Who we are
Heartlines is a South African-based NGO that aims to be part of addressing some of the issues facing society by helping move people from professed positive values to lived values.
Much of what is wrong in society is the result of the values we profess and the values we live, be it family breakdown, corruption, fraud, poor productivity or environmental degradation. We exist to try and be part of the solution to change that.
What makes us different?
- All our projects are theory based – Our interventions are based on best practice social change theory. We use the Social Ecological Model, the "diffusion of innovation” approach, and the "stages of change” theory to inform our work.
- We choose our topics carefully – We take on big national issues that we believe can be impacted through a values-based approach and which work within our research-based methodology.
- Our films are designed to reach large audiences – Because stories are captivating, entertaining and thought-provoking, the multimedia content we produce appeals to large audiences.
- Our resources are designed to reach leaders – We place special emphasis on reaching people and leaders in different environments where values-based work will have an impact. These include churches, other faith-based organisations, schools, workplaces and correctional facilities.
- We're serious about seeing an impact – We continually do monitoring and evaluation on our projects to understand their real-world impact.
Who we work with
Our work aims to reach individuals and leaders who can use values-based resources in their different spheres of influence, including:
- Churches – As the largest community based organisations in South Africa, and with over 80% of the population claiming membership, they have a mandate to promote values
- Other faiths
- Schools
- Workplaces
- Sports clubs
- Community organisations
- Care workers in correctional facilities
Depending on each project we will target particular groups within these environments – for instance youth or men.
We also build partnerships with institutions and people who want to use our project resources to support their own values-based work. These include faith-based organisations, NGOs, universities and government departments.
Our goal
Our vision is to see a more equitable, caring, cohesive, healthy and just society.
Our mission is to help people live their better selves for the common good.
Our team's values are:
- We care for each other
- We go the extra mile
- We choose integrity
- We never give up
- We have fun and are creative
Our story
In 2006, Heartlines came to the fore in emphatic, award-winning fashion. We produced eight values-based films that launched our first national campaign, “8 Weeks. 8 Values. 1 National Conversation.”
Each film focused on a specific value, and accompanying resources encouraged people to take the conversation on that value further in a small-group setting, such as a classroom or faith-based group. These films went on to win numerous awards, including from the Durban International Film Festival and the Banff World Television Awards.
This was to become a hallmark of the Heartlines brand – using relatable, true-to-life drama played out on film as a conduit to kick-start and engage in values-based conversations.