NPOs coming to the aid of poor communities affected by COVID19

A black empowerment investment company that has been working to support community based organisations and NPOs for the past two decades, has drawn attention to their dedicated efforts to fight the COVID19 virus.

Ditikeni Investment Company Limited was formed twenty years ago with investments from a number of NPOs. Its 16 shareholders are all non-profit organizations, working in over 200 poor, black communities nation-wide.

“Our shareholder organisations have always been involved in important community support work, but the arrival of the coronavirus has made their work even more critical,” says Sahra Ryklief, Ditikeni’s Board Chairperson (pictured, below).

Access to food is one of the human rights crises of the COVID19 shutdown, she adds.

“South Africa went into lock down without consideration for the impact on the most vulnerable in our society. ​ It will take a long time to recover. One of Ditikeni’s shareholders, the Social Change Assistance Trust, is concerned that limited access to food will exacerbate gender based violence due to the stress that not having food places on a family exacerbated by job losses and a shrinking economy.

“The impact that it has on the power dynamics between men and women could be a catalyst for escalating violence. In distributing food, SCAT has encouraged their Local Development Agencies to prioritize households that have not had access to other forms of social security during this time.”

SCAT’s staff and grantees are Accredited Human Rights Monitors, and are reporting on any violations observed in their communities. This has allowed them some freedom of movement during level five and four lock down and the ability to respond to the needs in communities.
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​“The SCAT team is also involved in other projects relating to COVID19 relief efforts, such as food parcels to district municipalities in the Eastern Cape, the distribution of grants to help community based organisations that are unable to raise their own funds under lockdown, as well as the purchase and distribution of thermometers and protective equipment,” says Ryklief.

In a letter to the Ditikeni board, the Director of SCAT Joanne Harding described their work during lockdown which included:

• Used R300 000 from reserves to give a grant of R10 000 to each Local Development Agency supported by SCAT for their immediate response to COVID19, paid out within 24 hours of the lockdown being announced;
• Coordinated the distribution of 10 500 ​ food parcels from the Solidarity Fund to 12 district municipalities in the Eastern Cape;
• Raised funds from others donors to give Local Development Agencies a COVID19 Response grant to mitigate the effects that the shutdown has had on their ability to fundraise;
• With approval repurposed funds from the Irish Embassy meant for workshops, to buy laptops and cellphones in order to keep grantees connected during lockdown;
• Provided thermometers and masks to all our grantees;
• Monitored the provision of water and sanitation, as well as the pay outs of pensions and grants at SASSA pay points.

SCAT is just one of the Ditikeni shareholders that have answered the call of communities in need, Ryklief adds.
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​“For example, Eric Atmore and the team at the Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD) have been actively campaigning for government to come to the aid of ECDs around the country that were not allowed to open during lockdown, which left an estimated 375 000 children to fend for themselves.
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​“We are proud of all our shareholders and we will support them in their community upliftment work in whatever way we can.”
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​The NPOs’ work in rural communities has been supported by annual dividends from Ditikeni derived from its successful BEE investments. A total of R44.5 million has flowed to shareholders to date. ​ The 2020 Annual Report for the Ditikeni Investment Company Limited is available online at this link.

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​Issued by HWB Communications Pty Ltd on behalf of Ditikeni Investment Company.
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• The Social Change Assistance Trust is a shareholder of the Ditikeni Investment Company Limited. This South African non-profit advocacy organisation was established in 1984 to advocate for human rights and social justice philanthropy. SCAT works with Local Development Agencies in the rural areas of four South African provinces. For more information, visit www.scat.org.za
• Ditikeni Investment Company Limited is a 100% broad-based BEE investment holding company, formed 20 years ago with investments from a number of NPOs. Its 16 shareholders are all non-profit organizations, working in over 200 poor, black communities nation-wide. For more information, visit www.ditikeni.co.za
• The 2020 Annual Report for the Ditikeni Investment Company Limited is available online at this link.
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