“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela, Former President of South Africa
The RMI has put out an urgent appeal to members to discuss how best the organisation can continue its long-standing relationship with ChildLine Free State (CLFS) and Child Welfare Bloemfontein (CWBFN) organisation and find better ways of raising much-needed funds. The organisation provides a range of invaluable direct services to abused and abandoned, neglected, orphaned and vulnerable children and their families in the Free State.
Programmes are guided by children’s legislation, The Children’s Act, and developed according to the needs expressed and identified by the community. These range from providing a 24/7 crises line to a range of Child Protection Services to the management of various centres including the Tshepong Thuthuzela Care Centre, the Talitha Cumi Child and Youth Care Centre and two after-school care facilities for almost 200 children from the community. These programmes play a critical role in helping to significantly eradicate all forms of child abuse.
As with most non-profit organisations funding is a key challenge. Only 68% of the funding for these initiatives is secured funding and the rest comes from various fundraising initiatives and corporate and individual donations. Their fundraising teams need to raise approximately R3.8 million per year. The organisation is currently facing huge funding constraints as a result of the withdrawal of international funds and an overall reduction in contributions from businesses who have traditionally provided support.
Jeánne Esterhuizen, Regional Chairperson of Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) Free State, says, “Members will remember we helped launch the Lelapa project last year as an additional method of raising funds using the organisation’s professional social work staff skills. This is unfortunately also struggling now that overseas funding has been withdrawn. Lelapa provides onsite consultation, counselling, socio-emotional support and therapeutic services for employees at a highly-affordable rate. A full breakdown of the services is available on request from the RMI or by contacting Lize du Plooy, Sustainability Manager at Child Welfare in Bloemfontein on 051 430 33 11.”
Esterhuizen says there are a number of additional benefits for organisations when donating or partnering with CWBFN and CLFS’s Lelapa project.
- Its Level One B-BBEE procurement recognition offers 135% so for every R1 spent you can claim R1,35 against your own preferential procurement scoring.
- It is a tax-exempt Public Benefit Organisation so it can issue you with a section 18A receipt for any donations which you can use to claim a deduction from your taxable income.
- It is classified as a Micro Enterprise (ME).
Any contributions to the organisation will allow you to count the full value of the SED contributions for B-BBEE purposes.
“I would like to appeal to our members to consider how best we can better support Child Welfare Bloemfontein and ChildLine Free State in the five districts of the Free State where services are provided. This well-run organisation can be integrated into your Community Social Investment strategy and will make a world of difference in the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves,” concludes Esterhuizen.
ENDS