Local Civil Society Organisations are partnering with the Department of Basic Education – through provincial education departments – to jointly implement a school-based violence and gender-based violence intervention which has the potential of creating a network of young people driving change within their communities.
The National Inclusive and Safer Schools Partnership NISSP) is a joint national partnership that aims to promote the whole-of-school approach to contribute towards the prevention of violence and gender-based violence in South African schools.
The programme brings together district officials, Civil Society Organisations, educators, and learners to receive unique capacities that enable them to coordinate, co-resource and jointly implement school-based violence prevention programmes. The initial phase of the programme is focused on four provinces: Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, and North West.
It is supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through the Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention (VCP) Programme.
Evidence shows that school-based, primary prevention interventions can effectively reduce violence in schools by promoting positive behaviours and change in norms and values of the school community, which can influence the surrounding community.
Such learner-led interventions, which prioritise peer-to-peer education, have been shown to work by encouraging and influencing positive behaviour change and the whole-of-school approach encourages the support of the wider school community.
The NISSP supports the expansion of the success of the Masifunde Changemaker Network, which is part of the National Inclusive and Safer Schools Toolbox of school-based approaches and programmes for the prevention of violence and gender-based violence in South Africa (currently being developed). The upscaling of the intervention is led by Masifunde Learner Development and Agape Youth Movement.
