Vehicle donation for Thanda Community Centre

The Thanda Community Centre recently received a vehicle donation from the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT).

According to SAMCT, the impact Thanda continues to make in the community inspired the organisation to provide the sponsorship of the R490 000 vehicle.

The organisation said it has supported Thanda in the past, inclusive of R716 000 for a new building to enable training, curriculum development, and resource sharing in 2016, and, in 2018, the funding of a vehicle and four jungle-gyms for local schools, collectively valued at R452 000.

“Thanda, which was established in 2008, employs more than 100 staff from the local community and delivers holistic support to in excess of 6 000 children and their households living in the Umzumbe Municipal area each year. Thanda’s evidence-based programmes, in the form of mixed-model early learning, after-school, home learning, and organic farming platforms, are designed to empower households and – in some instances – entire neighbourhoods to become resilient in the face of challenges,” said the organisation.

SAMCT representative, Gaff Osman, said the larger vehicle will enable increased numbers of children to participate in programmes at the Thanda Community Centre during weekends and school holidays.

Osman said he is confident that with this additional and bigger vehicle, Thanda will be much better positioned to further broaden its educational programmes and enhance its already substantial and critical connection with all those who benefit from the staff’s work.”

“This is a community outreach organisation which does amazing and diverse work in local rural communities outside Hibberdene. This was particularly evident when it took its programmes into community areas during the Covid-19 health crisis to support people during those particularly challenging times. It also became apparent that the needs of the communities it aims to serve were growing exponentially and, sadly, its ability to meet these expanded needs was being stunted because it lacked a suitably-sized vehicle.” He said the harsh reality in this rural area is that access to early learning programmes is non-existent in many parts of the community.”

Osman added: “Thanda makes a telling difference in this regard, fulfilling a critical void in the community by taking quality learning to young people – sometimes to the most remote neighbourhoods – ensuring fit and proper physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development; so necessary for a positive start in their lives. Learning of Thanda’s inability to expand its operations, the SAMCT was quick to respond, donating an appropriate vehicle, best-suited to boosting its operations.”

He said SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al Baraka Bank, to create, market, and distribute a suite of Shariah Funds.
Osman said the organisation provides funding, services, and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived, and disadvantaged.

He added: “It has been singularly successful in delivering sizeable assistance solutions throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy organisations in the fields of healthcare, social development, poverty alleviation, and education. It is our hope that now having available a larger vehicle; one with increased space, the organisation will be able to transport more staff, food, and resources to their community-based programmes each day for the benefit of the children it serves.”

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