working in solidarity with the

landless
and poor

Our mission

The Church Land Programme works to affirm, learn from and journey with those who are systematically excluded and impoverished in their struggles related to land and justice. CLP supports people’s struggles for freedom and to regain their collective power. CLP works with people through a process of animation.

About us

The Church Land Programme (CLP) is an independent non-profit organisation that works through a process of animation with groups of poor people to create unique responses to their unique situations. CLP was initiated in 1996 as a joint project between the Association for Rural Advancement (Afra) and the Pietermaritzburg Agency for Christian Social Awareness (Pacsa), in response to the land reform process taking place in South Africa. It was established as an independent organisation in 1997 and initially focused on church owned land while also challenging the Church to engage in the national land question and work for a just and sustainable agrarian transformation.

Padkos

Afrikaans dictionaries translate padkos as ‘provisions’ in English. It is made up of two separate Afrikaans words: pad: meaning road; and kos: meaning food. So it describes food for the journey. CLP’s padkos initiative began in 2010 as an email-list is an initiative to provide and share some resources for our journey. In the beginning, those resources were limited to written pieces that come from, or connect with, the thinking and reflection that is part of our praxis. Over time, padkos has expanded into a vibrant and varied programme. But the core aims have remained the same, and we’ve always tried to ensure that the padkos we share is seasonal, locally-grounded, and nutritious.

Stories
from the ground

Publications

CLP develops its own materials and publishes work, with the aim of raising awareness on the land debate, and publicising the organisation. This section of the website is aimed at providing useful, downloadable resources and links on church and land related issues.