The role of civil society in responding to the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa: a case study of Gift of the Givers foundation.

Abstract

The study analyses the Role of Civil Society in responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa through a case study of the Gift of the Givers Foundation. This was to understand better the contribution of Civil Society during such crises. The findings demonstrate the journey of the Gift of the Givers Foundation in tackling social hardships during COVID-19 and their earlier anticipation of the extent of the virus and the allocation of resources to the neediest community. The case study of the Gift of the Givers Foundation is a symbolic of the often overlooked incorporation of the socio-cultural context in support of local communities around Pietermaritzburg, which was found to create additional support for households. This study had a total of eight (8) staff members from the organization who were purposively sampled. The findings were generated through telephone interviews and online survey questionnaires. The research questions were kept semi-structured to allow for a free reflection of day-to-day operations, challenges and limitations during the pandemic. The Gift of the Givers staff responded to sixteen (16) research questions, and four (4) themes were generated following a thorough qualitative thematic analysis. A conceptual framework was developed to analyse the data. This study seeks to assess the impact of the Gift of the Givers Foundation in solving the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. It explores how the Gift of the Givers foundation responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study findings show that various factors impacted the strategic management at the Gift of the Givers Foundation during the coronavirus pandemic, issues that appeared to have been a major force that influenced push and pull factors in the way the management of this institution responded to the pandemic. This is because the use of planning in day-to-day operations was seen as part of the adaptation and a solution in continuing to operate during that period of coronavirus pandemic. The study recommendations aim at pointing out some of the gaps identified in the study, in relation to strategic planning and its impact on the operations of the Gift of the Givers Foundation, in relation to coronavirus dynamics. It also provides propositions on how such gaps need to be addressed.