Born Poor is here to highlight the causes and effects of poverty in South Africa.
Despite the difficult history of our country, and how far we have come in our determination and vision to change things for the better, the simple fact is that children are still born in poverty every day.
Change is a slow and painful process. Water, sanitation, housing, education, career development, medical facilities and all the basic needs taken for granted in most countries, cannot be provided overnight and require funding.
To highlight the plight of these children, I will tell the story of Gladys.
Gladys is 30 years old. She has three children all under the age of 10. She is a full time domestic servant, earning R400 per week (exchange rate £13/$USD11).
Gladys speaks and writes clearly in three languages. Gladys had to leave school at 15, because her parents could no longer afford school fees. There is no free state schooling available.
Gladys lives in a single room with her children and boyfriend. They cannot afford a wedding. They do not have a stove or fridge, and live from hand to mouth. There is not enough state housing available.
Gladys bought a television from a local electronics store for R4,000. She has been charged 75% interest per annum, and due to the birth of her youngest child, could not afford to make repayments. Gladys has no access to debt counceling.
Gladys pays R200 per month rent excluding electricity. She pays R375 per month for the television.
A tin of infant formula costs R177, of which she needs one tin a week. She has no access to free infant formula. She cannot breastfeed because she has to work. Some of her neighbours have to feed infants a mixture of water and flower instead of formula.
From the remainder of her income, Gladys must pay a nanny so she can work, and provide food and clothing for herself and her three children. She also has to pay electricity into a prepaid meter, and school fees for her children.
There is no hope for Gladys to get herself out of the trap that she is in. In a vicious cycle, her children will follow her example, unless we who know better step in to help them.
Gladys lives in a ghetto in Jeffreys Bay. When it rains, her house leaks and the whole family have to spend the night on a double bed to stay dry.
There are thousands of electronic devices thrown on dumps in the continents of Europe, The Americas, Asia, Australia and elsewhere every single day. Gladys and her family are in desperate need of those items.
There is no soup kitchen in the ghetto where Gladys lives. Many of her neighbours are unemployed and need food, so they sell stolen goods to feed themselves. There is no land available for them to grow their own food, or to keep livestock.
There are millions of people like Gladys around the world.
South Africa needs your donations to go to good people who will do what is necessary to lift Gladys and her neighbours out of poverty. Community teams like The Jeffreys Bay Bible Church do their best work already, but are desperately lacking funds. Unfortunately, people like them are in the minority.
To obtain the contact details of Rev Wynand Fourie, who will guide the allocation of funds from willing donors to the most needed causes, please contact Nicole from http://www.uktaxandaccounts.com/ at uktaxandaccounts@gmail.com
Here is a list of the causes we wish to support:
Soup Kitchens for our Ghetto's
Full time nursery care for children with working parents
Free medical care for the unemployed
Housing for the homeless
Clothing and blankets for the homeless
Educational grants for talented students with no money
School uniforms for children with unemployed parents
Food parcels for children with unemployed parents
Free vaccinations for infants
Free fever, cold and flu remedies for children up to the age of 5
Repairs to houses for the unemployed
Start up funds for people with good business plans
But to mention a few..
