The ongoing humanitarian crisis in KwaZulu-Natal and other areas of South Africa, caused by the recent devastating rain and flooding, is the country’s deadliest natural disaster this century. The confirmed death toll so far is 443 with many more people missing, and thousands are living in temporary shelters after being displaced from destroyed homes. Food, clean water and medical and sanitation supplies are all in desperately short supply.
With a state of emergency declared, the South African military has deployed more than 10,000 troops to the area to help with the relief effort, and the United Nations has also lent support in affected areas.
But alongside the relief workers and soldiers working in the region, another group of heroes has stepped up to help, according to Jannie Smith, Regional Manager: Sub-Saharan Africa at online charity fundraising platform GivenGain, which was originally founded by South African brothers Johannes and Jaco van Eeden in 2001.
“The generosity and community spirit of South Africans won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but it’s still inspiring to see so many people moved to act by the crisis in KwaZulu-Natal,” says Smith. “From the moment the floods hit, we’ve seen charities set up new disaster relief campaigns on GivenGain – and donors and fundraisers leaping into action to support them.”
An immediate response
Some of South Africa’s best-known charities, including the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the SAME Foundation and the Imbumba Foundation, have launched campaigns in support of KwaZulu-Natal’s flooded communities – and called on legions of supporters around the world to contribute. Local grassroots organisations are also getting behind the relief effort, like St Anne’s Diocesan College in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, which is fundraising online and also collecting food, toiletries, blankets and children’s clothing in person. They have already received over R10 000 on GivenGain, by far its fastest-growing campaign on the platform to date.
Other charities are providing targeted aid to some of the groups most affected. StreetNet International has launched a campaign to help KwaZulu-Natal’s street vendors, many of whom saw their livelihoods swept away by floodwater. As an international charity, StreetNet has supporters around the world, and their campaign has already received generous support from overseas donors. Meanwhile, Ithuba Community Developments, which runs schools and community centres in disadvantaged areas, has set up a small-scale campaign with a target of just R1 000 to fix the damage to a flooded Grade 3 classroom.
The response from fundraisers is all the more inspiring because it comes hot on the heels of another high-profile appeal from charities, says Smith.
“In the past few weeks we’ve seen an incredible response to the Ukraine crisis from South African charities, donors and corporates – like the team at audit, tax and consultancy firm RSM South Africa who raised R65 500 for Gift of the Givers. I think it shows that compassion isn’t a limited resource. Generosity leads to more generosity, and that’s something we believe in very strongly at GivenGain.”
Joining the fundraising crowd
The quickest way for people to lend a hand is to make a donation to one of the many charities helping out in KwaZulu-Natal, Smith continues. GivenGain allows charity supporters to donate in any currency, from anywhere in the world, with low minimum donations. The fundraising platform also only accepts registered charities, meaning that donors can feel secure that their money is going directly to a genuine non-profit organisation.
Supporters who want to take their impact to the next level can start their own fundraising projects and ask their networks for donations. Fundraising is an incredibly powerful way to support charities, and even a single individual can make a huge difference for a cause they care about. The average fundraiser on GivenGain raises R7 500, more than enough to repair Ithuba Wild Coast Community College’s classroom.
“First-time fundraisers may not realise just how easy it is to make a difference,” says Smith. “But you can set up a fundraising project for a charity of your choice in just a few clicks and start receiving donations in minutes. Many fundraisers on GivenGain choose to fundraise through one of the great South African or international events that we work with, like the Two Oceans Marathon last month. But equally, people can just share their fundraising projects with their networks and ask for donations.”
