Today, 7 April 2020, the Solidarity Movement will host an online helpmekaar day. The purpose of the day is to launch a huge helpmekaar (to help each other) effort by harnessing the power of the community to help people in social distress, to support businesses, and to help children so they can continue with school during these uncertain times. This day will be to the benefit of the Solidarity Movement’s emergency fund.
According to Flip Buys, Head of the Solidarity Movement, the Movement is founded on being a helpmekaar movement and communities must now stand together amidst the corona crisis. “This is the beginning of a helpmekaar (help each other) attempt. In the times ahead, we will need to help one another, and the Movement will harness all its institutions to achieve this,” said Buys.
According to Hannes Noëth, Managing Director of Solidarity Helping Hand, the social distress caused by the coronavirus is already and communities must now stand together to cope and deal with this crisis. The organisation is inundated with requests and is already helping thousands of pre-schoolers, families and elderly to receive food and other help daily. According to Noëth the organisation already spent R753 739 on emergency funding in March, which is why strengthening of the emergency fund is essential.
According to Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive Officer of Solidarity, the crisis has not reached its peak yet. Meanwhile, 53 000 learners have already registered on the School Support Centre’s Wolkskool, to continue with their education online. “Government will not carry us through this crisis, we are going to have to carry each other. Although we are all uncertain, we must help each other. It is time for us to work together and to carry each other because we cannot allow vulnerable people and children to be left behind in this time,” said Hermann.
On the helpmekaar day, the community will also be called upon to help small and medium enterprises. According to Kallie Kriel, Chief Executive Officer of AfriForum, the best help for businesses lies in the purchasing power of consumers. Thousands of enterprises has already registered with AfriForum’s network at www.afriforumnetwerk.co.za. Enterprises are encouraged to register here so that people can be encouraged to buy from them.
Supporters can contribute to the emergency fund, here.
Enterprises can register here on the AfriForum network.
