Billing, L., Ghebrebrhan, N., Michau, L., & Gevers, A. (2022). Creating and maintaining a culture of self and collective care at Raising Voices. Pretoria, SVRI.

Abstract

This case study shares examples of how Raising Voices defines self and collective care, what these concepts look like in practice, and how they try to build and maintain cultures of care with staff and within their partnerships with communities and other organisations. We explore the ways in which practices of care are infused into the work space and programming and the impact that a culture of care can have on individuals, the organisation and the ways in which VAW and VAC prevention work gets done. Transforming unequal power relations is a central component of Raising Voices’ approach to all of their work, including self and collective care. Cultivating cultures of care over the past two decades has involved tensions, difficulties, trade-offs, and successes. The case study highlights the ways in which Raising Voices is not immune to challenges and mistakes as well as what has worked well for the team along this ongoing journey.