The University of Cape Town has set a strategic goal to expand and enhance its contribution to South Africa's development challenges. The University is committed to engaged, policy-relevant research and teaching, as well as to expanding opportunities for students to become directly involved in socially-responsive learning. In addition, Economics is a discipline which is closely linked to the national policy agenda in a very wide range of areas, and so the School of Economics has chosen this platform to drive their engagement with social responsiveness. 

At the DPRU, we share UCT's aim to "ensure that our research contributes to the public good through sharing knowledge for the benefit of society and through fostering the acquisition of the civic literacy, knowledge and skills necessary to build a more just, equitable and unified South African society".

The Unit's social responsiveness engagements take varied forms including:

• research activities
• engagement with policy development
• public commentary on development issues and strategies
• social outreach activities by staff

Social Outreach Activities by Staff:

DPRU Blankets for Madiba Day

August 2021 to date

The team have been busy in 2021 working on two new blankets: one in autumnal themed colours (yellows, reds and browns), as well as a pink, grey and mauve blanket that should be ready for donation soon. As Rob confirms, “It is wonderful to know that the work we have put into making these blankets is bearing fruit, and we hope that we will be able to continue to support this initiative long into the future!”

DPRU Blankets for Madiba Day

2021 Update

67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day Cape Town Ambassador, Sandi King, recently confirmed that the DPRU blankets were successfully delivered in mid-September. "We've had a busy season distributing blankets in and around Cape Town, and today we met Pastor Pindele at a community centre in Mfuleni" she said. "He keeps a look out for the elderly folk in the neighborhood and invited a few of them to receive blankets from us. Your two blankets were well received by virtue of their large size and beautiful colours." Such good news!

DPRU Blankets for Madiba Day

August 2020 - July 2021

In 2020 the team created two large, adult-sized blankets in the DPRU’s beautiful brand-colour blues and greens. Sandi King, Ambassador for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day in Cape Town, kindly acknowledged the donation saying: “Thank you for the two beautiful blankets… They are exquisitely made and will soon be keeping someone less fortunate than ourselves warm… Please know that we are honoured that the Development Policy Research Unit chose us to distribute your “goodwool”!” Well done team!

DPRU Blankets for Madiba Day

March - July 2020

Spearheaded by researcher Rob Hill, staff enthusiastically crocheted and knitted DPRU-themed blankets, to donate to the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day campaign. Taking advantage of a slot in the weekly DPRU seminar series in early March, Rob taught the team how to crochet a square, using yarn, hooks and needles donated by the Unit. This was a fun, team-building activity (this British Journal of Occupational Therapy paper shows that knitting - and since it amounts to much the same thing, crocheting - often, is positively related to feeling calmer and happier on average) that will also help people less fortunate than ourselves, keeping them warmer in winters to come, in the name of fomer president Nelson Mandela.

National Woman's Day

August 2018

The DPRU celebrated National Woman's Day on the 7th August by doing a variety of outreach activities at Carehaven Shelter, in Bridgetown, Cape Town. Carehaven's mission is to provide residential shelter and refuge to abused women and their children. They also focus on creating opportunities for the women to find healing, and to learn skills that will empower them to cope as self-reliant members of society. DPRU staff donated clothes, furniture, linen and food, as well as toiletries including soaps, facecloths and feminine hygiene products, to help the women who are sheltered there. They also donated playdough, colouring books and crayons for the children attending the on-site crèche. Two main activities on the day included re-painting one of the meeting/therapy rooms to make it a more inviting and attractive space, and preparing a simple lunch for the women, children and staff at the shelter.

Mandela Day - Baitul Ansaar Child Care Centre

July 2017

DPRU commemorated Nelson Mandela International Day, by visiting Baitul Ansaar Child Care Centre (BACCC) in Beacon Valley, Mitchell’s Plain on Tuesday, 18th July 2017. BACCC is a non-profit organisation that provides a temporary safe care facility to about 42 children that have been abused, abandoned or neglected. The centre provides a safe and stable environment for the children and gives them the educational, social, physical, emotional and the psychological development they need to succeed. There are 20 full-time staff that work together to ensure that the children are cared for in the best possible way. For more information on how you can contribute please visit their website - http://www.baitulansaar.org

“Keep A Girl in School” Initiative

May 2017

DPRU staff assisted in packing about 1000 parcels of feminine sanitary products on Wednesday, 31st May 2017. The event was organised by the Commerce Transformation Committee. The packages were delivered to a girls school in Khayelitsha.

Mandela Day - Etafeni Day Care Centre

July 2016

DPRU commemorated Nelson Mandela International Day, by visiting Etafeni Day Care Centre Trust (www.etafeni.org). Etafeni is a multi-purpose centre that provides a model of holistic sustainable community-based care for AIDS-affected and vulnerable children and their caregivers based in Nyanga, Cape Town. ‪The team gave their time, energy and enthusiasm in the spirit of “Time to Serve”, with the Unit also donating non-perishables and toiletries for food parcels, that are given to the community’s most vulnerable families as well as cleaning materials and paint for the centre. After an introduction to the various programmes at the Centre such as Fit for Life, Fit for Work; Women’s Wellness and Skills Development; and Families Matter, the team split into three working groups for cleaning, painting offices and kitchen duty in preparing vegetables for the pre-school children’s meals.

Stop Hunger Now

May 2016

This was a wonderful opportunity for us to participate in a Commerce Faculty event in celebration of Africa Day this month. We managed to pack over 8000 meals. For more information on how to contribute towards alleviating hunger in Southern Africa visit http://www.stophungernowsa.org/ 

CANSA Relay for Life

March 2016

The DPRU sponsored team T-shirts for the 2016 CANSA Relay For Life, in Athlone, Cape Town, on Friday 18th March. DPRU Administrative Assistant Ms Waseema Petersen participated with “Team Saturn", and co-ordinated their fundraising efforts. An international movement, the annual community-based relay is held overnight, for 12 hours, and includes a Luminaria ceremony and a survivor’s lap of honour.