3 minute read
International Volunteers’ Day
Volunteering
By KoKetso MaMaBolo
Four organisations that could use your help this festive season
Christmas and the New Year are around the corner and while for many it has been a year of recovery, there are many who will need a helping hand to recover from more than just the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the year, there are opportunities to offer up your time to help those in need, and if you haven’t done so already, the festive season is a perfect time for you to start making a difference. Here are some places where you can volunteer and bring some cheer to others.
HPsa
Formerly known as Heifer South Africa, HPSA has been on a mission to end hunger and poverty since it was founded in 2001. The new, simplified name follows a review that was conducted recently, but their goal remains the same. Over the years they’ve helped more than 18.5 million families overcome hunger and poverty. “We believe all people deserve dignity, opportunity, and a future free from hunger,” says HPSA. By providing rural communities with livestock, they bridge the hunger gap through animal products such as “milk, eggs, meat and honey”. They also educate communities about managing water and assist with infrastructure including tanks and boreholes. The work goes even deeper, with a focus on empowering women, setting up sustainable development programmes, as well as education and training.
For more information on how you can donate or volunteer your time, visit hpsa.org.za
KHulisa social solutions
With a national footprint - including over 180 staff members, working in around 150 communities - Khulisa Social Solutions is a non-profit organisation focused on vulnerable young people and communities at large. In the beginning, they were geared towards helping young offenders by establishing the country’s first official rehabilitation programme specific to the youth. They have since broadened their focus incorporating “peace-making and restorative approaches, to helping the people who come to the shelter with forming a personal development plan.
For more information on how you can get involved, visit haven.org.za
holistic community development, tackling a wide range of issues countering social and economic inclusion”.
Khulisa Social Solutions doesn’t view social issues in isolation, instead, they take a unique approach to community development which seeks to align policy, service delivery and support systems.
For more information on Khulisa Social Solutions, and information on how you can play your part, visit khulisa.org.za
tHe Haven nigHt sHelter
Cape Town is a popular tourist destination, not only for international travellers but for locals as well. If you find yourself in Cape Town this festive season, offering your time at the Haven Night Shelter is a great way to give back. The shelter’s history goes back to the late 70s.
“Our method is to make temporary shelter, rehabilitation opportunities, social welfare services, family reunification services, physical care and support available to adult people living on the streets who are committed to reintegration,” says the shelter.
With 15 shelters across the city, their reach allows them to help as many people as are willing to be helped. Social workers assist in
tlccHildren’s HoMe
For almost three decades, TLC Children’s Home has been providing “attachment-based, trauma-informed” care to children and babies. The home runs on a family-orientated approach, rescuing abandoned children. “Since 1993, we have helped over 900 abandoned babies find forever homes. Building on our legacy, we recently moved to a new property that is better suited to the excellent services we provide our babies,” says TLC Children’s Home.
A team of 40 cares for the children full-time, and the annual cost of running the facility is R9 million. Over the years, almost a thousand babies have been cared for at the home. They have a close relationship with social workers at the Department of Social Development, who bring children from different backgrounds to TLC.
“We also help to support about 30 other ‘TLC children who, over the years, have been placed into the care of the TLC founding family.
As they reach adulthood we work hard to support and encourage their independence as they gradually phase out of their dependency on the organisation,” says TLC.
For more information on how you can volunteer your time or make a donation, visit tlc.org.za
