After 27 years, DVV International will conclude its work in South Africa. 140 actors from the South African ALE community attended the closing event on 2 September in Cape Town.
It was towards the end of an inspiring evening that the spark had spread to all guests – when all invitees were asked to share their personal stories about their involvement with DVV International in the past 27 years. Renier Louw, part of the leadership of the Overberg Development Association (ODA), a close partner of DVV International in the last 15 years, described vividly how he personally benefited from many trainings and activities that helped to build his personality and his growth. The best proof of this is that he now is a councillor in the community of Bredasdorp at the southernmost tip of the continent. Another remarkable statement was made by Vanessa Reynolds, a well-known educator and coordinator of The Women’s Circle (TWC), another long-standing partner of DVV International in South Africa. Vanessa emphasised the importance of women’s empowerment in an environment which is struggling with security problems, drug abuse, unemployment and violence. She stated that the cooperation with DVV International gave hope to many women in the communities.
DVV International officially opened its office in South Africa in 1998. This was just four years after the first free elections had taken place, a time when Nelson Mandela was still president of the country. At the end of this current year, the South African country office will be closed. By now, strong adult education networks have been established. There is little doubt that adult learning and education (ALE) will continue to play a substantial role in the development of South African communities.
The achievements of the past 27 years were celebrated at an official closing event on the evening of 2 September in Cape Town. The ceremony was attended by 140 actors from the South African ALE community and included Thembisa Futshane, the Deputy Director General of the Department of Higher Education and Training, David Diale, the Chief Director: Education, Training, Development and Assessment as well as the German Deputy Consul General, Karl-Heinz Schmitz. These and many others complimented DVV International and its partners for the tireless efforts to support ALE in South Africa in many different ways.
Indeed, DVV International has gone a long way in South Africa and is grateful to the many individuals, organisations, networks and social movements that have supported as well as challenged its approaches and practices. This thankfulness was addressed by DVV International Director Uwe Gartenschlaeger and DVV International Regional Director Johann Heilmann while DVV International Country Director Farrell Hunter walked all guests through the history of DVV International in the country: from the early times when the aim was to expand the reach of basic adult education via the shift to non-formal education, the introduction of a popular education programme to the cooperation with community colleges who inserted these programmes into their regular cycles.
Another cheerful moment occurred when Katarina Popovic, the Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), announced that the seat of ICAE will be moved from Belgrade to Cape Town in 2026 and that Farrell Hunter will succeed her as ICAE’s new secretary general. This and the fact that DVV International will continue to manage its African continental project (ACP) from Cape Town served as a demonstration that there will be support for adult learning and education in South Africa in the future and that the country will remain an important partner in the region.