The Overstrand Rural Youth and Child Survey - Flower Valley Conservation Trust
As a collective, social service organisations have been unable to find reliable and contemporary information to guide targeted interventions for optimal impact. The census data collected by the national government misses essential information when it comes to children and youth needs within a local context. A joint strategy to collect this data on community demographics and services was enabled with the help of the Overstrand Municipality. This will guide future interventions specifically for the current needs and gaps that are faced by children and youth in the Overstrand areas.
Reliable data was collected through a localized census that can inform the development of a youth strategy in a coordinated, transparent and inclusive way and that is aligned to the Integrated Development Plan. The scope of the survey was broadened to include information relevant to natural resource utilisation and employment in the biodiversity sector. This census took place in Stanford, Pappiesvlei, Eluxolweni, Buffeljagsbaai, Masakhane and Blompark.
Implementing partners in this survey are Overstrand Municipality, Food4Thought, Ikamva and the Grootbos Foundation. Each organisation contributed towards data, supervision, and travel costs. The Overstrand Municipality, through their EPWP programme, employed 50 unemployed youth to conduct the census. The Project was halted with the level four lockdown announcement, but most of the data has already been collected to meet objectives.