Janine Ward, a community development professional with 40 years of experience, has launched the ABCD Africa Association to promote asset-based citizen-led development across Africa. This initiative responds to challenges in South Africa's nonprofit sector by focusing on community strengths. The association aims to share resources and host webinars on key issues like funding constraints.
In response to Deon Snyman’s recent op-ed on the nonprofit sector's struggles in South Africa, Janine Ward advocates for asset-based citizen-led development, known as ABCD. Ward, who has facilitated this approach for decades, describes ABCD as a method that enables communities to identify and mobilize their existing assets, strengths, and resources to address local challenges.
The ABCD concept originated in the early 1980s in Chicago, United States, and has since gained global traction. In South Africa, it has been adopted since 2011 by civil society, academia, the corporate sector, and certain government departments, including cooperative governance and traditional affairs in Gauteng.
Ward critiques traditional terminology like 'nonprofit' or 'non-government sector' for promoting a deficit mentality. Instead, she suggests viewing these organizations as 'for impact' or capacity-building entities. She highlights the Amathuba Collective's ethos: “We believe that each one of us has innate value and worth and that sometimes, we just need a little help discovering our own unique talents and belief in the contribution we are able to make.”
Over her 40 years in southern Africa, Ward has observed ABCD transform mindsets and provide sustainable solutions amid funding shortages. To advance this work, she and fellow enthusiasts recently established the ABCD Africa Association. This membership-led platform facilitates the exchange of information, resources, ideas, and stories about ABCD across the continent.
The association plans regular webinars on topics such as the funding crisis and is building a database of practitioners in South Africa and other African countries. Interested parties can visit www.abcdafrica.org or contact hello@abcdafrica.org for more details.