Thank you, Chris

Thank you, Chris

Chris Dranias

Although Chris Dranias didn’t manage to break the powerlifting record last Saturday, he did manage to raise a record breaking R42 290.00 for the Durban Child & Youth Care Centre … which makes him a real hero in our eyes.

Friends, family and community members flocked to support Chris on the day, and stayed to support our children with generous donations. Apart from the cash, Chris also secured donations of:

  • Non-perishable food items
  • Future Life cereal and energy bars
  • Chicken products from Classic Food Brands

Words are not enough to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Chris for the incredible kindness and compassion he has shown to our children. Powerlifting for Charity – what a way to give back!

Covid-19 and the national lockdown presented unprecedented challenges to our country, economy and world of work. Business has not been ‘normal’ for anyone. Which is why we are so thankful for local heroes like Chris who have stepped up to make a difference. We often think that big corporates or institutes have the capacity to bring about significant change. Chris is an example of how an individual who is determined to do good, can do great things!

Despite the closure of our Siyakhula Rehabilitation Centre this year, we still have a huge operational shortfall of R4,9million for which we had to fundraise.

We are forever grateful to our community of friends and family who have helped us at a time when it was most difficult to do so.

We still need to raise the final R1,5million shortfall in order to continue providing care and support to vulnerable children. Chris has literally raised the bar for individuals, proving that everyone can make a difference!

If you would like to make a donation please click here.

Or contact Nicolette Modicka by emailing nicolette@dch.org.za

All power to Chris

All power to Chris

On 5 December, Durban strong man, Chris Dranias, will attempt to break South Africa’s 30 year old powerlifting, deadlift record, held by Gerrit Badenhorst – when he attempts to lift a massive 405 kg!

Get down to CrossFit Shumba at 11a Glen Anil Street at 10 am to witness this spectacle. Entrance fee is a donation of any amount, with all proceeds going towards the cost of caring for our children.

Through this initiative Chris has also arranged for us:

  • A supply of Future Life Cereal and Energy Bars for all our children
  • Non-perishable food items – rice, chicken spice, aromat and salt.
  • 20 kgs of Chicken Nuggets, Drumettes and Burger Patties
  • Cash donations to the total amount of R27 300

Thank you Chris! You not only have the biggest muscles, you have the biggest heart – we are behind you all the way as you tackle this weight lifting challenge!

 

Chris Dranias power lifter

New pyjamas bring happiness

New pyjamas bring happiness

We were fortunate enough to receive a wonderful donation of new pyjamas from three lovely ladies based in Durban North.

For the past 8 years these guardian angels have been sewing pyjamas for underprivileged kids, and we are so grateful to have such kind and generous people helping our children. Thank you!

Organisations on the brink of collapse as government cuts funding

Organisations on the brink of collapse as government cuts funding

Collapsing house of cards

Writing in Ground Up, James Stent reports that some organisations, such as children’s homes and old age homes, have gone for four months without receiving their subsidies from the Department of Social Development.

“Hundreds of organisations in the Eastern Cape and some in the North West province that perform social work on behalf of the government have not been paid their subsidies since March. Others, in North West, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, have faced subsidy cuts of up to 25%, without consultation and with no reason given. In Limpopo, they have been told that 10-15% of their operational budget must be spent on procuring personal protective equipment (PPE) to face the Covid-19 epidemic.

“The picture of a social services network on the brink of collapse is painted in a 20 July report by Lisa Vetten of the Care Work Campaign, and Margaret Grobbelaar of the National Coalition of Social Services, a national voluntary coalition of social work organisations. The report, Rapid assessment on the financial status of non-profit organisations providing social care services, describes the experiences of hundreds of organisations across South Africa and has been sent by its authors to the national Department of Social Development.

“On 5 August, Care Work and the National Coalition of Social Services wrote to Linton Mchunu, the Acting Director General of the national DSD. “We are deeply concerned to prevent full-blown crises from developing in parts of the country. We remind you that the Gauteng Department of Health’s failure to pay subsidies on time left organisations unable to purchase food — the lack of which directly contributed to the deaths of some of the former residents of Life Esidimeni. We do not wish to see such a scenario repeated in social welfare services.”

Click here to read full article