8 Worthy South African Causes Who Could Use Some of Your Festive Joy

Currently, South Africans are facing some really daunting challenges. Floods, State-run entities on the brink of bankruptcy and of course living life in darkness for 2.5 hours at a time. While we are all affected by said inconvenience, for most of us, it's short-lived. We are still gearing up for the festive, shopping till we drop, planning holidays and day trips with family in friends.

What we don't realise is there is a large percentage of citizens facing extreme challenges every hour of every day. They don't know where their next meal is coming from or are not sure how they will round up funds to fix their roof for the coming rainy season.

Give Back To Those That Need This Festive Season

While we were all Black Fridaying it up, concerned citizens like Cindy-Lee Smith approached nichemarket to create a different list. A list to assist those who need instead of feeding our greed. An agenda for those who have something extra saved up and would like to give. Be it to spread festive joy, pay your Zakat (Islamic obligation to donate to charity), or just donate because you have and well it feels damn good to share with those who really could use and benefit from your goodwill.

Let's Invest in Future Generations Who Can help Build South Africa

We Want to Build A Nation and Invest in its future. The best way is to invest in the youth and to upskill those who need it. Let's make smarter ways and help upskill our nation instead of being ecstatic over material things. The whole country is celebrating a win at Miss Universe, but we are happy to ignore real issues at hand. Let's stop feeding our greed and start making smarter decisions.

After all, if everyone helped their neighbour, who would need help?

Buy Nothing List - Donations for NPOs In Need!

Here are some worthy causes that would love some assistance.

1. EduFundi

The focus of intervention for Edufundi is on the most important element in the system - the teacher. Their team of 17 highly skilled and experienced teacher-mentors visit primary schools to mentor and support teachers in their classrooms. They use teaching techniques from the acclaimed “Teach Like A Champion” book to mentor and support teachers in the challenging environments in which they work. With sustained and meaningful support at this level of the education system, EduFundi can remediate some of the gaps that many of our teachers and learners are experiencing in the Foundation (Grade 1-3) and Intermediate Phases (Grade 4-6). The exercise of trying to change teaching practice becomes nearly impossible in later years, where the deficits are so great that any remediation is like pouring water into a bucket full of holes.

Contact Person: Dorinda Saunders
Contact Number: 021 023 0991
Email: Website: www.edufundi.org.za

2. Institute for Healing of Memories

The Institute for Healing of Memories (IHOM) seeks to contribute to lasting individual and collective healing that makes possible a more peaceful and just future. Since the 1990s, they have facilitated workshops and events that enable people from different racial, religious and social backgrounds to reach a better understanding of themselves and of each other. The institute does have grown out of South Africa’s unique history and their need to remain attentive to how SA's divided past can impact on us both individually and as communities and as a nation. They believe that when personal stories are heard and acknowledged, individuals feel healed and empowered and dignity is restored; at the same time, bridges can be built across communities and a common path forged based on mutual understanding and shared values.

Contact Person: Fr. Michael Lapsey
Contact Number: 021 683 6231
Email: info@healingofmemories.co.za
Website: www.healing-memories.org

3. Islamic Relief South Africa

Islamic Relief strives to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy and diseases worldwide without regard to colour, race or creed and to provide aid in a compassionate and dignified manner. Islamic Relief's view is that relief, as important as it is, is only the beginning. Giving people the confidence to participate in their own development and to secure their own future without the need for continuing

Contact Number: 0800 111 898
Email: info@islamic-relief.org.za
Website: Islamic-relief.org.za

4. Novalis Ubuntu Institute

The Novalis Ubuntu Institute is a proudly South African non-profit organization committed to inspiring the values and culture of Ubuntu to create a whole society. Their main objective is to further the education and training of adults and youth who seek to protect, care for and support the vulnerable and historically disadvantaged in education or in any other vocation or career that enhances human dignity and assists in promoting social and economic growth.

Contact Person: Anne-Lise Bure-Shephard
Contact Number: 021 797 1857
Email: info@novalis.org.za
Website: www.novalis.org.za

5. Project90 by 2030

Project90 works with individuals, organisations, and decision-makers to identify actions that can reduce their impact on the environment. Their specific foci in pushing for low-carbon actions in South Africa is centred on developing environmental leadership in youth, enhancing energy and water security in communities and to advocate for, and support the involvement of South Africans in the transition to an equitable, low-carbon society.

Contact Person: Lorna Fuller
Contact Number: 021 674 5094
Email: info@90by2030.org.za
Website: 90by2030.org.za

6. Rural Development Support Program

Rural Development Support Program (RDSP is a registered Non-Profit Organisation and Public Benefit Organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa, with a satellite office in Bhisho in the Eastern Cape. Established in 1992 by social activists Jane De Sousa and Rosanne Shields, RDSP today still has a highly qualified and experienced, resilient and committed all-female staff compliment and an operational model that is lean and efficient. Their work supports the protection of human rights, with an emphasis on the rights of women, poverty alleviation equality and the prevention of Gender-Based Violence. As one of the few experienced NGOs solely working directly with and in rural communities, RDSP has pioneered, tested and refined a range of support services designed with empathy and promoting community participation, to contribute to the strengthening of rural infrastructure and so address human rights and gender issues. Beneficiaries of their services are small groups of change agents who manage and lead Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in response to their communities’ social needs. Their main goal is to strengthen civil society within rural areas and to assist in fostering and sustaining community leadership for the collective benefit of these communities.

Contact Person: Mellisa Petersen
Contact Number: 021 462 4555
Email: admin@rdsp.co.za
Website: rdsp.co.za

7. SAILI

SAILI gives high school scholarships to financially disadvantaged but academically talented, positive and motivated students so they can attend good-quality, low-cost state schools. This solid education lets them reach their full potential, particularly in the fields of Maths and Science.

Contact Person: Katherine Morse
Contact Number: 061 390 4470
Email: info@saili.org.za
Website: www.saili.org.za

8. WordWorks

Wordworks is a South African non-profit organisation that focuses on early language and literacy development in the first eight years of children’s lives. Since 2005 they have worked in under-resourced communities with those adults best positioned to impact on young children’s language and literacy development – parents and caregivers, family and community members, home-visitors, early childhood development practitioners and Grade R to Grade 3 teachers.

Contact Person: Edeline Boka
Contact Number: 021 788 9233
Email: info@wordworks.org.za
Website: www.wordworks.org.za

Want To Be Featured On The list?

If you know of a worthy cause or you belong to one yourself, and you would like to be added to the list feel free to contact us with the details or add a comment below. We'll be sure to have a look and if it all checks out, we'll add it to our growing list.

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If you require a more detailed guide on how to create your profile or your listing, then we highly recommend you check out the following articles. 

• How to create a nichemarketer profile 
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Recommended reading

If you enjoyed this post and have a little extra time to dive deeper down the rabbit hole, why not check out the following posts about NPO's and good causes.

• Popular Hashtags For Charity and NGOs
• How To Get Google Grants For Non-profit Organizations

Tags: donations, causes, upskill, south africa