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UJA Mission To South Africa |
The United Jewish Association paid a historic fact finding visit to South Africa to investigate Jewish outreach organisations activities within the country. MaAfrika Tikkun was proud to host this delegation of Business people and Philanthropists in January and took them on a project visit to one of their community activity sites – The Wings of Life Community Project in Diepsloot.
The Wings of Life Project is a vital Community Development Project that has been formed with the partnership of 3 organisations who are committed to providing necessary support, care and skills development services to the Community. With the additional support of community volunteers, community based organisation, religious and political leaders, key areas of needs are being fulfilled on a daily basis by these caring corps of volunteers.
The UJA was able to view the site where the Community Centre is being built (to include Youth Development, Administration and ECD facilities) as well as the Community Kitchen and Agricultural project from where over 400 hot, nutritious meals are provided to vulnerable families. They also saw the BASA School and its development and the Zizanani Women Skills Development Buildings. Further, a tour of the township provided by local township taxis to homes being provided by support by the Wings of Life Coalition was undertaken.
 A token cheque of $5000 was given to MaAfrika Tikkun for the Diepsloot Community Project and we have no doubt that this was an emotional and heartwarming experience for our honored guests who told us that despite the despair they have seen, they are equally astounded at how readily the community is ready to accept responsibility and undertake activities to relieve the effects of extreme poverty and disease.
It is also the start of a relationship with the UJA and follow up will take place in April in New York City.
Indeed this was a case of Tzeddakah (human kindness) and Ubuntu (human togetherness) working glove in hand to build a new economically and socially sustainable South African community.
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