Leading Jewish philanthropist Dr Bertie Lubner whose South African charity work extends to Alex, has been honoured by the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
Lubner, who founded the Field Band movement which has caught on like wildfire in previously disadvantaged communities in the country, one of them being the Alexandra Field Band, was awarded the Eric Samson Mendel Kaplan Communal Service Award for 2015 for community work within Jewish communities in Israel and South Africa.
The award was handed over at the recent Jewish Board of Deputies’ 48th Biennial National Conference held at Gold Reef City which was attended by ANC bigwigs such as President Jacob Zuma and former President Kgalema Montlhanthe, among others.
Lubner is also the founder of the non-profit organisation Afrika Tikkun, which does extensive community work in Alexandra at the Phuthaditjaba Centre founded by Alex philanthropist and community builder, Linda Twala.
The centre, which used to be the home of Twala but was destroyed by a powerful apartheid police-planted bomb in the 70s in retaliation for his underground ANC work, was rebuilt by Lubner and various donors.
The centre takes care of the gogos and mkhulus in Alex by providing them with meals and food parcels, and regular health check-ups. Another section exists for an Early Childhood Development Centre that also houses a creche and an aftercare centre for older primary school-going children who also receive meals as part of their aftercare programme.
A youth development section is also in full swing and has career guidance and computers which form part of a work readiness development section that gears the youth for the world of work.
Similar centres exist in Diepsloot, Hillbrow and Orange Farm in Gauteng and another in Mfuleni in the Western Cape. Afrika Tikkun has partnered with KFC’s Add Hope campaign which seeks to end hunger through the donation of a certain percentage of their meal purchases during World Hunger Month.
The Field Band movement, which seeks to take children off the streets and away from mischief, has bands from various communities throughout South Africa that converge every year for the annual competition and awards in Johannesburg.
Alexandra and Realogile High School maths whiz kid, Kholofelo Mohale, who runs a maths Saturday school project for his classmates, is a member of the Alexandra Field Band.
