Ahead of Child Protection Week, which runs from 29 May to 5 June, South Africa’s largest volunteering platform forgood.co.za is calling on South Africans to donate toiletries, toys, and games to child-focused causes. To simplify the donation process, the platform has launched a dedicated online campaign that connects locals to a selected non-profit organisation (NPO) in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban – giving everyone an opportunity to improve the lives of children in need.
“Lots of South Africans want to make a difference, but aren’t sure where to start. That’s where we come in. With this campaign, we’re making it easy and convenient for locals in the three locations to make donations for Child Protection Week. We’ve already vetted the causes on your behalf and set up the drop-off points – all you need to do is show up with your donations in hand,” says Romy Heldsinger, CEO at forgood.
As part of their Child Protection Week campaign, forgood has selected three verified causes. If you are looking to make a donation, you can visit the platform and select a cause based on where you live, or the location closest to you. You will be asked to indicate what you are donating, as well as the date and time you intend to drop off the items.
“We specifically chose education-focused non-profits for this campaign because they have a significant reach in terms of the number of children they can assist. Additionally, we recognise the importance of learning from an early age when it comes to setting children up for success later on in life,” says Heldsinger.
The following non-profit organisations have been selected for this year’s campaign:
Johannesburg – the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, which works to create a safer environment for children and youth in schools and communities.
Cape Town – the South African Education Project (SAEP), which helps children and young people from disadvantaged communities by educating them for a brighter future.
Durban – the Natal Early Learning Resource Unit (NELRU), which assists disadvantaged pre-school teachers and pre-schools by providing training and setting up or equipping centres.
“Children are the most vulnerable population in our society, and it’s our collective responsibility as a country to protect them from neglect, abuse, violence, and exploitation. Where we as individuals cannot step in ourselves, there are a number of organisations that exist to take on this role for us – but in order to be successful, they need our support,” says Heldsinger.
Visit www.forgood.co.za and click on the campaign link to take part and make a real difference this Child Protection week. The platform also offers an opportunity to volunteer time to verified organisations, or safely make monetary donations to feed children, purchase sanitary products, and help NPO’s stay afloat.
