Drought-relief organisation needs help

One of the largest nationwide outreach programmes in South Africa’s recent history is currently under way, and it is growing from strength to strength every day.

Farmers across the country have been suffering under a drought which has lasted for years.

Thinus Erasmus, who heads the Boere Droogtehulp SA NPC on the West Rand and surrounds, together with founder of the project, Chris van Beljon and with the help of their employees, the public and a few businesses like co-owners of Oasis Krugersdorp, Annalize Klopper Erasmus and Pieter Fourie collected 12 000 litres of water to be donated to the cause. They also secured money donations in the thousands for diesel (to transport the donations to their final destinations), and extra water from Midway Liquor Wholesalers and Mogale Gaz.

The donations are to be taken to a Rustenburg depot, and from there they will be sent to farmers in need across the country to help them and their workers get by every day.

Thinus painted a bleak picture of the future, but one example he used truly drove home the reality of the hardship that farmers are facing. “Even if it rains right now for six months, Boere Droogtehulp will still need to help full out for the next two years because of the many losses the farmers have suffered.”

Oasis Rant-en-Dal and Monument still want to reach their goal of collecting 40 000 litres of water for the project. They’re appealing to the public to make donations. Water and bottles can be bought at the Oasis stores, or people can fill their own bottles with clean tap water at home and drop them off at the shops.

Donations to Boere Droogtehulp can also be made directly. Contact Thinus on 076 939 0157 or visit their Facebook page.