IZULU Orphan Projects (IOP) in Empangeni is continuing to use technology to change the lives of rural HIV/Aids orphans throughout Zululand.
The non-profit organisation, which already uses a unique web-based Orphan Management System designed by their founder Kate Bain, this week launched a collaboration with the international payment app Zapper.
The charity, which feeds, clothes and educates 1 700 orphans and their carers, will now focus their fund-raising efforts to the tech-savvy.
‘The whole world is embracing Zapper as a fast and safe way to pay bills, taxi fares and now quick and easy donation payments by simply scanning a unique QR code,’ said IOP Marketing Officer, Laurie Smith.
‘We’re facing tough financial times, and the charity sector will again face serious funding challenges owing to the sluggish economic circumstances.
‘We are increasingly becoming reliant on smaller, personal donations from charitable people. Zapper’s ease of use and in-built safety features will hopefully encourage the public to support us.’
IOP receives no government support and has an average monthly running cost of around R250 000.
Zapper is an app available on all smart phones, and allows users to simply scan a bar code to conduct an instant safe electronic payment, for which they receive an instant invoice.
‘We will be using this QR Code across all our marketing platforms and would like to encourage our community members to make use of the Zapper app wherever possible. It’s now widely available in local restaurants, and is being successfully used globally,’ said Smith.
For more information on the various programmes run by IOP, visit www.izuluorphanprojects.co.za or email laurie@izuluorphanprojects.co.za.
