AID agreement no. 674-0301-G-SS-0008-00 with Zikhuliseni Community Programmes to continue its research, consultation and training with burial societies and to provide assistance and facilitate the emergence of other financially viable community projects

ZCP was established in 10/87 by the Conference of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa as an umbrella program to serve communities irrespective of denominational affiliation. Through research funded under an A.I.D. pilot grant, Zikhuliseni has determined that burial societies possess sizable economic resources which could be used for immediate community development needs. Under this grant, Zikhuliseni will develop a comprehensive listing of burial societies throughout the country and conduct workshops or seminars to help them identify strategies for addressing the needs of their members and wider communities. In Botshabelo, an economically depressed area of the Orange Free State, funds will be provided to establish 1,000 vertical gardens. The gardens will be a source of food for the local community and provide employment opportunities for people who sell the garden kits and later market the surplus produce. Funds will also be provided for research on self-help development in Natal and the Cape. The main focus of this activity will be the financial situation of burial societies and their relations with the formal sector. Zikhuliseni may also use funds for educational trips to neighboring African countries to observe community development programs.