The Santa Shoebox Project has taken several charities under its wing providing much-needed funding through the lockdown struggles.
South Africa (20 May 2020) – Now in its 15th campaign, South Africa’s best-loved children’s charity, the Santa Shoebox Project, has touched the lives of 957 297 underprivileged children throughout South Africa and in Namibia. With annual reach extending to up to 100 000 children, the Project will be receiving and handing out its 1 000 000th Shoebox in 2020.
To commemorate this magnificent achievement, for the past 3-years as part of the Project’s March To A Million, private donations have been accruing with a view to making a significant difference to the impoverished communities in which Santa Shoebox beneficiary children live.
What better time than right now, in the throes of Covid19, to alleviate suffering and uplift lives in the hardest-hit areas of South Africa?
With this in mind, Santa Shoebox Founder Irené Pieters has extended Project funding to organisations doing meaningful work in line with UN Sustainability Development Goals.
“Santa Shoebox goes to great lengths to find and serve rural children, who receive aid from neither government nor large NPOs. During these uncertain times, the children and their families suffer the same devastating effects as those living in urban parts of the country, with the impact worsening already dire circumstances. Much of what is being done right now in response to Covid19 is relief, not solution. We balanced our donations to address both the preserving of lives and that of livelihoods. Our Legacy project #beyondtheshoebox is aimed at food security, income generation, education, infrastructure support, gender-based violence, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean electricity and climate action – Covid19 has accelerated and re-prioritised the Project’s goals.” – Irené Pieters
For detailed information about each donation, please visit the Santa Shoebox Project Facebook page. The organisations receiving donations of cash and/or essential items are:
HUNGER RELIEF
- Fundisa Umntwana – Winterton KZN – Feeding children from four SSB recipient creches as well as their family members, amounting to more than 600 persons. https://www.facebook.com/fundisaumntwana/
- Feed Rural KZN – Mbazwana KZN – Feeding 6500 people across 4 wards close to Sodwana Bay. https://www.facebook.com/Feed-Rural-KZN-113110090335606/
- Eco Children – Hoedspruit Limpopo – Having a positive impact on environmental awareness and education amongst the youth in Limpopo and Mpumalanga leading to better conservation and economic outcomes. https://www.ecochildren.co.za/
- Rise Against Hunger – National – Food distribution, short term grants to buy local food, empowering communities through sustainable agriculture. https://www.riseagainsthunger.org/locations/south-africa/
FOOD SECURITY
- FoodFlow SA – Cape Town – The sponsorship of a bag of produce for a family facing food insecurity will provide fresh, nutritious food, while additionally supporting local small scale farms. For every 4 produce bags you sponsor you will be entered into a raffle to win a meal at one of the fine-dining restaurant partners! https://www.foodflowza.com/
- Abalimi Bezekhaya – Cape Town – This micro-farming organisation aims to provide basic human necessities for indigent persons, by assisting impoverished groups and communities within greater Cape Town to establish and maintain their own vegetable gardens, so as to enable them to supplement their existing, inadequate supply of food and create livelihoods. http://abalimibezekhaya.org.za/
- Save the Sheep – Sutherland Northern Cape – Empowers the drought-stricken Northern Cape farming community through skills training. They are currently making face-masks, blankets, toys and baked goods as a sustainable income stream. http://savethesheep.co.za/
- Abalobi – West Coast Western Cape – Aimed at social justice and poverty alleviation in the small-scale fisheries chain. Promoting traceable, storied seafood by empowered small-scale fishers from hook to cook, in a manner that is not only ecologically responsible, but also socially fair. http://abalobi.info/
GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
- Epic Foundation – Johannesburg – Assists victims of rape and abuse, including women in shelters. During this time of crisis focussed on women and children living in abusive relationships. Social distancing and self-isolation can make living with an abusive partner even more challenging. http://www.epicfoundation.org.za/
CLEAN WATER & SANITATION
- Hippo Roller – National – Specifically designed to alleviate the suffering incurred and time consumed collecting water in tough rural conditions. This appropriate technology rolls 90-litres of water on the ground and has been deployed since 1993. https://www.hipporoller.org/
CLEAN ENERGY
- Little Sun – National – Solar lamps providing up to 50 hours of light after a 5-hour charge, saving people money on purchasing electricity, gas, candles or paraffin – over and above the health issues that come with inhaling fumes or the fire hazard from candles. https://littlesun.com/
CLIMATE ACTION
- Subz – National – Reusable pads and panties which last for 5-years, as well as menstrual cups – both of which prevent environmental waste. There are 7 000 000 girls in South Africa between the ages of 13 and 19. Statistics show that 4 000 000 of these girls do not have regular access to sanitary products. https://subzpads.co.za/
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