1. Vision, Mission and Values

2. Management Committee

3. Outgoing Chairperson’s Report—MM Arries

4. Chairperson’s Report—CE Spies

5. Director’s Report—KJ Du Plessis

6. Financial Report—K Michaelides

7. Finance and Admin Report—H Kidd

8. Knysna Reception and Admin—Y Jantjies

9. Counselling Report—S Le Roux

10. Community Development Area 1—H.Kidd/J Mabie-Lewis

11. Community Development Area 2– BL Mqulwana

12. Community Development Area 3– M Ngcoko/V Jacobs

13. Annual Targets

14. Plettenberg Bay Reception—G Sillands

15. Plettenberg Bay Office Manager—M van der Westhuizen

16. Family Foundation Training

17. Management—KJ Du Plessis

18. Staff and Volunteers—KJ Du Plessis

19. Organogram

20. Fund development—KJ Du Plessis

21. Photo’s

22. Appreciation

CONTENTS

Incoming Chairperson: Christopher Spies

Outgoing Chairperson: Mirick Arries

Incoming Vice Chairperson: Pat Buchan

Outgoing Vice Chairperson: Christopher Spies

Secretary: Connie Sompani

Treasurer: Kathryn Michaelides/Henning

Director: Karin du Plessis

Members: New Members:

Femke Hamming (resigned) Basil Medeira Cally Farrell

Vukile Oliphant Coen Asjes Elfranco Coert

Richard Meyer Sandy Humphreys Thami Nofemele

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

What a privilege it has been to be the chairperson of FAMSA Knysna for the past 6 years. When I was introduced to FAMSA by Ann Lee, a former secretary of FAMSA, I really didn’t know what to expect. But what a journey it was meant to be. I have a lot of mixed feelings about writing to you all today. On the one hand, I'm very sad to leave this amazing organisation. Being your chairperson has been a truly profound experience. It's been wonderful working with you all. I could in all sincerity learn so much from you. A person of note was former director, Lou van der Merwe, with whom I was honoured to work with. I regarded her as “the source behind 007”. She had the most influence on my life as chairperson but also as a friend. I just wanted to take this moment to let you know how interesting it was working with someone like her. It was difficult to say goodbye to her. Thank you Lou in your absence, for your help and kindness, patience and ad-vice. I've grown so much since I started at FAMSA. Again, I wish to express my profound gratitude to all members of FAMSA for showing me affection through the years. I've learned so much working with each and every one of you. Thanks for instilling in me the spirit of courage, tolerance and patience. To MANCOM: Thank you for all the support and goodwill you have shown to me over the years. The sweet memo-ries of working with you will be hard to forget. You have all inspired me with your decision-making skills and the overall level of professionalism at this fantastic organisation. Your kind support and encouragement over the years has had a great influence on my life. Unknowingly, you help me to look beyond the surface. I remember when the organisation was in crisis, I was glad to be part of a provisioned team that was commissioned by the board to find a lasting solution to the challenges the organisation was facing at that difficult time. Under the supervision of K and S, we researched and drafted the solution that helped restore the organisation. We could move on to better things. FAMSA has a huge role to play in the stabilisation of our communities and the challenges become ever so harder. I believe the saying that “no matter how small and unimportant what we are doing may seem, if we do it well, it may soon become the step that will lead us to better things”. Karin, our new director, my advice is also, that great leaders don’t set out to be a leader… They set out to make a difference. It's never about the role—always about the goal. Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence. To Chris Spies, FAMSA’s new chairperson: May you be granted with wisdom to take the organisation forward. You’ve all made my experience here beyond enjoyable. I got to have a great time with you and learnt some new skills. However, it's time for us to part ways. I would like to say thank you to each and every one of you, and farewell to you all. I hope we meet again soon. May you all be blessed. Keep the faith and shine. Best wishes.

OUTGOING CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: MM Arries

The annual report for Families South Africa Knysna covers the 2017/2018 financial year, and it gives a total overview on the strategic as well as the operational direction our organisation took during this period. In the midst of high levels of gender-based violence, attacks on family structures, negative economic outlook in our country and instability in important areas of society, we as FAMSA Knysna stand stronger than ever before on our Vision, Mission, Purpose and Commitment, as a leader to foster healthy family relationships locally, as well as at provincial and national level, and we remain committed to our vision as " the national leader in services that enhance relationships". During the past year we've experienced some change in leadership within our organisation, in particular on the Management Committee. The change in leadership came into affect during February 2018, after the term of office for Mr Arries ended. He tended his resignation, as did Ms Femke Hamming. The management committee elected myself as well as Ms Pat Buchan to the positions of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of MANCOM, respectively. A number of new MANCOM members were also co-opted to serve our organisation. On behalf of FAMSA Knysna, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Arries and Ms Hamming for their unselfish contribution to the organisation. Their services stretch over quite a number of years (10 and 13 years). Our purpose is to actively contribute towards the creation of healthy, functional and effective families, as the cornerstone of a stable and prosperous society and nation, and this remains key to our strategic objectives. All our structures, plans and activities were in line with our purpose during this period. The most important asset of FAMSA Knysna remains our human capital. This includes the Management Committee, the Director, Staff, Volunteers and counsellors. All the many successes observed and achieved are directly linked to this valuable resource. We've tried extremely hard to retain this resource that remains key to achieving our vision. I want to thank each and everyone that assisted FAMSA Knysna during the past year. In the midst of neg-ative economic conditions, our partners kept their commitment to their monthly or annual financial contri-bution to our family, especially Department of Social Development who contributed 52 % to our income. A special word of thanks to Menno and Wil Hiemstra at the Harkerville Market who run a second hand Bookstore for FAMSA that contributed an amount of R 43 334 to the FAMSA Plettenberg Bay coffers, and to Rotary who made substantial donations towards June 2017 Fire Support. All these contributions don't go unnoticed and it is indeed money well spent. It helps us to remain accessible to those that are in need of our services. Our commitment to accessibility to all people and communities, accountability, adhering to basic human rights, confidentiality, non-judgemental attitudes, respect for others, quality and excellence of service, are key pillars on which we are building this organisation, but we cannot do it on our own. I want to thank all our partners and stakeholders who enable us to fulfil our commitments. Thank You!

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: Chris Spies

I had the honour and privilege to be the Acting Director from 1 April 2017 and was then appointed permanently in the position from 1 October 2017. It’s been a challenging journey but with the support of MANCOM, staff and volunteers, FAMSA has been restructured and is able to continue to serve the community. It was during this time that I discovered that the very first official AGM recorded was in 1997 which makes this our 21st official year of serving this community. I contacted Pastor James van Heerden who now resides in New Zealand, who informed me that they placed their first ad in the Knysna Plett Herald in 7 March 1991, calling for assistance from people in the community to volunteer, as he had completed the counselling course at the FAMSA George office. This then would add another 6 unofficial years to our history! 21 years with 6 extra years of experience. As Acting Director, we reviewed various options in what we titled the “Way Forward”. Previous directors were responsible for organisational, financial and administrative management of FAMSA, whereas I came from a clinical and project management background. With a few strategic changes we now have the staff structure, (see Organogram), to address the various roles and responsibilities within the organisation. The year was definitely redefined by the June 2017 Fires in this area. Besides the fact that staff and volun-teers were traumatised and affected by this, we had 1 staff member and 3 volunteers who lost their homes, services within the organisation had to continue. I was overwhelmed with all the help offered from all over, especially with people offering their time to assist with Trauma Support. We initially had FAMSA Outeniqua spend 2 days assisting with trauma support, as well as Wendy Brussouw from Graaff Reinet, who spent about a month offering support. The Fires also resulted in additional long term Trauma work, as well as donations from various individuals and Rotary. A huge part of our work was to normalise the community’s responses, and to be available for when they needed to talk. Many were relieved to know these responses were their body’s way of handling this terri-ble situation. As a result, our FAMSA Knysna office received a Cashbuild account to expand our offices to cope with the increase in clients, due to the fires. We now have 1 extra counselling room and a confer-ence room for meetings and for family therapy. We are thankful to Rotary International, through Rotary Knysna, for providing funds to cover the costs relating to expertise required for child and family therapy. Without our Management Committee, Staff and Volunteers and those who fund and support us, we would be just a name. Thank you for all the support that we receive, as it is indeed a privilege to be part of this team that: Exists to enhance emotional well-being and rela-tionships through counselling and training to better equip Individuals, Families and Communi-ties.

DIRECTOR’S REPORT: Karin Du Plessis

It is a great pleasure to report on the 2018 FAMSA Knysna Financial Statements. This year the annual deficit was reduced from R429,692 in 2017 (R316,144 in 2016) to a stunning, R1,011 in 2018! This is a remarkable achievement, especially in these trying economic times in Knysna. It goes without saying that continued annual deficits are not sustainable, in the long term. In the last 3 years we have lost R746,847 of our limited reserves. It is hoped that FAMSA will be able to continue with their improved financial performance in the current financial year ending March 2019. Very concerted efforts have been made to limit expenditure and to generate additional income, whilst still providing valuable services to the communities of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. As with all service organisations, the largest expenditure item is human resources, which is to be expected, and which was 62.4% of total expenditure in 2018 (63% in 2017). It is noted that in spite of inflation and expanded services, the human resource costs of FAMSA Knysna only increased by 3%, which is lower than inflation and is very commendable. Expenditure is closely monitored and increased in total by 5.6 %. The income of FAMSA Knysna remains unpredictable and is dependent upon subsidies, grants, donations, fundrais-ing and limited income generated by training and counselling. The training and counselling income is limited by the ability of FAMSA clients to pay for services provided. The income from subsidies was solely from the Department of Social Development, for which we are extremely grateful. We received donations of R135,211 (R83,320 in 2017) being an annual increase of 62%. Fortunately, we were granted National Lotteries Commission funds of R295,000 for the past financial year, which helped FAMSA to almost break even for the year. Total income increased to R1,773,866 in 2018 from R1,250,472 in 2017, resulting in an increase of 41.8%. Fundraising increased to R65,540 from R47,814 in the year under review. It is noteworthy that the Plettenberg Bay branch of FAMSA Knysna increased their income generation from R60,871 in 2017 to R231,154 in 2018, which is a remarkable increase of 279%! Even though the income increased significantly, the project expenditure in Pletten-berg Bay only increased by 53%. As there are many competing worthy causes searching for funding in the Southern Cape, and only a limited number of available donors, these are economically challenging times for most PBOs. Fundraising will be a focus of FAMSA in the next financial year and years thereafter, to secure sustainability of FAMSA Knysna. The increase in income is testimony to the fact that FAMSA Knysna is valued by the community and acknowledged for the valuable services which they provide. It is this support which makes the organisation sustainable, either by way of volunteered services, support of our fundraising events or through financial support. FAMSA Knysna especially wishes to express its appreciation to all the supporters of the organisation, big and small, as without this support the organisation would not be able to exist. A special note of gratitude goes to the Director and staff of FAMSA Knysna for the improved financial performance, whilst still managing to successfully deliver ser-vices through the many projects which they manage.

FINANCIAL REPORT: Kathy Michaelides

New season, new position, new challenges… With the handover from Lou and back-up from Karin, Yvette, Kathy and Pat, it was a pleasure getting into the new swing of things. While DSD is our biggest funder, we are thankful for and need every rand that comes in from all directions. Having a ‘faith’-budget is awesome! Unexpected income (i.e. from churches) fills many gaps! God is good!! We received funds from Lotto this year which covered several expenses. Although percentage wise Fundraising does not bring in a lot, it is an absolute necessity to help cover costs. It is hard work and detracts from our usual business and we are thankful to all who join and assist. The new Fund Development Project managed by Lou van der Merwe just kicked off and is growing. We have a few ‘old’ monthly donors who just keep donating…thank you, thank you, thank you!

FINANCE AND ADMIN REPORT: Heidi Kidd

DSD51%

National Lotteries Commission

17%

Fundraising7%

Other Donations

4%

Rotary2%

Churches1%

Forrest Marathon2%

Harkerville booksales3%

Counselling3%

Bitou Municipality3%

Training3%

Interest 2%

Sundries, FD, Insurance

2%

INCOME

Another year has passed at FAMSA Knysna, and still every day provides another opportunity to learn something new. As receptionist I play a very important role in representing the organisation, because I am the first person the client interacts with at FAMSA. The main part of my work is to welcome them in a friendly and warm manner, plus provide hope to those in need, and it is so re-warding to see them grow emotionally over time. I am responsible for various duties which include: Responsibility for making a good first impression of the organisation. Answering the telephone, emails and FAMSA WhatsApps. Managing general office supplies. Matching the client with the appropriate counsellor or referring walk-in individuals to

relevant organisations. Following up with clients on behalf of their counsellors, regarding the possibility of

setting up further appointments. Liaising with clients, counsellors and supervisors in relation to Appointments, Group Supervision, and Family

Foundation Training. Data capture and statistics I was originally employed at FAMSA to deal with banking, some finances and salaries, however once the Finance and Admin position was created, I transferred to take over the role of receptionist and assistant to the Director.

RECEPTION AND ADMINISTRATION: Yvette Jantjies

CLIENT PROFILE

FAMSA’s primary function is to provide counselling services. The majority of cases involve relationship problems, emotional difficulties, family conflict, abuse, domestic violence, anger, depression, communication and conflict, pre-marital, marital, divorce, trauma and grief counselling as well as family therapy and personal development are provided. We listen and help people gain confidence in themselves again, facilitate healing of relationships, offer alternatives to suicide, create awareness of abuse and intimate partner violence. The primary objective is to make the client feel safe and comfortable, to enable them to easily communicate their problems and feelings. FAMSA - Knysna employs 5 permanent staff who offer counselling as well as being involved in other community projects. FAMSA relies heavily upon the volunteer counsellors who are professional social workers, psychologists and FAMSA trained counsellors who have completed the Family Foundation Training (FFT) with FAMSA. Everyone’s input is highly ap-preciated. As it is essential to have emotionally healthy counsellors, all counsellors receive individual supervision sessions on a monthly basis, in which they can seek advice regarding counselling challenges. Additionally, compulsory Counsellor Skills Development Group sessions are held every second month in both Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, and these have been accredited with 4 Continued Professional Development Points (CPD), by the South African Council for Social Service Practitioners (SACSSP). There has been an increase in the number of people seeking help from FAMSA and we regularly receive positive feedback from our clients. This year 584 new clients and 1363 counselling sessions were recorded, which is an in-crease on the previous year’s figures. On 7 June 2017 Knysna was devastated by a fire. FAMSA offered trauma support and on-going counselling to many individuals as well as offering group trauma support at places of employment, churches and Residential facilities. A total of 453 people were assisted in the Knysna/Plettenberg Bay area. We received additional funding from Rotary to offer support to children. The FAMSA Fire Support Initiative (FFSI) was started to assess the need for ongoing and future trauma support for people affected by the fires, and to learn from this experi-ence for the future. FFSI included other private professional practi-tioners and organisations like HERO (Healing Equipping Restoring Opti-mising). We gained much knowledge and wisdom, from Professor Al-exander McFarlane, Director of the Centre for Traumatic Stress Stud-ies, Professor of Psychiatry, The University of Adelaide with whom we had regular contact. He supplied us with valuable literature on research of the aftermath of fires on communities worldwide, and confirmed that our service delivery was on track – we were very grateful for the training provided by Dr Merle Friedman when our Trauma Team was first established in 2013.

COUNSELLING REPORT: Sonnette Le Roux

Rheenendal, Karatara, Sedgefield—Heidi Kidd and Ju-Anne Mabie Lewis. Heidi reports: Women of Worth programs took place at the Rheenendal Youth Centre, Tsiba College in Karatara and the Smutsville Community Hall. Alcohol and drug abuse is a huge problem in Rheenendal and the participants almost always bring the problem up in sessions. The ladies appreciated being able to speak openly about their ways (positive and negative) of dealing with stress, while discovering new possibilities and support from one another. They seem to mostly use their faith and humour as positive means of coping.

MEN’s programmes took place at Tsiba College, Knysna Prison, Rheenendal, YFC Centre and in Knysna. The sessions at YFC at times ‘cut very deep’ as the topic of ‘The Father’s Legacy’, was hard to face for most of the young men. Prison programme: What a humbling experience to see how a participant’s physical appearance can change after dealing with his trauma/loss through choice and forgiveness. Indeed a fruitful programme.

Tsiba College: 9 sessions took place at Tsiba College. Youth for Christ assisted in two of the sessions. Volunteer Heather: What a breath of fresh air she was! Constantly asking for what more there is to do. It was such a pleasure making use of her skills and taking her along for some of the sessions. Most students were like sponges, participating well and enjoying new ways of thinking. Able to respond boldly and critically – it was hard work but a pleasure working with them.

There was only one meeting on Parenting, at Sterrewag School in Plettenberg Bay, but it seemed to have a huge impact for mostly single parents, who feel alone and overwhelmed with the challenges surrounding their disabled children. Having a place to be heard and to know others have the same challenges was very beneficial.

Counselling: I attended to 92 counselling sessions in Rheenendal, Karatara and Knysna. It is a privilege to walk with clients as they find new hope and healing through sharing their loss, pain, fears and frustrations. The biggest high-light was a client who was ‘mute’ for months, finally being able to speak again after getting much needed medica-tion. Ju-Anne reports: This stage of my journey with FAMSA began when I returned in September 2017. Giving workshops in the commu-nity is my passion, and I absolutely love and enjoy it. As from September 2017 until March 2018, I had the oppor-tunity to work with women in different areas, through the Women of Worth (WOW) programme, focussing specifi-cally on “intimate partner violence”.

One of the other workshops I offered in the various communities, was to men, where I used the MenCare pro-gramme, to equip them to be better partners and fathers. I facilitated personal growth workshops, with a group of unemployed youth and early school leavers who are under the care of Youth for Christ (YFC). The Anger manage-ment programme at the Knysna Correctional Centre for sentenced men is still continuing.

Parenting is the other programme I’ve offered in the community, giving people tools to help them to be better par-ents. All the programmes were well accepted in the areas I went to and participation was really good. I look forward to another year of equipping people in the community with the necessary skills to build better rela-tionships.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Area 1

Knysna area– White Location, Concordia, Nekkies—Busiswa Mqulwana Another year has passed and another year has come, last year was the most exciting year - new things have happened for the benefit of the users of our services. If I can mention one, working with people is not only about implementing the action plan but it is also about evaluating the impact of work that we do with the community. As we strive to excel in what we do, we have managed to touch lives through our services of counselling and community work projects. Women Of Worth We are funded to reach a specified number of beneficiaries by DSD. It is important for us to see the impact of our services to the communities. Last year the Women of Worth project touched many lives of women. I am proud to say that as a student social worker, I used this project to empower women about their rights and it resulted in a support group forming in White Location where women had an opportunity to share experiences and support each other. Eleven of them completed 8 ses-sions and they have now created their own support group whereby they are able to meet at their houses and chat whenever they need each other. With this group of women I am proud to say that I am able to take a backseat and let them swim on their own and save themselves with their new skills. When I first met these women they were depressed and had nowhere to go to share their challenges but the support group became their safe space. When I had to terminate with the group I was touched with their feedback which was mostly about their development and breakthrough. Parenting The Parenting project is about offering better parenting tools. It especially explores positive ways to discipline a child. The communities that I am working with are only aware of one way of disciplining the child which is corporal punishment. My highlight is that, ever since the focus is on communication and positive discipline, the parents’ feedback is that they have never had any other options regarding disciplining their children- now they are able to try new ideas. MEN’s Project For MEN, the MenCare programme came at the right time because it is a tool that has it all in one. With this pro-gramme we are able to cater for men and women in one room because it is broad-based. The workshop that we had for the first time created a lot of awareness especially the section of ‘my father’s legacy’ whereby they had to reflect on the impact of their fathers in their lives, positive or negative impact but the feed-back that these candidates gave was that what-ever happened back then in their lives, now the ball is in their hands. What they plan to do posi-tively will contribute to their families and com-munities. They were able to reflect back on what their fathers left them with to be remembered by and this training was aimed at training leaders and mentors of the community so that they can be equipped. Closing Remarks This year had its ups and downs but there is al-ways a way of overcoming those challenges.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Area 2

A special moment during WOW

0

200

400

600

Targets

Projects

Annual Targets Apr - Mar 2017/18

TARGET 350 200 250 150

ACTUAL 512 203 250 151

Counselling WOW MEN Parenting

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: Area 3

MenCare Train the Trainer

Harkerville, Kwanokuthula, Craggs, Kranshoek—M Ngcoko – Valencia Jacobs FAMSA together with various stake holders embarked on a walk and a pledge was created where 64 people signed and committed to speak against Gender Based Violence.

This took place on the 12th August 2017, starting at Qolweni and moving to New Horizon Community Hall.

The pledge: I pledge never to commit, condone, or remain silent about any violence against women/men and children. I pledge to never force anyone I know into having sex, or to pressure them into any kind of unwanted physical contact. I will always seek clear communication instead of assuming consent. I choose to be a caring and supportive partner and parent sharing responsibilities. I choose to respect, listen and seek equality with every person I date and every person I know Various Parenting, MEN and Women of Worth programmes were presented in this area.

What a difference FAMSA has made and is still making in my life! For the past year, with so many one-off happenings woven into our line of work at FAMSA, it has had an impact on my personal life as well. So much so that it also brought home to me the fact that we as humans definitely cannot exist without each other. The extent of caring for people’s mental and emotional wellbeing was portrayed in the continued efforts of our Plett volunteer counsellors with our manager, Melani’s guidance. This ran like a golden thread through the emotional times with parents of troubled children and vice ver-sa, the hopelessness of depression and poverty and broken relationships, as well as the stunned reactions of the many folks affected by the devastating fires that destroyed so much of their properties. The reward of seeing the change on a face after the second or third session, never ceases to amaze me. I had a small taste of the FFT training course and those four days gave me insight into my own existence and what shaped it up to now. What an experience! I have renewed respect for counsellors and their work after Femke guided us through introspection. My small contribution to Wil Hiemstra doing so brilliantly with the Harkerville market second-hand book sales, also serves as inspiration to promote Lou v d Merwe’s drive for fundraising, much needed to enable FAMSA to keep its door open to the community. It proves that a small effort by each one of us can make such a difference. My wish for the immediate future is that I will be blessed with good health to continue being a member of this family for quite a while. Having said that, I cannot thank Melani enough for giving me the opportunity (after having been “second choice”) to join her and the team (family) at FAMSA in 2016. Onwards and upwards, always. Gina

PLETTENBERG BAY RECEPTION: Gina Sillands

FAMSA makes a difference in people’s lives because we care. From when a person walks into our reception area and into the counselling room, they are valued, respected and listened to. It is a privilege to be a part of a team who is passionate about the wellbeing of others. It has been a year of change and trauma. Change in staff and trauma with the devastating fires experienced in the area. It is the passion and dedication of staff and volunteers that has enabled FAMSA to continue making a difference. We continued seeing clients on a daily basis for counselling. People dealing with relationship challenges, depression, abuse, trauma, divorce and grief approach FAMSA for support, and through counselling, clients gain insight, process feelings and develop skills which can help them in their lives. In Plett we were involved in trauma support of the evacuees at the various centres during the fires. FAMSA also did trauma support throughout the year, after the fires. Fundraising initiatives included book sales at the Harkerville market, beneficiaries of the Knysna Motor Show, Street collections, office rental subsidy and Grant-in-aid from Bitou Municipality. We managed to raise R197,493 during the year, which is double the amount we raised the previous year. FAMSA Plett presented the Family Foundation Counselling course in 2017, and we hope to gain new FAMSA counsellors once trainees have completed certain workshops. Training and support groups for women, men and parents were run by community development workers in the Bitou area. Thank you to my colleague Gina, for her enthusiasm. Clients are welcomed and put at ease by her caring attitude. Thank you to our counsellors and supervisors for your time and invaluable contribution as part of the FAMSA team.

PLETTENBERG BAY OFFICE MANAGER: Melani van der Westhuizen

We are very thankful to all those who assist with the various courses which form part of our Family Foundation Training. Femke Hamming is the Facilitator for the Counselling Skills course and Manual compiler. Paddy Sheridan runs the Counselling Skills Development Group to ensure that the skills learnt on the course is practised before trainees are assessed as potential counsellors. The following completed the FFT course successfully: Denise Crain Dwaro Braun Heather Boyle Nancy Magida Mbulelo Ngcoko

FAMILY FOUNDATION TRAINING

Meetings In compliance with FAMSA’s Constitution, several meetings are held and attended throughout the year.

The Annual General Meeting was held on 5 September, 2017 and was well attended. Besides the formal business that needs to be addressed, the AGM is also a perfect opportunity to showcase the workings of the organisation and to give necessary recognition to staff, volunteers and supporters. MANCOM (Management Committee) Meetings are held quarterly with reports from the Treasurer and the Director presented for perusal, acceptance and information. These meetings ensure that the organisation is on track and complying with requirements. Meetings were attended in May, August, November and February.

Every year a special venue is sought for the Strategic Planning Meeting and this year was no exception, with the meetings being held at the Simola River Club. Staff Meetings/Finance and Admin meetings and Community work meetings occur alternatively on Monday morn-ings - feedback is given and any important, relevant or interesting information shared. There are monthly Individual Project Meetings with the relevant staff and volunteers to discuss strategies, plan-ning, achievements and challenges. Joint Project Meetings are held quarterly with all the staff and relevant volunteers. This forms a platform for all to be aware of what is happening in the organisation, while relevant information is shared or training done. FAMSA National Meetings take place in accordance with the constitution of the FAMSA Movement and are held in February and September of each year. Directors from all the FAMSA Offices nationwide attend the Directors Meeting, and selected individuals also attend the Board of Management Meeting. FAMSA Provincial Forum Meetings take place twice a year – in May and October. The Directors of the six organisa-tions in the Western Cape meet to discuss provincial issues, as well as feedback and points from the National Meetings.

On a local level delegated staff regularly attend official meetings with various departments and stakeholders, which include Forum/Sub-forum meetings with other NGOs and with the Dept. of Social Development, the Community Policing Forums and others. Human Resources FAMSA strives to create an environment where staff and its volunteers are exposed to as many learning opportunities as possible. This in-cludes attending relevant FAMSA workshops, supervision for profes-sional and personal well-being and attending external workshops and training. We had the opportunity to attend the Global Leadership Sum-mit in Knysna during October 2017. Most staff and our Chairperson were able to attend and found it very beneficial.

Two FAMSA staff members are currently studying through UNISA. Busiswa Mqulwana is completing her final module for Social Work and Yvette Jantjies has started her Teaching Degree.

Working for an NGO (Non-government Organisation) is a very different experience to that of being in the public and private sector. There are very high expectations for efficiency, productivity, commitment and loyalty without the matching remuneration. It is not simply a job, but a calling with compassion.

MANAGEMENT REPORT

Staff Changes Director, Chris Vermeulen, left FAMSA at end of March 2017. Karin du Plessis took over as Acting Director from 1 April 2017 and appointed in position on 1 October 2017. Our Social Auxiliary Worker, Busiswa Mqulwana, was on maternity from September to the end of February 2018. During this time Ju-Anne Mabie-Lewis was appointed from September to November. Ronnie Madiloyi, Community Development Assistant, left the organisation at the end of April 2017. The vacancy was advertised and filled by Mbulelo Ngcoko from 12 June 2017. Mbulelo Ngcoko left at the end of December and the vacancy was temporarily filled by Ju-Anne Mabie-Lewis (previous staff member) from January – March 2018.

A Finance and Administrative position was created and after advertising and screening, Heidi Kidd, Community De-velopment Assistant, was appointed from the existing team. This created a vacancy and a temporary person was appointed from January – March as this position was reliant on funding as per the other CDA positions, so Patricia Mbobosi filled this temporary post. Funding for both CDA posts was received in April 2018, and they have been filled by Ju-Anne Mabie-Lewis and Va-lencia Jacobs respectively. It was a challenging period due to staff turnover as well as being uncertain of further post funding. However, de-spite this we were able to achieve our targets for the year. Well done TEAM! Volunteers Volunteers form an integral part of FAMSA Knysna/Plettenberg Bay. In accordance with the FAMSA Constitution and Policies they fulfil vital roles at all levels. The Management Committee (MANCOM) is responsible for the Governance of the organisation, and is required to ensure that the working of the organisation is in line with the rules and regulations, as per the Constitution. Most of our Counsellors and Supervisors are volunteers. Some have done FAMSA’s Family Foundation Training (FFT) for counsellors, while others are professionals who offer of their time and expertise. Our clients are fortunate to have access to the high standards of counselling provided. We have many volunteers that assist with fundraising, especially Street Collections, without whom the doors would not be open.

We have hosted a few volunteers from Travellers Worldwide: Heather Harman – UK – Childhood studies, Deepa Ramakrishnan – Australian – Occupational Therapy. They are exposed to all the activities of our organisation and assist wherever possible, and at the same time our office gets to learn about another country and culture.

STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS

STAFF ORGANOGRAM

DIRECTOR Karin Du Plessis

Social Auxiliary Worker Busiswa Mqulwana Community

Worker H Kidd Ju-Anne Mabie-Lewis

Community Worker M Ngcoko P Mbobosi Valencia Jacobs

Finance and Admin L van der Merwe Heidi Kidd

Receptionist and Assistant: Yvette Jantjies

Plettenberg Bay Office Manager Melani vd Westhuizen

Administrator: Gina Sillands

Nobonke Miyana Office Cleaner

Fund Development Project Lou vd Merwe

FUND DEVELOPMENT

We are constantly exploring options for a more sustainable income. The largest portion of FAMSA’s funding comes from Applications made to the Department of Social Development, the National Lotteries Commission, and Municipalities. The Department of Social Development has become our largest and most consistent funder. The 3 year cycle of funding ended March 2018 and a new application had to be completed for 2018/19. We also applied for funding from 2 new DSD departments (The Child Care and Protection Services and Victims of Crime and Violence), but have not received any feedback as yet. They fund us for services rendered in line with their requirements, however, we did receive the usual funding from Care and Support to Fam-ilies.

Bitou Municipality assisted our Plettenberg Bay office with a grant towards their general costs R50 000.

FAMSA was the Beneficiary of several events during the past year: The Garden Route Motor Club through the Knysna Motorshow – R 8815 and a donation of R15000 Europcar Pezula Golf Classic held during the Oyster Festival where Momentum/Worldsport made a R10

000 donation. Knysna Marathon Club- presented us with a R42 300 donation Rotary – Fire victims assistance - R37 500 Cashbuild R60 000 account towards renovations of Knysna office. Gordi Brown proceeds from performance R7000

Our annual street collections brought in a total of R37 296: June: Plett- R6282 and Knysna- R12055 Total: R18337 December: Plett- R6575 Knysna- R 12384 TOTAL: R18959 Thank you to the dedicated tin shakers and money counters. Fundraising Events: Totties and Songbirds - R 17 310.80. This was a sold-out audience. Golf Day – We plan to introduce an annual golf day. Other sources of funding : Harkerville Bookstore under the watchful eye of Wil and Menno Hiemstra – this has brought a substantial amount for the Plett Office’s running costs R43 334. Training for organisations has brought in about R8350 We are a service provider for ICAS which also brings in a steady flow of income for counselling and trauma support. We are very grateful to those who commit to once-off or monthly donations. The Fund Development project, led by Lou van der Merwe, aims to expand donor giving, whereby individuals are shown the FAMSA Business Plan and financial needs, and by inviting members of the community to become part of the positive difference FAMSA services are making in this area. Payment of Counselling Services Clients can pay according to a sliding scale of income or make a donation, but we encourage some kind of payment as this places value on the service that they receive. However we do emphasise that they can access our services should they be unable to pay. All these events are made possible by volunteers, who assist and give of their time, as well as local businesses which show support with donations of prizes, and the local media who advertise the events for us. FAMSA Knysna is able to issue Section 18A certificates for donor tax benefits.

Thank you for your support

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Monthly donors Once-off donors All our volunteers All the businesses that support us Homeowner’s Associations Songbirds

Gordi Brown All donations made with Knysna Fire 2017 for

trauma support Dedicated, passionate staff Traveller’s World Wide Volunteers Our stakeholders Our Clients, et alia