So much more to Amanzimtoti NGO’s 14 year success story

Amanzimtoti Community Upliftment Project (AMCUP) in Illovo lends a helping hand to many in the community, but few know enough about the organisation.

The project aims to offer an upliftment centre for the destitute and homeless in the community, those who are able and willing to be fully rehabilitated into useful and productive citizens in the community.

Founded in 2003 by Nico and wife Marie Jansen van Rensburg, AMCUP is unlike any typical drug rehabilitation centre. The founders believe by encouraging those with addictions to establish, build and maintain a personal relationship with God, they will find the willpower to conquer what holds them back.

Part of the one-year programme includes a six month life-skills course which equips the addict with valuable and practical information about how to deal with various every-day life challenges.

Through structured discipline, care programmes and ongoing counselling, AMCUP facilitates the heavy burden of getting a grip on one’s life again.

Close co-operation between churches, welfare and upliftment organisations in Amanzimtoti has brought a high success rate of changed lives to many people. These include people who have lost employment due to their addictions, and in some cases, people that have lost everything – their family and social status included.

AMCUP also has several job creation projects which enable it to provide work for many people. A feeding scheme, brick making and the erection of veggie tunnels are some of the organisation’s most popular projects.

The block making operation makes and then supplies cement blocks to rural communities at a reduced price, assisting in the building of houses. The feeding scheme sources food from the major manufacturers and distributes it to organisations and churches, so that the needy are fed. In this way, AMCUP assists in feeding thousands of people a month.

The organisation helps people to become self sufficient as far as food is concerned, by teaching them to grow vegetables in tunnels. By manufacturing these tunnels, with the help of sponsorships from all the different churches in the community and the private sector, it is able to make them available to the community, thereby enabling them to become self sufficient in some of their needs.

AMCUP offers new hope to the discouraged and its 14-year existence is proof that the programme is successful. AMCUP’s job creation activities enable the participants to resume a normal work routine and apply all the responsibility, self-management and trust-associated characteristics needed to keep being productive members of society.

To find out more, visit www.amcup.co.za.