Local NGO grants the less fortunate community a stepping stone to success

THE Church Alliance for Social Transformation (CAST) is apart of the Westville community which has the goal to empower the less fortunate, better local communities and convert people from being dependent to independent.

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CAST CEO George Mwaura said they work throughout KwaZulu-Natal and have impacted 150 families and close to 600 peoples lives.

Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty in Africa through well-organised, transparent and sustainable programmes focusing on the wholistic well-being of each individual. Mobilising and aligning local churches to reach out with practical compassion to empower, transform and redeem communities.

“CAST was born out of the community development programmes of three Baptist churches: Westville, KwaDabeka and Noodsberg. Over three decades, these churches have together developed partnerships with a number of schools, clinics and community-based organisations in poor communities. Through these partnerships, programmes to help the poor in these communities were already running when CAST was registered as an independent NPO in 2009,” said Mwaura.

CAST is currently working with 13 local churches in Westville which aims to find employment for people within their communities.

According to Mwaura, CAST offers the following programmes to educate and uplift less fortunate families.

Firstly through nutrition and health programmes which have the goal to eliminate food insecurity in specific communities and ensure that every home is food secure.

”CAST collaborate with their partner churches to identify persons who are poor in a given area. They visit each family, determine their level of poverty, and work with them to develop action plans to help them get out of poverty,” Mwaura added.

CAST currently has 326 households on our food parcel program, spread throughout many towns (KwaDabeka, Lamontville, Chesterville, Noodsberg, Chibini, Mariannridge), but there are many more in need. According to Mwaura food parcels are now supported by people giving R140 per month and companies making larger amounts.

Secondly through the ministry of clothing which serves food parcel recipients as a relief service in the event of disasters such as fires, floods, and other natural disasters. Some clothes bags are given to recipients to sell in order for them to make some money. This programme operate in the following areas: KwaDabeka, Chestverville, Lamontville, Phoenix, Noodsberg, Chibini, and Mariannridge are just a few of the towns in the area.

A total of 831 family members receive food in a month from an average of 206 families receiving food boxes. Clothing is distributed to 38 families on a monthly basis. CAST has 22 regular volunteers, as well as volunteers from home cell groups, children’s ministry, local schools, local companies, and tourists from other countries. Individuals, businesses, old age homes, and other NGOs and church groups have also contributed.

Thirdly with the education and literacy programme that includes the Wordworks Literacy programme is a locally produced (Cape Town-based) literacy programme that is primarily directed at second language English learners in Grade R and Grade 1 Foundational Phase. The programme, which combines games, novels, and other entertaining materials to assist the youngsters in learning, is led by volunteers who have been trained. Over the course of several months, each child on the programme spends an hour of focused one-on-one time with the volunteer, which contributes to the programmes success. The initiative began in July 2014 at Addington Primary School and is currently being implemented by trained volunteers in six different schools throughout KZN.

Every year during the June/July and September school vacations, CAST and their partner churches arrange holiday clubs for children in the community to provide a few days of fun, faith, and fellowship in a safe environment. To sustain continuing discipleship with the children, volunteers from the respective churches are mobilized and trained as childrens ministry leaders.

CAST has also ran a Home Work Club programme with the help of community volunteers. They also tutor high school children in the CAST Sport & Youth Development Programme, along with university students from KwaDabeka. CAST’s Youth Ministry focuses on whole-life coaching to tackle challenges including fatherlessness, drug misuse, lack of education, bullying, and poverty.

They also host economic development programmes in the local area which is used to give people with opportunities to find work, start enterprises, and advance their careers in order to earn a fair living and provide for their families

Mwaura said their goal is to largely impact the community by granting the less fortunate a stepping stone to success.

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