Founded in July 1996, CINDI is a multi-sectoral network of civil society organisations and relevant stakeholders working with vulnerable children. CINDI mainly worked in in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) but in recent years have created a National and International footprint.

Since 2006, CINDI has been coordinating advocacy work amongst its members to address barriers to the accessing of children’s and caregiver’s rights. We are a non-political organisation that works with all vulnerable children and caregivers irrespective of class or creed.  

CINDI uses various models to achieve its goals:

• Cluster Model:  This is when Members are clustered together in groups that reflect common activities to enhance collaboration. The Cluster Model is an effective strategy for a Network as it accommodates the diverse nature of the membership and also encourages the spirit of working together not against each other.
• Joint Programme Model: Where CINDI is the lead managing agency for Members work together on donor funded programmes.
• District Working Groups: Community based networks that are created to operate independently and efficiently to resolve local child protection and social protection issues.
• Children Helping Children Model: Where CINDI works with children through schools to collect resources for learners Members work with.
• Singatha: CINDI raises funds to buy uniforms for children that Members work with.
• Gifts in Kind: Any donations of food, clothes, books, etc. that we receive are distributed to our Community Based Organisations.

CINDI’s strategy is to deliver Innovative Models of Participation that Activate Communities to access their rights.We achieve this through:

• Promoting community activism to achieve collective impact.
• Developing sustainable and innovative models for systemic change.
• Creating strategic partnerships at the micro,mezzo and macro levels.
• Capacity Building Communities through research,advocacy,mobilizing resources and providing access to information.
• Ensuring our methodologies include child participation.