Our Vision:
To create a world where marginalised people have real possibilities to engage in activities that bring individual and collective meaning and purpose.
Mission:
To remain committed to building partnerships and work collaboratively with marginalised groups in diverse contexts.
To advocate for policy change that promotes equitable and just opportunities for participation for all.
To implement and take collective actions that contribute to social justice.
History
Facing Up can trace its origins to 2001, when Roshan Galvaan, then a lecturer in occupational therapy at UCT, initiated a placement or students at a school in Lavender Hill. This occurred in response to the need to develop occupational therapy in a way that better responded to the contextual challenges faced by people living on the Cape Flats. Roshan continued to pursue a PhD to explore how young children in the community of Lavender Hill - infamous for its high levels of gang-related violence - exercised occupational choice. This meant asking: How do they occupy themselves? What do they do once they finish their school days? What resources and means do they have available at home? What services were available in their communities? And what if no such resources and services exist?
These questions still consumes Facing Up since the lives of most children in Lavender Hill have changed little. Lavender Hill still grabs headlines for its gang-related violence. Facing Up has shown that, with the right interventions, children who might otherwise spend their days aimlessly, or worse, can be encouraged to occupy themselves in activities of benefit to themselves and their communities.