Civil Society

Eastern Cape NGO Coalition (ECNGOC)

The ECNGOC was established in 1995 as a non-governmental, faith and community based organisation committed to changing conditions for the worst affected in South Africa. The ECNGOC is recognised as the most representative structure of the development sector in the Eastern Cape Province. It plays a significant advocacy role in many consultative stakeholder forums and government-led development structures and processes.

The ECNGOC's goal is to build a stronger NGO/CBO sector, with supportive structures and leadership, in order to increase their impact on poverty eradication and democratic processes in the Eastern Cape. It is also charged with improving the capacity of member NGOs and CBOs to effectively engage with policy, contribute to development theory and good practice, sustain their operations, and fulfil their social mandate.

As part of its ongoing efforts to promote a transformative agenda, ECNGOC membership has particularly been interested in finding creative ways of diverting the destructive energy currently depicted by community unrests, frustrations of unemployment, deepening inequality, the devastating impact of HIV & AIDS, climate change, etc. into constructive ideas owned by the people (citizen driven) utilising existing talents and stories for resource mobilisation and sustainable community development.

In 2009 the membership adopted the Asset-Based Community Development philosophy, an approach to development, which recognize the strengths, gifts, talents and resources of individuals and communities and helps citizens to mobilise and build on their human, social, financial, physical and natural capitals for sustainable development.

ECNGOC is overseeing a number of projects in the Eastern Cape, and runs training courses on this development approach.

The Provincial office, based in East London, develops and implements a range of projects under the programme focus areas of Socio-economic Transformation, Leadership Development, and Learning and Information-sharing. A key purpose of these programmes is to enhance members' ability to understand and influence development policy and practice.