Haven for disabled needs a boost
The new management is striving to do their best to raise enough funds to help pay off their debts and keep their services in operation.
ASHLEY Village and the QuadPara Association of KwaZulu-Natal (QAK) has undergone major changes since the dismissal of its CEO late last year and has planned to continue fulfilling its purpose.
The self-help centre offers services to people with disabilities in the province.
Ashley Village is a project of QAK that houses 18 paraplegics and quadriplegics and services the whole of KZN.
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During the course of last year, the village found itself in huge financial debt with a more than R600 00 deficit.
The new management is striving to do its best to raise enough funds to help pay off its debts and keep the non-profit organisation’s services in operation.
Cedric Hedgcock, the former CEO said: “My dismissal was personally motivated (from outside Ashley Village) and I have moved on and forward, so I honestly hope and trust the public will continue to support Ashley Village as they have in the past 25 years.”
Michael Hall, acting CEO of QuadPara Association of KZN (QAK), said after the former CEO was dismissed, he was asked to take over in November 2017.
“The change of staff is up and more transparent, and we now have new banking procedures. We also now have four properties which includes a business centre, two residences and a capacity building,” said Hall.
Each residence has four cottages that accommodate six occupants, two houses that accommodate 10 occupants and two bachelor pads that accommodate two occupants – in all,18 people with disabilities.
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Outreach programme changes lives
The occupants receive supper, 24-hour nursing care and some of them work and fend for themselves. Hall said some of the independent residents includes a vice principal at a local school while another works in a call centre for Netcare and others study through Seta programmes.
Those who do not work, help to fund-raise for QAK, a non-profit organisation.
“We also have an outreach programme that goes out to peri-urban and rural areas supplying those with disabilities with wheelchairs and the basic necessities to be mobile,” said Hall.
Capacity building is a project that accommodates six paraplegics or quadriplegics to help interface or rehabilitate themselves after hospital and instead of going home, they go to the capacity building where they can interact with other people with disabilities living there.
“The project is run by Goodman Mabela, who is also a member here. He does the outreach as well as care-giver training.
Fundraising
The committee has four fund-raising members.
Fund-raising initiatives include No Cook Friday at one of its premises, 23 Second Avenue, Ashley in Pinetown every Friday from noon to 6pm where they sell wors rolls, cheese Russians, beef burgers, chicken burgers and cool drinks.
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Hall added that members also do collections at various shopping malls and through their call centre which operates Monday to Friday.
“We desperately need your support as funding is our greatest problem, as we are not government funded nor receive a government grant,” said Hall.
QASA supports the decision
Ari Seirlis, CEO of the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA), said the organisation is satisfied with the governance processes used by the QuadPara Association of KwaZulu-Natal to ensure ethical and good value systems in the running of its NPO.
“Times are tough for NPOs at the moment and Ashley Village and the QuadPara Association of KZN need community support to be able to resource their projects and services. Ashley Village is a well-established self-help centre for quadriplegics in the community and provides invaluable services for people with disabilities in the Highway area,” said Seirlis.
Contact Michael Hall at the QuadPara Association of KZN on 031 701 7444, 084 588 8810 or e-mail: qan@mweb.co.zaÂ
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