As most of us shut down the old noggins and laptops to face festive breaks with our families, it’s important to remember that not everyone is as advantaged as us.

Surely, most South Africans are cutting back a bit after a tumultuous few weeks in our economy, but those who are hit hardest are often the faceless and voiceless masses living in impoverished conditions. Because those who earn the least in our country can hardly afford any more price hikes.

Reaching out to those in need

finglobal.com may focus on assisting South Africans abroad with their financial needs, but we also aim to touch the lives of our local communities. We’ve been supporting two charities who do remarkable work among the less privileged.

Hermanus Rainbow Trust

The Hermanus Rainbow Trust (HRT) is a social enterprise aimed at uplifting the impoverished Overstrand communities. It is estimated that, among the 50 000 shacks without water, electricity or sewerage, there is an unemployment rate of 71%, with 45% of residents suffering from HIV and 59% earning less than R1 200 per month. The result of this extreme poverty is a culture of crime, gang violence, teenage pregnancies and overall neglect.

HRT aims to improve the quality of life and rebuild family structures to break the cycle of poverty which keeps the community in its vice. The trust has seen remarkable success, and has established community vegetable gardens, sewing groups, art and crafts groups and a community bakery which teach residents skills and generate an income for the community. The trust has also established adult and children’s choir’s, African dance groups and netball teams.

Visit the HRT website to see how you, too, can contribute to this worthy cause.

Just Care

Just Care identified a need for aftercare facilities in the Mount Pleasant area. Here, parents often work long hours, and children are left to fend for themselves until the evenings – a situation which poses safety concerns for the children and results in many of them struggling through homework alone.

But that is a thing of the past, as over 120 children in Laerskool Mount Pleasant Primary now receive quality aftercare which includes lunch, help with their homework, sports coaching, animal education, dance classes, reading classes and art and craft activities.

Children are also taught healthy work ethic and values in a safe and nurturing environment while parents have peace of mind that their most valuable assets are taken care of.

If you want to support the Just Care initiative, please click here.

The gift that keeps on giving

finglobal.com will continue our support of local initiatives which empower those less fortunate than us, and we urge our clients to do the same. Indeed, we have found that charity truly is the gift that keeps on giving as it holds tremendous reciprocal value for the giver – by giving to others, we inevitably enrich our own lives. It takes a village to raise a child, and a country to raise a community.