CRC Cares

“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the action of human beings.” Nelson Mandela

The alleviation of poverty in South Africa is a challenging task – not to mention its eradication! Nearly half of our population are trapped in an extreme poverty cycle, which they can’t get out of on their own. South Africa is also known as the country with the highest level of income equality in the world. It’s a huge issue that has been plaguing our communities for decades.

Poverty is caused by many factors, including unemployment, low wages, poor education, lack of healthcare services, high cost of living, and insufficient skill sets to find employment. But there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.

As long as there are people willing to get their hands dirty and do something about the poverty plaguing our country, hope is not lost.

CRC Cares is a Christian organisation and registered NPC that functions as a multi-social upliftment charity. They focus on different aspects of eradication and alleviation of poverty in South Africa through their various programmes and initiatives.

They aim to alleviate the effects of poverty while working to annihilate it entirely by applying fundamental principles such as community participation, increasing people’s self-confidence and resilience through workshops, empowerment to bring hope, uplift individuals, and promote social transformation.

The poor are mentioned in the Bible over 2,000 times! And in Matthew 26:11, Jesus says that we will always have the poor with us. This reality is why we need alleviation and eradication efforts when it comes to poverty in South Africa. The two will always need to run parallel to be successful.   

Over the last two years alone, CRC Cares has distributed:

·         Over 100,000 food parcels nationwide

·         150,000 cups of soup per month

·         14,480 tins of food

·         1,300 baby packs

·         Over 1,200 bags of clothes and blankets

·         6,000 Women’s Month Care Food Boxes

·         1,037 Christmas Treat Bags

During the recent riots in South Africa, the charity also sent 15 Interlink trucks filled with boxes of necessities to distribute throughout KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. 

Some of their other projects include:

·     Empowering ECD centres to register and create a safe and stimulating environment for children to learn and play in preparation for school.

·      A registered place of safety for abandoned and abused children aged 0-12 years.

·      Skills development programmes that equip candidates with skills such as work readiness, computer skills, sewing, baking, sustainable gardening, etc.

·      Feeding schemes, which provide monthly food packages to families in need, and daily distribution of meals to children in informal settlements.

·      Prevention programmes, equipping community members on how to respond to crucial social issues such as unplanned pregnancies, domestic violence, rape, and substance abuse.

·      Outreaches for winter, Christmas, and the distribution of school bags and stationery.

·      Weekly outreaches to women enslaved in prostitution and human trafficking.

·      Weekly visits to correctional facilities across South Africa.

·     Youth development and outreaches, including sports development and moral upliftment.

·      Disaster relief outreaches during events such as the Knysna fires, the Covid-19 pandemic, essential services response.

·      Women’s safety workshops.   

As South Africans, we all have a role to play to bring about change in our beautiful country. This is a battle that cannot be fought alone or only once-off, therefore it is imperative to recognise the need for urgency and collaboration from every citizen to make a massive difference in others’ lives through serving at local charities and donating goods or finances.

For more information about CRC Cares and how you can get involved, please visit their website, www.crcchurch.com, or contact Nakita Basson on 012 807 2364.