The main aim of the Oasis centre is to secure opportunities for persons with disabilities, and the vision is to serve differently abled children and adults to reach their fullest potential in order to take their rightful places in society.

Oasis Centre:

• The Oasis Centre is a multi-purpose, one-stop centre, where a Social Worker, a Nursing Sister, Physiotherapist and School Psychologist visit the centre twice a month and where the learners have access to full time specialized services such as Occupational, Speech, Swimming and Music Therapy as well as Computer literacy and numeracy programmes;
• Mothers, the unemployed, the aged and the disabled are engaged in skills development and income generating projects;
• Oasis is the centre where learners with learning disabilities but who are in main stream education should be referred to for remedial intervention programmes;
• Oasis is, within their context, striving to realize the dream of a responsive and responsible community where respect and dignity are the hallmark of their outcomes;
• To bridge the generation gap by involving elderly persons for care and skills transfers; and
• The mission is to provide assistance, support and guidance to persons with multiple disabilities through the establishment of a vocational centre in Upington whereby knowledge and skills are imparted and developed to reinforce the humanity of this vulnerable group.

In August 2000 the Oasis Skills Development Centre started with sixteen learners with multiple disabilities and ten voluntary workers.  In February 2001, 21 learners enrolled at the centre.  This year they have fifty learners, thirteen full time voluntary workers, five substitute voluntary workers and a waiting list of ten learners.

In 1996 the ANC Women’s League focused on community projects.  The Women’s Development Forum was established and since the majority of the women belonging to the Women’s Development Forum are teachers and ex-teachers, they identified and directed their project in the field of education. The first need identified was to establish a vocational centre at Upington for learners with learning and other disabilities.

A survey, conducted at the local schools, revealed that a high percentage of learners with learning disabilities left primary school at the age of 16, 17 or 18 after having spent most of their years in a Remedial Class or those who entered High School at the age of 16, 17 or 18 years simply could not cope and dropped out of school with a Standard Five report.  They did not have any certification, whether    scholastic or a skills certificate and therefore could not apply for any work which could make them economically and financially independent.  Most of them are unskilled labourers with socio-economic problems such as gangsterism, substance abuse and teenage pregnancies.  Many parents also felt that financially they could not afford to send their children to Kimberley.

Principals of the local schools as well as the local school psychologists were informed about the project and were asked to submit proposals to the Women’s Development Forum regarding the establishment of a vocational centre at Upington.  The community was asked to sign a document to show their approval and support for such a centre in Upington.  An Information Day with parents, who have children with learning disabilities took place on 31 May 1997, where parents were informed by Psychologists, a Remedial teacher and an Occupational Therapist about the advantages of establishing a vocational centre at Upington.

In September 1999 a lease agreement was signed between the Department of Local Government and Housing and The Women’s Development Forum whereby the property called Webstergrounds could be leased for a period of five years for R214 per month by The Women’s Development Forum to establish a community project for people with disabilities, hence Oasis Skills Development Centre was established.

In order to generate funds to remunerate the staff, Oasis negotiated with the Kiered Committee to provide a taxi service with their donkey carts during the Kuierfees Festival period.  This has become their main source of income. 

The idea is to provide this service to tourists throughout the year – where tourists will be taken on a guided tour through town and end at the centre where they can be treated to refreshments and at the same time be informed about the community project and buy the products made by the older persons and disabled learners.

Donkey Cart Project:

The donkey cart project during the 2001 and 2002 Kuierfees at Upington, not only provided employment and an income to fifty people but also generated funds that Oasis so desperately needs. 

The centre could remunerate eleven drivers, all pensioners, for their services and the hiring of their donkey carts and donkeys, plus eleven jump boys. As the result they could purchase three more donkey carts and in 2003 the Project generated an income of R45 000, from which the salaries of the staff from October to March 2004 could be paid, including everybody who was involved in the project.