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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com. 

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

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Kwanele

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Launched in July 2015, Kwanele is a five-year pilot programme working in 20 schools in Khayelitsha township in South Africa to decrease the high level of gender-based and sexual violence in schools and ensure a safe learning environment for girls. The programme is implemented by the Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication (SCI) in partnership with Grassroot Soccer South Africa (GRS), with support from Comic Relief, as part of the Sexual Violence in Schools in South Africa (SeVissa) initiative.
This project in the Western Cape project forms part of a larger, national intervention in South Africa. In 2014, the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention (CJCP), in partnership with the Gender, Health and Justice Unit at the University of Cape Town, was one of five consortia awarded a five year grant from Comic Relief UK, to undertake both research and intervention work in sexual violence in South African schools. The project included schools in the Western Cape, Gauteng, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo. The research component of the project allows for longitudinal data to be collected on violence related to schools, and on the impact of this violence on educational outcomes, as well as other key psycho-social and wellbeing outcomes. The study includes data collection at both the school and household level. Ten schools in each of the four provinces are included in the project and Kwanele focuses on those in the Western Cape.
Specifically, the overall project has four outcomes: (1) all intervention schools are able to effectively formulate, implement and monitor school safety plans to ensure safer schools for girls; (2) 50% of girl learners are actively engaged in the formulation of school safety strategies within 2 years of the start of the project; (3) local good and best practices are documented and showcased across schools, districts and provinces facilitating the exchange of knowledge; and (4) new qualitative and quantitative data is collected that facilitates a better understanding of both the causes of, and successful violence prevention practice, in South African schools.
Communication Strategies

The Kwanele programme is being implemented in 10 primary schools and 10 high schools in Khayelitsha, through Soul City's Soul Buddies and Rise Young Women's Clubs. Kwanele is designed to empower girls and strengthen the capacity of schools and communities to identify and deal with gender-based violence. The programme is based on a theory of change that highlights the importance of implementing a comprehensive whole school/community approach to bring about change at multiple levels.

Kwanele comprises the following approaches:

  • Schools Clubs: Soul Buddyz Clubs (SBC) and Young Women's Clubs (YWC) are being established in each of the programme schools. These clubs will use an interactive and participatory life skills curriculum combining Soul City's existing Soul Buddyz and Girls clubs methodologies with Grassroot Soccer's Skillz youth intervention strategies, which include girls soccer leagues, life skills lessons by female role models, split sex group discussions complementing Life Orientation Classes, and holiday programmes and community events.
  • School Safety Plans: The clubs will catalyse schools to develop safety plans and policies and coordinate the SCI's Alcohol Free Schools campaign with stakeholders. This will include training school governing bodies (SGB) and principals in developing and implementing school policies and practices to prevent sexual violence, identify vulnerable children, and link them to appropriate services.
  • Training parents and caregivers: To train parents and caregivers on identifying sexual violence and accessing appropriate services, Soul City will deliver its "Hands on Parenting" course and recruit parents of club members to champion community activities.
  • Community dialogues: To address social and cultural norms that perpetuate violence against girls, community dialogues will be held to facilitate dialogue and ongoing engagement with stakeholders to promote a multi-sectoral approach to addressing sexual violence.
Development Issues

Education, Girls, Gender-based Violence

Key Points

According to project information, "women and girls are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence and sexual violence in South Africa, with statistics reaching alarming proportions. Through SeVissa, Soul City and Grass Roots Soccer and relevant stakeholders are working to prevent gender-based violence and sexual violence in schools through appropriate and innovative channels, including edutainment and sport."

The Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication uses a combination of mass media, social mobilisation, and advocacy to improve the quality of life and health of people in Southern Africa. The organisation uses communication for social change activities to strengthen individuals, communities, and society based on active citizenship and principles of social justice.

Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an adolescent health organisation that "educates, inspires and mobilises young people to overcome their greatest health challenges and live healthier, more productive lives. Through youth friendly sport-based activities, innovative programming based on sound research, and inspiring role models, GRS provides young people with health information and access to services, so they can make educated choices about HIV and AIDS, sexual health and gender-based violence."

Partners

Soul City Institute for Health and Development Communication (SCI), Grassroot Soccer South Africa (GRS), Comic Relief

Sources

Email from Phinah Kodisang on October 25 2015, News24 website, Shift website, and Soul City website on January 15 2015, and email from Phinah Kodisang on April 7, 2016.