The idea behind Proud Partners didn't begin in a boardroom or at a fundraising event. It began in a home, with two women who had shared twenty years of their lives.
When Selina Radebe presented Isabel Verwey with a certificate celebrating their long-standing partnership, she gave a name to something that Isabel had come to value enormously: the importance of recognising one another's needs, sharing experiences and taking an interest in each other's lives.
That simple idea would eventually inspire Proud Partners. And one of its earliest initiatives, the Domestic Partnership Project.
A working relationship.
When Proud Partners was established in 2004, South Africa was still finding its way through the enormous social and economic inequalities inherited from the past.
Isabel believed that one way to encourage greater understanding was to start with relationships that already existed. In particular, those between domestic workers and their employers.
These relationships often brought people from very different backgrounds into regular contact, yet that familiarity didn't necessarily mean they understood one another's circumstances, challenges or aspirations.
Proud Partners wanted to encourage people to look beyond their daily routines, listen to one another and find practical ways to make a positive contribution.
Not through grand gestures or financial handouts, but through mutual respect, consideration and the willingness to share time, knowledge and experience.
Sometimes, the smallest things matter.
The Domestic Partnership Project encouraged better communication and a more personal understanding of the people involved.
Proud Partners developed questionnaires intended to help employers and domestic workers discuss their expectations, working arrangements and everyday concerns.
It also encouraged practical assistance where welcomed, from adult education and financial literacy to information on healthcare, retirement planning and opportunities for further study.
An important part of the initiative focused on children and education.
Isabel had discovered through her experiences with Selina's family how easily young people's educational opportunities could be affected by subject choices, limited information and difficulties accessing bursaries.
It prompted Proud Partners to commission researcher Estelle du Toit to compile practical articles on tertiary education and financial assistance, helping families navigate what could be a confusing system.
Practical ideas for everyday life.
The project also explored ways of making everyday household budgets stretch further.
Working with North-West University, Proud Partners developed a comprehensive Afrikaans booklet of meal plans, recipes and nutritional guidelines designed for families with limited resources.
It included practical advice on meal planning, affordable ingredients, food preparation and ways of reducing household expenses.
Together with the educational articles and questionnaires, these resources reflected the organisation's original approach: identifying everyday challenges and finding practical ways to address them.
The documents now form part of Proud Partners' historical archive, reflecting both the concerns and the solutions of their time.
A philosophy that still matters.
Much has changed since the Domestic Partnership Project began, including greater recognition of domestic workers' employment rights in South Africa and the importance of fair working conditions.
Its central message remains relevant.
A respectful relationship begins with recognising one another as individuals, listening without assumptions and understanding that everyone has their own hopes, responsibilities and challenges.
Fair employment, personal dignity and clear boundaries must always come first. From that foundation, trust and mutual understanding can grow.
For Proud Partners, the Domestic Partnership Project was an early expression of an idea that would influence its many other initiatives.
Real partnerships are built on the things we do for one another.