Old age homes, children’s homes and social services struggle amid funding cuts
In Brakpan, children's homes and old age homes are hit hard by the Department of Social Development's "budget reconfiguration".
The Department of Social Development for Gauteng held a meeting at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg on April 5, where it informed stakeholders of a budget reconfiguration.
This involved where funding would be moved from current NPO programmes to programmes providing support for substance abuse, homelessness, and food programmes.
Mbali Hlophe, Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment communicated the change in budget to stakeholders.
The funding changes came into effect on April 1. Many NPOs stated that they did not receive proper communication, nor were they properly consulted before this decision was made.
The department said on April 9 that the budget was not being cut, but reconfigured to respond to identified priorities.
In Brakpan, many NPOs are already facing issues with the budget cuts, including feeding schemes, service centres, children’s homes and especially old age homes.
One such home is the Eventide Old Age Home. The home has maintenance issues for which now they no longer have funding.
In addition, the home requires food for 32 elderly residents, many of whom are SASSA pensioners. Others are under the care of family members who can’t or don’t contribute to the care of these residents.
Eventide, like many other old age homes, desperately needs monetary donations, but also food.
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Selma Jordaan, the senior housekeeper, said: “I think all our old age homes are going to need help, and we want to ask outside people, businesses, people that can help.
“I know people out there are struggling, people can’t just empty their pockets, but we still have to ask if there are people out there who can help, that can make monetary donations or even just food donations.”
Foods and products that are always needed include mielie meal, oats, porridge, sugar, coffee, tea, baked beans, pasta, cleaning products, dish sponges, refuse bags, washing powder, soups and cake flour.
For monetary donations, Selma may be contacted on 082 213 4173. In this time of need, Selma encourages the public and businesses to support any NPOs in Brakpan that they can.
Make contact, find out their needs, and lend a helping hand.
Another NPO in desperate need is the Eric Holdtman Service Centre, which needs vegetables and meat donations to keep providing for many of the elderly at the Tweedy Park Old Age Home.
The chairperson, Lorna van Niekerk, may be contacted on 083 447 5868.
