Nelspoort Advice Office and Development Office

The Nelspoort Advice and Development Office (NADO) was established in 1998 to offer access to justice to the poor communities of Nelspoort and surrounding areas. NADO, along with the Advice Offices of the Central Karoo, Southern Cape, and other partner organisations, marched to Constitutional Hill to hand over a petition in solidarity with farm workers who still suffer under illegal evictions and unfair labour practices in spite of the Extension of Security of Tenure Act (ESTA).

The advice office deals with consumer and labor-related cases and assists the community with Home Affairs matters and social grants. Legal Aid visits the town to help with cases requiring legal expertise.

During the last few years, NADO has started assisting parents with applications to grades R and 8 since the Department of Education rolled out an online application system which excludes parents who cannot use a computer or access the internet. In addition, they have helped matriculants apply to academic institutions to pursue post-matric studies. They also help young people to apply for work opportunities.

Their food security programme includes the establishment of a food garden and offering a feeding scheme to children in their community. The food garden has suffered from theft of produce, and their office has had many break-ins, but despite this, they continue to do the work.