Article by: Natalie Müller
The Southern African Youth Movement is a non-profit organisation that provides high-quality, accredited youth development programmes and other impactful community projects, for the South African youth and the SADC region.
The SA Youth Movement was funded by the National Lotteries Commission for the construction of an Old age home in Thaba Nchu, Free State.
The project as funded, has integrated with other community initiatives for the greater development of the Thaba Nchu community.
The SA Youth Movement welcomes the movement to lockdown level 3, as this will see the easing of some regulations and will possibly allow for the movement of the elderly into the old age home upon the completion of the project. The hope of the easing of regulations, stems from the urge to assist the elderly in the community of Thaba Nchu, who are currently suffering the effects of the lockdown restrictions as the Covid-19 pandemic poses a dangerous and life threatening impact on them and the care that they receive.
The elderly are often left without adequate care and may be prone to starvation and poor hygiene, given their current living condition, thus making them vulnerable to the possible infection of the Coronavirus.
According to 2016 Community Survey Report issued by Statistics South Africa, Report 03-01-06, most of South African population has migrated from rural villages to urban areas in pursuit of a better life and job opportunities.
As an unintended consequence, the old and vulnerable citizens are then left in the rural villages to fend for and care for themselves.
These circumstances have rendered the aged vulnerable to all forms of abuse and negligence.
For many years, the concept of the Old Age Homes has been foreign in the rural areas as these facilities were only available in the cities.
This simply meant that only people who can afford to travel to the cities were able to access such facilities while those who don’t have funds are excluded.
In line with the approved 2017/18 Strategic Funding Areas Guideline that is informed by key government programs such as NDP, the DTI Priorities and Government 9 Point Plan, the NLC approved funding for construction of Old Age Homes in the following rural provinces: Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and North West
The SA Youth Movement has irregardless of the effects of the lockdown on the NPO and NGO sector, gone out of their way to help alleviate the struggles of poverty and hunger in their community. They have commissioned a campaign of the distribution food parcels to the less fortunate and the elderly in impoverished communities.
The SA Youth Movement as funded by the NLC for the construction of an Old age home, was offered land by Traditional authority and the Plans were approved by the Municipality.
The project was delayed due to land disputes between communities. With the impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic it makes it even more difficult to complete the infrastructure project as everything has shut down.
The project was affected and had to be relocated to another side which needed new plans and all required research work and Artichectural plans had to developed.
These are the woes faced by NPOs such as SA Youth Movement during these hard times, as such organisations require the full support of organisations such as the NLC and other government bodies. This contributes to even more hardships due to the lockdown regulations, which seemingly do not consider the work of such NPOs.
The buildings are completed, the remaining part of the project is the finishings which must fall inline with the Department of Social Development standards for an old age home.
SA Youth Movement looks forward to the lockdown restrictions being lifted, so that they can promptly assist the elderly in their community who are under pressure to receive proper care under such conditions.
The project has received support from EPWP and The National Lotteries Commission.
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