Rays of Hope

WHAT INSPIRED SUCH A POWERFUL VISION?

Rays of Hope’s vision is “Partnering with Alexandra to create lasting change.” We do this by running seven programmes focusing on: 1. Orphaned and Vulnerable Children 2. Education 3. Work readiness

It is about moving the most vulnerable youths and families in Alex from vulnerability to independence.

Our work was inspired by a word God spoke to a group of young people at a church in Sandton in 1991. The preacher shared the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:2537) as they had never heard before, they came to understand that: a) Jesus’ call to his followers to ‘love their neighbour’ meant for them that they needed to meet the needs of their poor neighbours in Alex, these were people they did not consider as neighbours as they were not part of their ‘tribe’. b) loving their ‘neighbour as much as they love themselves’ means that since they had access to food, shelter, clothing, opportunity and good education, they need to pursue the same things for their neighbours in Alex who were going without. This led to the establishment of a Matric-support group that later became a fullyfledged Saturday School, which 29 years later is still going strong.

The rest flowed from there, and today we have grown to be one of the leading church-based NGOs in South Africa.

HOW HAVE RAYS OF HOPE IMPACTED ALEX THUS FAR?

Each year we impact about 2,800 people through our programmes. The most significant impact we have had in Alex has been seeing thousands of young people (over the years) from the most vulnerable backgrounds beginning to believe that despite their backgrounds and environment they have something to offer the

RAYS OF HOPE: CREATING LASTING CHANGE

Sihle Mooi – Executive Director

world and they have permission to dream. They can dream because they will have the opportunities in Alex to develop their talents and skills with the necessary guidance and support to realise those dreams.

Their families are crucial as their primary support system and we have seen hundreds of vulnerable and broken families mended to become greater support to these young people. Vulnerable children and families in Alex now know that they are not alone. Some people will not just feel sorry for them and give them handouts but will believe in them, recognise their worth and are willing to walk with them (partnership), no matter what comes, until they realise their God-given potential.

We have also been blessed to see greater collaboration in the community, we work with over 30 local NGOs and 120 micro- and small businesses to build capacity, sustainability and to have a greater impact in the community.

I regularly meet business leaders in Alex, leaders of organisations, professionals, artists, media personalities who come up to greet me with gratitude in their eyes to tell me how their time at Rays of Hope ‘made them’ or ‘changed their lives’.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO YOUR LONGEVITY?

Next year we will be celebrating 30 years in Alex! We are often asked ‘how have you kept going in this work for so long where compassion fatigue, burnout and reliable funding are such a challenge?’ Three things have helped us: 1. Conviction about the poor: We believe that the poor are close to God’s heart and that if he has sent us to care and speak for them he will provide the energy, gifts, people and

2.

3. finances. This keeps us going and at peace when things are tough. Partnership: This means that you don’t work alone but together with others for the same goal. We nurture an ethos of real partnership with our church, among staff and volunteers, the young people and families that we work with, other organisations in Alex and corporates. This means that we don’t have to do everything ourselves and can rely on others to do their part. Good Governance: We believe that this is crucial as charities stand and fall on trust and the quality of their reputation. We have a strong board which ensures an ethical culture of transparency, accountability, controls and separation of powers. People need to be confident that there are processes to ensure that funds or goods are handled responsibly and go where they are meant to go. This is important for both donors and beneficiaries.

IS IT WITHIN YOUR PROSPECTS TO EXPAND YOUR WORK BEYOND THE BORDERS OF ALEX?

When I visit other townships and rural areas across the country and I meet many young people who are passionate about their communities. Many times, they will ask me to start a Rays of Hope branch in their community. I often challenge them by saying ‘why should we come here and start something when you are here, you understand the needs, know the assets of the community and solutions - why don’t you start something and we will support you?’

And their faces light up!

We believe that if we are to see significant changes in communities across our country, it is not the government or the big Corporates or national NGOs that will move the dial, it’s the young people who are inspired and empowered to find solutions for their communities. Many are trying but without our support and the support of the government, corporates and bigger NGO’s they burn out!

That is why we lead a group of about 20 young social entrepreneurs who are doing great things in different townships and rural areas across the country. We mentor, train, and support them. So no, we are not going to expand beyond Alex directly, but choose instead to partner with these other smaller organisations who are making an impact country-wide.

HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR DAY-TO-DAY UPKEEP ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT SITUATION?

I must admit feeding over 60 000 people in Alex during level 5 lockdown was gruelling for the team! As lockdown has eased we are now providing more holistic services to the community, which still includes food and PPE, mental health and spiritual support services, winter blankets and clothes, screening and referrals and educational support.

We are now trying to do this more sustainably and to keep the staff morale high by making sure we touch-base regularly via technology, regular debriefing sessions where we listen, pray for each other and share encouragement from the Word and we are also limiting the number of hours that each staff member spends in contact situations on the ground.

HOW CAN PEOPLE PARTNER WITH RAYS OF HOPE?

People can partner by following our work on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram and the website and to pray for us and the community of Alex as families, churches and groups. We would also appreciate being connected to other companies, organisations, and individuals we can partner with.

Financial and in-kind donations are key to continuing the work that we do, and these can be done through our website. We can issue tax-deduction certificates for all cash donations and help local companies with their BBBEE scorecards. We also have a presence on GlobalGiving for international donations.

We also have some amazing projects that people can partner with us on, which will make a big difference to Alex youth post-COVID-19. These include building a Community Resource Centre with technology access for young people and the unemployed in Alex and multistakeholder collaboration to connect learners and small businesses across Alex to online resources.