Support Child Welfare’s RU1 campaign
The campaign was launched in September 2016 and is aimed at establishing a financially strong and independent Child Welfare
CHILD Welfare South Africa (CWSA) has created a national campaign to save and ensure the future of the organisation.
By donating just R12 a year, you could help save the future of the organisation and help them continue protecting South Africa’s vulnerable children.
RU1 stands for ‘Are you one with Child Welfare South Africa in the protection of our children?’
The campaign was officially launched in September last year and is aimed at establishing a structurally, financially strong and independent Child Welfare, which has been struggling financially for the past few years.
PJ Cloete, national executive director, said he first got the idea in 2015 on Easter Friday.
“I wanted to create a financial campaign that would get Child Welfare permanent financial independence,” Cloete explains.
The goal is to raise R550 million in five years and to eventually have a flowing source of income.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dydk28UZ9Qc&feature=youtu.be
The campaign is the result of financial constraints on the organisation since 2012.
As a result of the financial constraints, 69 members of the national body have not received a salary for the past three months.
CWSA is dependent on funds from the Department of Social Development and the National Lottery, as well as fundraisers.
“Until 2012, we had lots of fundraisers helping out, but these eventually stopped and we haven’t had real fundraising since then,” Cloete explains.
The National Lottery also eventually declined their application for funding. This was due to the lack of accountability with regards to the finances of Child Welfare.
“Then, in 2014, a new CFO (chief financial officer) came in to ‘tidy up the mess’ because fundraisers had expressed that there was no accountability.”
The new CFO eventually corrected the financial systems and in October 2016 Child Welfare finally got a clean audit.
“We then set out on reigniting the organisation by changing our strategy. We began focusing on CWSA becoming a support system to member organisations on ground level.”
The organisation also gave attention to advocacy and legislation, especially the Children’s Act, where the government would need to ensure that Child Welfare delivers and the two entities build a strong partnership.
This is how it works.
Individuals or companies can make donations of R12, R120, R1 200, R12 000 or R120 000 per annum. People can also donate their time, professional services or equipment. Alternatively, firms can also allocate a part of their CSI (corporate social investment) resources in support of the welfare organisation.
“If each individual contributed just R12 per annum to RU1, we could raise R376.8 million. The organisation cannot be allowed to die. We need people to help us. If we don’t get help, Child Welfare South Africa will be forced to close its doors after 93 years of servicing the community,” Cloete said.
For more information on how donations can be made, contact 011-452-4110, email info@ru1.org.za or visit www.ru1.org.za
