To empower CDWs with information on government priorities, we convened a national CDW conference for 500 CDWs from all over the country. At this conference, President Zuma addressed CDWs on government's priorities, as articulated in his state of the nation address, and Ministers Pravin Gordhan and Trevor Manuel empowered them to understand the 2013-14 Budget and the NDP respectively, so that they could communicate this important information to the communities in which they live and work.