CRCE

About CRCE
The Centre for Rural Community Empowerment (CRCE) has been established by the University of Limpopo in 2000. It is the outreach arm of the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
CRCE mission is to bring together development actors and the University of Limpopo (UL) academic community for a sustainable livelihoods development process in the Limpopo Province.

Three main strategies
- Action Research and Training to improve the sustainability of the small scale family farming in the Limpopo Province and to produce a knowledge out of the process.
- Documenting rural development processes and events through visual aids and other printed materials to access all kinds of audience.
- Networking among rural development stakeholders at local, provincial and international levels. CRCE recognizes that peer exchanges and interaction at all levels allow to better learn and transform
a challenging reality.

Four pilot sites
CRCE has identified four pilot sites - Mafefe, Ga-Mothiba, Makgofe, Ga-Sekororo - in the Limpopo Province where it interacts with local stakeholders to adress the complex challenge of local reality. Technical innovations are combined with organizational development. Participatory approaches are widely use.

The team
CRCE consists of a core team of two professionals and two field assistants who are supported by UL academics. The team collaborates closely with government institutions, NGO activists and farmers.

Prof. NM Mollel
Head of the Department of Agricultural Extension.
Area of Interest: Agricultural Extension and Rural Development.

EM Letsoalo
CRCE Coordinator.
Area of Interest: Member of PELUM (Participatory Ecological Land Use Management) Association SA; Task Team member of Limpopo PROLINNOVA-SA.

CK Mphahlele
CRCE Assistant Coordinator.
Area of Interest: Video production; Secretary of PELUM Association-SA; Task Team member of Limpopo PROLINNOVA-SA; Member of the Agricultural Research for Development In-House Committee.

MS Ramaselele
Field Assistant in Ga-Mothiba - organizes and facilitates farmers activities on behalf of CRCE in Ga-Mothiba.
Area of Interest: Member of PELUM Association-SA; Facilitating Participatory Innovation Development at Ga-Mothiba; Former Chairperson of the Mothiba Youth Forum.

NB Mashabela
Field Assistant in Mafefe - organizes and facilitates farmers activities on behalf of CRCE in Mafefe.
Area of Interest: Member of PELUM Association-SA; Facilitating Participatory Innovation Development in Mafefe village.

CRCE offers internships opportunities for postgraduate students.