those who have resources to enable transformational change
Build relationships and engage with communities and stakeholders to understand the challenges and needs of vulnerable groups.
Implement successful solutions and best practices to widen and deepen their impact.
Activate and apply community-based approaches in capacity development and service provision to ensure the sustainability of programmes.
Offer preventative and curative psychosocial support to address the psychological and social needs of individuals, families, and the vulnerable in communities.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
PSDS uses a theory of change approach where the monitoring and evaluation team identifies monitoring activities and associated indicators to collect information along the pathway from inputs to impact. The proposed measurement activities, indicators that will be collected with those measurement activities, and associated timelines will be shared in the full proposal. We can further narrow down this list of measurement activities and indicators according to the What Works priorities.PSDS through its monitoring and evaluation department will develop a seamless system to collect, collate and report data as per the monitoring framework using digital tools. The improvement in quality of life will be tracked in the poverty probability index.
THEORY OF CHANGE
Comprehensive community-based protection strategies
- Provision of human rights, victim-centered survivor-focused services that reach all regardless of financial means
- Promoting active and meaningful participation of communities, civil society movements, and those affected by GBV in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects and services
- Provision of an integrated and sequenced livelihood programme that combines pschycosociel support, social protection, vocational skills training, and financial support.
- Assist communities to develop community social mechanisms necessary to reduce GBVF.
- Promoting the sexual and reproductive rights of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) sex workers, and LBGTQ+ people for sustainable development.
- Ensuring access to health care and justice system for GBV survivors.
- Improved urgency in responding to victims and survivors of GBV
- Broadening access to justice for survivors through building partnerships with legal partners.
- Improving social norms and behavioral change, high-level awareness raising and prevention campaigns
- Strengthening existing architecture and promoting accountability.
- Crea of more economic opportunities for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), sex workers, and LGBTQ+, who are vulnerable to abuse because of poverty.
- GBV survivors meeting their basic consumption and protection needs, leading to improved self-reliance.
A society where violence against adolescent girls, young women (AGYW), sex workers, and LGBTQ+ people has been reduced.
PSDS IMPACT PROFILE
Since its inception in 2020, PSDS has gathered experience and expertise in community-based interventions, including, childprotection, HIV-AIDS prevention and awareness, mental health and psychosocial support, and sustainable development in support of vulnerable groups such as women and children, vulnerable youth, sex workers survivors of gender-based violence, the LGBTQI community and other vulnerable populations it has managed to achieve success the following areas:
- Women trained in entrepreneurship
- Reduced GBV incidents in the communities where we have a footprint
- Sponsored outreach programmes
Disbursed Funding to start-up businesses - Funded and got community projects up and running
- Created youth Support groups
- Created women and children support groups
- Working with sex workers to ensure health and wellness
PSDS OUREACH FOUNDATION
Outreach Foundation offers support and development to people living in the inner city of Johannesburg and beyond. Through skills development, counseling, and Arts enrichment programmes, the foundation seeks to inspire and advocate for creative and empowering journeys for those looking to achieve their full potential. Outreach Foundation partnered with PSDS to provide business and finance literacy skills training for people of concern (PoCs) identified for the livelihood grant.
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