Elipepsy South Africa’s Gauteng branch will move its office from Dersley to Geduld very soon.
“The move is inevitable as finances are forcing the organisation to take these steps,” says Magdaleen Kruger director of the branch.
This Non-Profit Organisation receives 50% of its income from the Department of Social Development, which does not increase annually with inflation.
Kruger says there was a small increase from the department on protective workshops last year.
The government subsidy excludes the bigger capital expenses including vehicles, maintenance of the buildings and equipment.
But with a budget of R12-million the organisation needs to generate the other 50% either with fundraising or the organisation’s workshops.
They also rely on funds from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).
Although they have to stipulate their various needs in the application, they do not receive exactly what they have asked for.
“The new application was done in 2012, but no feedback has been received from the NLDTF yet,” says Kruger.
The organisation only received 38% of its application.
Another source of income for the future is the building in Dersley, which was bought in the 1980s and has been the office of Kruger since 1983.
“We are planning on putting it up for renting to have an extra source of income,” says Kruger.
The move to Geduld will take place as soon as procedures have been finalised.
In line of economic development, the protective workshops provide work to people with epilepsy where they earn pocket money.
Currently 86 clients from surrounding communities and 126 residents work at the Geduld protective workshops, where packaging, labelling, shrink-wrapping and assembling of products are done for major manufacturers.
Kruger says keeping costs under control is a constant challenge and as a result of the increasing costs of fertilizers, two wormaries have been built in Geduld.
From these, worm tea is collected as a substitute for fertilizers and has made the hydroponics project much more viable.
Residential care aims to protect vulnerable people with epilepsy and or other disabilities.
Although the Daggafontein centre provides frail care to 99 residents, both Geduld and Daggafontein centres provide full-time nursing care, social work services, a healthy diet and safe accommodation.
“But despite of spending a huge amount on safety, Geduld Centre is plagued with break-ins,” Says Kruger.
Both centres work in close liaison with the Department of Social Development, Social Security, clinics, hospitals, medical practitioners and other health care providers to provide the best care.
Currently the biggest expenses are personnel and domestic expenses and therefore four staff members were retrenched, which will save almost R500 000 per year.
A charity shop in Geduld was established November last year and is another source of income.
Another source of income is the four flats that are privately rented.
Since 2013 the organisation have started saving costs in numerous ways.
All geysers were connected to heat pumps to save electricity.
Geduld’s borehole was fixed as well as Daggafontein’s which was connected to the laundry.
Even the telephone system was changed which proved saving costs within three months of installation.
Kruger says industrial and corporate donors’ money has shrunk due to the economy, which makes it worse for all NPOs.
With a business plan developed for various projects it is a challenge for the future, not only for the income generation groups, but also for the branch as to ensure sustainability in the long term.
With Kruger’s positive view on the future, she claims there have been tough times in the past, but with help from above, they have always pulled through and will again.
