With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic hitting far and wide Rand Aid has once again stepped up to assist staff and community members.
Helping others is not something new for Rand Aid Association.
Formed in 1903, it has assisted the destitute, the aged and men left jobless by the Anglo-Boer War.
Almost two decades later it again helped those in need during the 1929 financial crisis.
The association runs four independent-living retirement villages, two care centres for older persons and a rehabilitation centre for men battling with substance abuse
“It is heart-warming to know what Rand Aid is doing over and above its normal welfare mandate,” said Graham Brokenshire, a resident at Inyoni Creek retirement village and representative of the village on the Rand Aid board of management.
Since the start of the lockdown, many family members of the Rand Aid’s 400 plus employees were left unable to contribute to the household income.
“Many of these families are on the breadline,” said Rand Aid CEO Peter Quinn.
To try and assist its staff Rand Aid presented food vouchers to lower-salaried employees to be redeemed at Shoprite Checkers stores.
The vouchers will be given out for three months, after which the situation will be re-assessed.
“We hope this helps put nutritious food on the table and ensures the immune systems of our more vulnerable employees and their families are not compromised,” said Peter.
To lessen the risk of exposure to the virus on public transport, employees were given the option to be accommodated at the various Rand Aid properties.
Sixty employees opted to stay on site.
Staff living on the Rand Aid property receive three meals a day and have their laundry done.
“Our employees are very aware that they are at risk as they travel to work and back home on taxis. Many live in densely populated areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain,” explained Peter.
Winnie Mapekula, who first joined Rand Aid in 2006 and is now the receptionist at Rand Aid’s head office in Lyndhurst, took up the accommodation offered at the start of the lockdown.
“Not only am I saving on transports costs, but have avoided the risks I would have been exposed to by using public transport,” she said.
Ordinarily, Winnie leaves home at 5am to arrive at work after 7am.
She takes two taxis to travel from her home in Kagiso located in the Krugersdorp area.
“Most people in my neighbourhood did not go to work in March, April and May because of the lockdown,” said Winnie.
“However, given the nature of the work Rand Aid does, my work was considered essential. If I had stayed at home, I would have been one of the few people on the streets at that time of the morning and the thought scared me,” she elaborated.
“Accommodation at Rand Aid is comfortable and warm – everything is taken care of.”
Winnie said without the stress of the commute and knowing she is now less likely to catch the virus she has been able to focus better on her job.
Thembisa resident Emily Tshabalala who chose to stay at Rand Aid said she felt well rested for work now that she didn’t need to wake up at 4am.
“Above all, I don’t have to worry about taking the coronavirus home,” said Emily.
Matron Avril Maltman, senior nursing manager at Rand Aid, said that since the start of the lockdown, absenteeism has been minimal.
“Our staff members are extremely dedicated to their residents and their work. Many have chosen the safety of staying over despite being separated from their families.”
With schools set to be reopened Rand Aid’s Wedge Gardens Treatment Centre hopes to resume the soup kitchen run at a nearby school.
“The people undergoing rehabilitation for substance abuse at Wedge Gardens prepare the soup and then a Rand Aid driver takes it to the school,” said Wedge Gardens manager Adèl Grobbelaar.
“The project benefits hungry learners while also enabling our patients to take part in a meaningful activity that gives them a sense of purpose supporting the rehabilitation process.”
Woolworths donates some of the ingredients for the soup and around 160 learners are fed.
Another initiative, led by residents of Inyoni Creek, saw food parcels being handed to elderly women who are part of the Zamokuhle outreach programme run by Rand Aid’s Thembalami Care Centre.
The food parcels consisted of basic vegetables, samp, coffee, tea, sugar, tinned fish, baked beans, maize meal, oil and oats.
Ordinarily, these Alexandra residents go to Thembalami three days a week to eat and take part in social and recreational activities like knitting, crocheting and exercising.
Since the lockdown, the women have been unable to visit Thembalami for their meals.
Many of these women look after their grandchildren and battle to survive on their government grants.
Thembalami also reached out to Alexandra-based non-profit company Rays of Hope to request additional food support for their Zamokuhle beneficiaries and 28 women received food parcels as a result.
“We hope to expand the food assistance initiative to the gogos and will see about getting our retirement village residents involved,” said Peter.
“Rather than having them buy non-perishable food, which would necessitate a trip to a store, we will arrange for electronic cash donations and make a bulk purchase,” he added.
