South Africa
In 1936, priests encouraged a group of young women to start The Grail in South Africa. Together, we ran campaigns and organized retreats, liturgies, and courses. We were formally established as an international faith movement of women in the country in 1950. Since then, we have created programs for young women and high school girls and networked with various Catholic lay organizations, including the Joint Council of Europeans and Africans. With more notable actions of our members, our movement has expanded into more places, including Lesotho and Uganda. We later became ecumenical when women from different denominators were invited to join. Topics such as human beings as children of the same God became one of our focuses.
Raising Consciousness About Injustice
Laws entrenched racial injustice in the country during the ’50s and ’60s. For that reason, we became increasingly involved in efforts to build awareness about discrimination. Our members also worked with other parties, like the Catholic Action for Racial Education, to create opportunities for social cohesion among different races.
Christian Education and Leadership Training
Most of our members also participated in the interracial and interdenominational
training program called Christian Education Leadership Training. It involves
exchanging experiences and ideas, which led to friendships and a new view of
the church. This training became an important part of our work, while other
education, health, and social work programs continued.
Income-Producing Program
For years, our team in Johannesburg has been heavily involved in income-generating activities for women in Soweto and surrounding areas. In 1985, the Women’s Leadership and Training Program was launched to help women in various provinces in South Africa with developmental issues.
Training For Transformation
Since 2002, The Grail has offered Training for Transformation at the Grail Centre, in Kleinmond. Training For Transformation (TfT) is a participatory learning process for community leaders and others interested in social transformation. TfT was developed and implemented by Grail members, Anne Hope and Sally Timmel, in Africa, in the 1970’s, to put into practice the popular education methods of Paulo Freire. TfT integrates social-political analysis, inclusive and participatory methods, and the commitment that arises from a deep spiritual foundation. The program aims to develop participants’ ability to critically analyze the world and make connections between power and interests, people and positions, economics, the social fabric of society and politics in order to address the root causes of societal problems. TfT recognizes the need for alternative visions and structures – for transformation, rather than simply change, and advocates for women’s leadership in the development of self-reliant communities. Community leaders around the world have utilized the well-known published resource handbooks: Training for Transformation: A Handbook for Community Workers Programs for girls and women in Durban, focusing on women’s self-esteem and gender analysis, ethics and morality, HIV and AIDs, climate change, and other relevant topics.
To learn more about Training For Transformation, visit: TFT in Practice
