Social impact organisation TRN launches innovation hub in EL

GOVERNMENT officials from the education, health and social development departments and members from NGOs and associations filled up glamorously decorated stretch tents in Baysville on Friday night when The Relevance Network (TRN) launched its first innovation hub in the Eastern Cape.

The social impact organisation was started three years ago and seeks to support human rights and access to quality health and social services through partnership with a number of key stakeholders throughout the African continent – and beyond.

Proudly South African, TRN has coordinated a number of local health and social development initiatives prior to taking best practices to scale in different contexts and countries.

Chief executive officer Craig Carty said TRN had chosen to launch the new hub in East London because of big projects that were inspired by people and organisations in the metro.

Carty said the organisation had worked in 17 countries and had taken what they had learnt in East London to other countries.

“We are proud to launch our flagship innovation hub in the Eastern Cape and this decision was made owing to the team’s experiences working with local leadership across a number of different sectors, including traditional, public and private sectors.”

With a mission to address development challenges in marginalised areas, Carty said the overall purpose of the new space was to encourage community participation through mentorship and training programmes, and to build capacity for young people who had a keen interest in health, social science, and technology.

South African producer, writer, director, editor and television presenter Kgomotso Matsunyane was one of the guest speakers.

Matsunyane is best known to television audiences for hosting the late-night show Pillow Talk on SABC3 and Late Night, her own talk show on SABC2.

Matsunyane said she collaborated with TRN on a project and enjoyed their logical and innovative programming which was grounded in social and clinical science theory.

“I have been collaborating with TRN since November last year. They have such a rich foundation and space for issues of HIV/Aids. I am working on the Golden Triangle initiative which focuses on positive sexual health.”

“Most research programmes put into place are failing because we do not talk honestly about sexual activity. I am working with TRN on the programme and I am very excited about this collaboration,” she said.

TRN covers disease prevention and treatment strategies, behavioural health interventions, social and clinical science protocol development and grant writing and reporting. —