ALBERTON- Child Welfare is yet another welfare organisation in dire need, and one only truly understands that need when you are faced with hard, cold facts.
While I was sitting in Elmarie Kennedy’s office, a gentleman came in and asked her some questions about the three children she had removed from a home in Edenpark the previous night. I was shocked when she said; “I don’t have any baby food or nappies. Contact Germiston and see if they can help please.”
Elmarie has been director of Alberton Child Welfare for six years now and she clearly has a passion for what she does.
Mr Mike Waters, DA Lethabong constituency head, notified us that Alberton Child Welfare is underfunded by a staggering 70 per cent.
Elmarie adds; “We are in a financial crises given that we haven’t received our subsidy. I’ve contacted the director of the Department of Social Development, but she is not available. They promised that our money would be paid by May 7, but we haven’t received anything.”
The Democratic Alliance has written to the South African Human Rights Commission and launched an online petition calling on Parliament to investigate why Alberton Child Welfare is under funded by R3 646 640. It costs the branch R5 200 000 per annum to provide statutory services and the government provides only R1 553 360.
The department enters into a contract with each Child Welfare office to enable them to provide services to children in need. These services are what the government is obliged to provide to children by law.
According to the Minister of Social Development, the financial viability of an NGO remains the primary responsibility of that NGO. The problem is that the fund-raising capacities of NGOs were decimated with the introduction of the Lotto.
NGOs were promised a consistent and reliable source of funding through a centralised Lotto. The reality is that funding from the Lotto is unreliable, which places financial uncertainty on NGOs and now government is failing to fund the services they expect NGOs to provide on their behalf.
For any inquiries regarding the petition, please contact Mike Waters on 082 902 4523.
If you would like to help a child in need, visit Child Welfare at 43 First Avenue, in Alberton North, or phone Elmarie Kennedy on 011 907 3004/5 or 083 3675843.
