Community service at the rock face

Writer: Elaine Davie.

When the chips are down in a crisis, needy communities look to the NPOs (Non-profit organisations) on the ground for help. These are the service providers at grassroots level who work with them through good times and bad; they understand the communities’ unique circumstances and they have a human face.

Yet the crucial role these organisations play, often with very few resources and at great personal sacrifice is seldom recognised by society as a whole. It is frequently only in times of disaster that the spotlight falls on them.

The Overstrand has been richly endowed with NPOs, both large and small, and to an extent they form the backbone of community life. Many of them rely on volunteers to carry out their mandate and they all acknowledge their enormous debt of gratitude to the citizens of this region for their sustained support.

Characteristically, NPO workers are agile, adaptable, innovative and resilient, which has been amply demonstrated during the current pandemic. The Village NEWS spoke to only five of the hundred-plus organisations active in our region to find out how the Coronavirus had affected these selfless social entrepreneurs.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 5)