Company Profile

Empowerment Concepts was founded in 1995 to provide a vehicle to combine the experience and skills of David Patient and Neil Orr, with a specific focus upon the psychosocial aspects of living with HIV, based upon research findings regarding long terms survivors and PNI (Psychoneuroimmunology).

However, it became apparent that such principles and methods were equally effective in non-HIV areas, including personal empowerment and leadership development in corporate settings.

Although Empowerment Concepts is well known for its’ Wellness programmes (Positive Living, Peer Educator Revitalisation, Primary health, nutrition, VCT, treatment advocacy), as well as Emotional and Relational Intelligence trainings (Leadership Development, Personal Empowerment, Values Counselling), its’ reputation is founded upon its’ pragmatic ability to create, adapt and customise programmes for its’ clients, which include corporate, government, and NGO’s, in diverse settings.

The approach and methods of Empowerment Concepts are influenced by Spiral Dynamics (method and design determined by prevailing group value systems), Neurolinguistic Programming (pragmatic change methodology), and Psychoneuroimmunology research (seeking physical evidence for psychosocial change processes).

Company details:

Founded:

1995

Company Reg#:

1995/40623/23 (RSA)

VAT #:

4080162219 (RSA)

Members:

David R. Patient

Neil M. Orr

Postal Address:

PO Box 13043 | Nelspruit | Mpumalanga | 1200 | South Africa

Phone:

+27-(0)83-226-9466

Fax:

+27-(0)86-674-7940

Web:

http://empow.co.za

Programme Design & Implementation

Empowerment Concepts has designed and implemented diverse programmes for clients, including:

Wellness & Primary Health

Vida Positiva

National programme implemented from 2001 to 2003, in Mozambique. Commissioned by the National AIDS Council.

Primarily based upon the book Positive Health (Orr, Patient, Jacana Media). Involved directly capacitating delegates from private sector, government, faith-based organisation, to implement interventions regarding HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, treatment advocacy, food security, nutritional security, support groups, home-based care, and behaviour-change methodology. A wide range of materials – including audio-visual – were developed for the programme.

This programme was audited and evaluated by several independent organisations, and found to be one of the most cost-effective and rapid grass-roots capacitation programmes in SADC history.

Positive Living

Based upon the Positive Health book, a programme was designed for &Beyond (formerly CC Africa), a conservation/tourism company with operations in remote locations in seven countries.

The programme was initiated in 2002, and continues. This programme has received international awards for best practice in the tourism industry (top 3 finalist in the 2005 Tourism of Tomorrow & Investment in People Award, by the World Travel & Tourism Council, out of 90 international finalists), and has been featured in National Geographic Africa, as an example of corporate-community cooperation.

Corporate Wellness

Tsogo Gaming (casino industry with five units) commissioned the Company in 2006 to do a Wellness needs survey and an Absenteeism Analysis. This was followed by designing an evidence-based Wellness Programme. Empowerment Concepts entrained delegates from all units in being “Wellness Champions”, networking the various services providers, and providing capacitation in areas not covered by other service providers, such as nutrition and primary health education.

This programme is ongoing, and is monitored on a regular basis. Data from 2008 indicate that the programme has reduced per head sick leave by 14%.

VCT

On behalf of a third-party service provider, the Company designed a VCT protocol for Discovery Health, the largest medical aid in Southern Africa. The protocol resulted in Discovery contracting the third-party service provider as their preferred VCT service provider, nationally.

Peer Educator

Revitalisation

Based upon the book Choices (Orr, Patient, Jacana Media). Contains the most current research-based knowledge base for Peer Educators, including developments in prevention, treatment, and support.

The training also includes mainstreaming HIV/AIDs into a Primary Health context, basic immunology, methods of behaviour change, working with different groups, and assessing peer educators in terms of communication and delivery of materials.

Emotional & Relational Intelligence

Personal Empowerment

The Company has designed and implemented numerous corporate and community interventions that are focused upon empowering personnel in terms of their intra- and inter-relationship skills.

There are various versions of this programme, catering to high to no literacy, rural and urban realities, and with or without translation.

The focus of this programme is to allow delegates to explore their various habitual coping skills, and also to examine their willingness to take responsibility for the quality of their relationships, health, and future.

This intervention has been presented to groups ranging in size from 12 to 500, in corporate and community settings. Since 1997, this programme has been attended by over 8,000 people.

In conjunction with the Positive Living programme, this programme has been delivered to literally hundreds of private groups, companies, and community organisations.

Leadership Development

This programme was designed to provide a values-based development process for companies, focusing upon emotional intelligence, relational skills, communication, and synergising personal and company values and ambitions.

This programme has been implemented for several years by &Beyond.

Values: The Foundation for Behaviour Change

Specifically designed to optimise sustained behaviour change in the context of treatment adherence, VCT, and preventive health interventions. This intervention is based upon the premise that behaviours will only change when the new behaviour supports the person’s value system.

One-on-one and group counselling methods are entrained, with the elicitation of unconscious values as the basis, leading to an evaluation of the new behaviour within this context of such core values.

This intervention has been delivered to Life Line (Rustenberg and Mafikeng), as part of their efforts to optimise the efforts of personnel engaged in behaviour change within individuals and communities.

Client List (Listed Alphabetically)

ABSA Banks of SA

Lutheran World Foundation

American Leprosy Mission

Manguang Local Municipality

BMW SA

McDonalds (RSA)

CARE International in several countries.

Peace Corps (Mozambique)

Catholic Relief Services (various countries)

Peermont Group (Emperors Palace Hotel and Casino & Graceland; RSA)

Clinton Foundation (Mozambique)

Peermont Group (Grand Palm, Botswana)

Coca Cola Furtune (RSA)

PG Bison (RSA)

CC Africa (RSA, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana)

Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company

Crawford College (RSA)

Policy Project (USA)

Danida (Mozambique)

Prime-Media (Radio 702, Radio 567)

D.A.T.A. (USA)

Reckitt Benckiser (Africa)

De Beers (RSA)

Royal Swazi Sugar (Swaziland)

Department of Defence (Zambia)

Samaritans Purse

Department of Defence (SADF, Military Health, RSA)

SAMP (Swedish Museums; 9 country representatives)

Department of Environment, North West Province, RSA

Sappi Paper (RSA)

Department of Health (South Africa)

Satcchi and Satcchi SA

Department of Health (Swaziland)

Shell Oil international operations

Department of Health (Zimbabwe)

South African Sugar Association

Department of Police (Zambia)

South African Chamber of Mines

Department of Police (SAP, South Africa)

Southern Suns

Dpt Tourism, North West Province, RSA

St. Andrews/ DSG Schools, Grahamstown

DFID (RSA, Mozambique)

Standard Chartered Bank.

Engen Oil

Sun International (Sun City, Molopo, Mmabatho Convention Centre, GrandWest)

FEDSURE (Human Dynamics)

Synergy Project (USA)

Futures Group (USA)

TEBA (Lesotho)

Goldfields

Toyota SA

Government’s of Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Netherlands, U.K. and Germany.

Tsogo (Champions, Emnotweni, Sun Dome, Montecasino, Sun Coast, Hemingway’s)

IPM (Partner and facilitator in specific processes and trainings)

UNCR (East Africa)

IQPC (Conference Conveners)

UNDP

Ireland Aide (Mozambique)

UNICEF (Eritrea)

Latex Surgical Supplies/ Condom Concepts

United Nations (Multi-national trainings UNAIDS GIPA)

Metropolitan Life

USAID (Mozambique, South Africa)

National AIDS Council of Mozambique (CNCS)

Woolworths (RSA)

National Land Bank of SA

WHO

NERCHA (Swaziland)

World Bank

Life Line North-West Province, South Africa.

World Vision (KZN, Mozambique, Zimbabwe)