Eliza Mussa (30) an au pair originally from Lunzu, a township outside of Blantyre in Malawi, got a distressing call from her loved ones that her home was destroyed by the deadly tropical cyclone ‘Ana’ in late January.
The storm which lasted a week and left behind a path of destruction, nearly claimed the lives of Hanna, Eliza’s sister, and her 4 children who were staying at the home, as their home was destroyed by a similar storm in 2016.
As the home is now inhabitable, Hanna and her children sought refuge at a primary school, before being housed by warm-hearted samaritans.
For the past 8 years, Eliza has lived in Lakeside, South Africa, diligently saving extra monies to build her safe haven in her hometown, where she planned to retire to in her old age, along with her two children Fatima (10) and Nazim (3).
Eliza is heartbroken that her years of hard work have been erased, but she is thankful for the safety of her family and maintains the sunny disposition she is known and loved for.
“When Eliza came to work in tears one morning and showed me the pictures of her house, which had been destroyed in the storm, it struck me how unfair life can be. She told me about how she had worked so hard to repay the money that she had borrowed to build it in the first place. Then overnight a storm destroyed her house, and she doesn’t have insurance to pay for the costs to rebuild it”, says Jessie.
“Eliza comes to work every day with a smile. Even after her house was destroyed, she was there, playing with my daughter Leah and making her giggle. She is a lovely person; we trust her immensely”, says Jessie, her employer.
Rebuilding brick by brick
To help rebuild Eliza’s home, Jessie has launched a crowdfunding campaign with a fundraising target of R50 000, to cover the materials and labour needed to restore the humble home to its former glory.
Since the campaign launched, over R21 000 has been raised on BackaBuddy to support the family through this difficult time, with contributions from 21 donors, both locally and abroad.
“It is so nice how people have helped me with this crowdfunding campaign. A huge thank you for the campaign and for everyone who has donated, I really appreciate it. I could never have raised this money myself. I hope we can raise our target of R50 000 so that I can rebuild my house and one day go back and live there with my kids.” says Eliza.
Photo credit: Jessie with her daughter Leah and Eliza
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R313 Million.
Following one of the worst floods in South Africa’s history, this past Monday, 11th April 22’ in KwaZulu Natal, over 443 residents have sadly lost their lives, 63 people are still missing and 13 000 properties and infrastructures have been irreparably damaged.
Generously South Africans have been answering the call and stepping in to help the KZN residents rebuild their lives and prepare for the cold to come.
In these trying times, every helping hand can make a difference!
Donate to a charity or cause in need
If you are looking for a specific organisation to support, here are a few that will be supporting people and animals that have been affected by these devastating times.
In response to the devastating impact caused by the heavy rain, non-profit organisation, the Gift of the Givers Foundation has stepped in to assist with hot meals, blankets, bottled water, warm clothes, sanitary pads and diapers for those in low lying areas who have lost their material possessions.
Since the launch of the campaign over R140 000 has been raised.
With flooding affecting much of the Durban area, hundreds have been displaced and require immediate aid. The Penny Appeal South Africa is currently on the ground assessing the needs and providing food aid, clothing, and blankets. Their Help for R100 project asks for a minimum donation of R100 to assist with their relief efforts.
Since the launch of the campaign over R19 000 has been raised.
If you too would like to lend your hand, you can support their BackaBuddy campaign, here.
Organisations where you can donate in-kind
Here are some locations where you can donate food, warm clothes and blankets, and other necessities in your province.
Johannesburg:
#ImStaying
Those in Johannesburg can drop off non-perishable goods, sanitary care items and pet food at the following:
158 Rose Avenue, Ext 3, Lenasia.
Contact: 0112116002 Ask for Yaseen Hoosen
AA Wholesalers
27 Bluegum Street, Anchorville, Lenasia.
Contact: 0118571235 Ask for Ahmed Amod.
Yobuningi
Heuwelsig Estate, Centurion
0715425484 Ask for Shameem Baksh.
Midway Mews Shopping Centre Cnr 7th &, Harry Galaun Dr, Midrand, 0001
Main Service Rd, Lakeside, Cape Town, South Africa
Strand fire station
21 853 82985 Athlone Str Strand, Western Cape
Goodwood Fire Station:
Physical Address:Corner Hugo Street and Frans Conradie Drive, Goodwood, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Phone:+27 (0)21 590 1722
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R320 Million.
GIVE GRACEY THE GIFT OF LIFE: Fourteen-month-old, Gracey Green is in dire need of a stem cell transplant. You could be her match.
Gracelyn (Gracey) Green – an adorable toddler from Atlantis, Cape Town hopes to win over the hearts of thousands of strangers throughout the country in a desperate plea to save her life.
The fourteen-month-old was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) – a rare cancer of the blood that affects young children and her only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant.
The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), which is facilitating a donor match for Gracey, is imploring those of colour to get tested to see if they could be a possible stem cell match.
Zaahier Isaacs, Acting Head of Patient Services for the SABMR says Gracey is classified as an “emergency transplant case”, which means there’s no time to waste.
“In most cases, family members, especially siblings are generally most suitable, but even then, only 30% of patients are lucky enough to find a suitable match among their relatives. That’s why we must cast the net wider to the public to find the best possible match.
Without a stem cell transplant, Gracey might not make her second birthday.
“Due to the family’s financial circumstances, all testing and collection of stem cells will be funded via the SABMR’s Patient Assistance Programme, so they don’t need to be burdened further with any medical expenses. Everything is in place, now we just need a donor match.
“Brave little Gracey has already endured three blocks of chemotherapy that have been unsuccessful. She was diagnosed last August, and time is running out. We are relying on the kindness of a stranger to come to her aid.
To raise the estimated R500 000 needed to find Gracey a suitable stem cell donor, the SABMR, has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, hoping the little one will be able to celebrate her second birthday.
Funds raised will be used to procure additional buccal swab kits (testing kits), and cover the costs of donors’ medical tests in the hopes to save Gracey’s life.
“When we see little children carrying such heavy burdens, we can only hope and pray that the donor community will open their hearts, to lighten the load. Right now little Gracey is waiting for her miracle, and we know that her knight in shining armor is out there” says Catherine Du Plooy, BackaBuddy COO.
Her mother, Shanique Green, died last June in a fire that emblazoned the family’s home in Atlantis. Minutes before her last breath, she handed Gracey to a bystander through the window and went back to try to save her grandmother, but this proved fatal.
Lorenzo Erasmus, Gracey’s father, says it took a long time to come to terms with Shanique’s death and then to hear the devastating news of Gracey’s illness was just too much to bear.
“Doctors aren’t certain how long she will live without a transplant, but our focus right now is to find the best match. The better the match, the better her survival rate after the procedure.” – says Lorenzo
Gracey with her dad, Lorenzo Erasmus. Image: Carte Blanche
Her aunt, Lizel Solomons says symptoms first appeared in July last year when she noticed Gracey’s unusually swollen tummy. After a GP examined her, an ambulance was dispatched, and they were rushed to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
“That’s when I knew something was terribly wrong,” says Solomon.
“A series of tests showed that Gracey had an enlarged spleen, liver and lymph nodes, which eventually led to a JMML diagnosis. It happens when certain white blood cells, called monocytes and myelocytes, don’t mature as they should. This can either happen suddenly or can be associated with other genetic disorders in some children. In Gracey’s case, it’s linked to the former.
“Since the diagnosis, she’s been on several chemotherapy drugs to slow the spread of cancer cells and have undergone chemo without any improvement, so now our only hope is a stem cell transplant.
“My plea is to everyone in our community to help find a donor for our little angel. There’s a match waiting for Gracey, but time is running out. We need every single person who can, to register as a donor. If anyone deserves a second chance, Gracey does.”
According to the SABMR, people of colour are heavily underrepresented in the registry and it is therefore much more difficult for patients with a diverse ethnic heritage to find a matching donor.
Isaacs says Gracey’s chance of finding a match is about one in 100 000, but the SABMR remains hopeful.
“The likelihood of people from mixed ethnic backgrounds finding a successful match is a mere 37% compared to patients from European descent whose chances are 72%.
“The procedure to donate stem cells is non-invasive and takes less than a few minutes to sign up on our website. Anyone in good health, between the ages of 16 and 45 can register.”
The SABMR (NPO) was established in 1991, motivated by the concern that although bone marrow transplants were a life-saving treatment option, they were only available to patients with a matching donor in their family. Today, the SABMR searches both locally and internationally for donors, thereby making collaboration with international registries and observing universal standards of practice essential.
To date, the SABMR has helped save the lives of over 550 patients with life-threatening blood disorders by matching them with healthy, unrelated bone marrow donors from South Africa and the rest of the world.
According to SABMR, Sustainability Portfolio Manager, Kamiel Singh, there are currently only 74 000 donors registered on the site to cater to over 57 million South Africans.
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R310 Million.
Thobile Maphanga, a dance practitioner, producer, creative collaborator, and writer from Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, has been invited to represent South Africa at the prestigious Atelier for Young Festival Managers in Canada in June 2022.
The Festival Academy offers professional development and leadership training to festival makers globally as an initiative of the European Festivals Association (EFA).
Thobile will be one of only 35 participants globally to attend this amazing opportunity.
She will be participating in a seven-day training program for like-minded young artists who are interested in becoming festival directors, working in programming or related departments at a festival.
“I see the role of artists, cultural spaces, and festivals to be more vital now than ever and I am passionate about amplifying voices that have been othered and silenced.”
“I believe through festival platforms we can do this more frequently and effectively. I am eager to create spaces where people can commune and exchange ideas, thoughts, and provocations in a respectful manner & where diverse voices can be heard” says Thobile.
Thobile believes that her role as a mentee and choreographer for the Jomba Festival at the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) has prepared her for the spotlight on the international stage.
To be able to attend the prestigious Atelier for Young Festival Managers event, Thobile has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, appealing to the arts community as she opens the doors for other local talents.
Since the launch of the campaign to cover her travel and related expenses, over R70 000 has been raised which exceeded her target, with the support of over 59 donors sending applause and well-wishes.
“By contributing to this fund, you are assisting not only my personal growth but helping our community to remain relevant, connected, and ever-growing through sustainable practices. I am exceedingly proud to be representing South Africa on this global stage ” says Thobile.
Messages of encouragement come pouring in for Thobile:
“All the best on this adventure. I will be watching from afar. I know only great things are coming your way. This is the start. Lots of love Sarah.” – Sarah Herd
“You are so inspiring, your thoughtful and creative energy impacts us all. – Osmosiiza
“Best wishes with this campaign, Thobile. You deserve this wonderful opportunity.” – Ismail Mahomed
“So proud of you, Thobs, a special person who has inspired me through our collective writing journeys.” – Tammy Ballantyne Webber
‘Umntu Ngumntu Ngabantu’
“From the moment I started this campaign I have been deeply moved and overwhelmed by the support that I have gotten from friends, family and strangers from across the globe. I am truly humbled by your generosity and love, and wish you all blessings in abundance.
In isiZulu we say ‘Makwande’ meaning ‘May it multiply’. May the blessings and gifts you have shown me multiply in you and overflow to all those who, like me, may need them”, says Thobile
Create a crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R260 Million.
The organisation, which is a positive public-private partnership, intersecting the government and the private sector, teams up with students to address issues of post-qualification employment and finding decent work.
ISFAP has generously agreed to give three students an opportunity to follow their university dreams, by covering 70% of their tuition fees,granted they are able to crowdfund the remaining 30% through their respective campaigns on BackaBuddy.
To qualify for the sponsorship, applicants have to be South African citizens and come from families whose annual income is between R0 – R600 000.00 per annum.
Since the launch of their campaigns, the students have raised a combined total of over 54 0000 with support from 29 donors both locally and internationally.
“This support will enable these students to acquire a broad set of knowledge, skills and character traits that will significantly improve their meaningful participation in the growth of the country, including the economy, human development, leadership, ethical behaviour and broad citizenship. The intention is to advance equal opportunity and equitable income distribution for all South Africans,” says ISFAP
Omolemo Tlomatsane (22), from Limpopo, Eastern Cape, is a first-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of Witwatersrand.
“I always wanted to know how buildings can move and not collapse? How can such tall buildings stand for many years and not fall? I was inquisitive in such a way that one day I looked at a flat for almost the whole day, trying to see it move. I started to fall in love with buildings, and even now when I walk around the streets of Johannesburg, I always look at the flats’ height, pattern, and architecture to see how they might be constructed to be well balanced.” – says Omolemo.
Having lost his parents at a very young age, his grandparents shortly afterwards, and being separated from his siblings, Omolemo has been left to care for himself at home.
Omolemo has raised R1 100 towards his fundraising goal of R45 000.
Sailin Nimalin Vadivelu, from Durban, is a first-year medical student pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree (MBChB) at the University of Pretoria.
“My passion for medicine has stemmed from an early age and was a childhood dream, as I saw the need to give back to the community,” says Sailin.
He has always been a star student who dreams of becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon one day, but due to the financial strain caused by the pandemic, his family has been unable to pay for his intuition which will hinder him from completing his studies.
Sailin has raised R38 000 towards his fundraising goal of R45 000.
Nsuku Raphela (20), from Polokwane is a third-year student, currently enrolled for a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Pretoria.
“My mission in this borrowed life is to attain the MBChB degree and become a qualified medical physician to help the community by saving lives and improving the quality of life in the future. I will do this by applying effort and hard work towards my studies and forming educational relations, unselfishness, peace, honesty, integrity, morals and collaboration for the benefit of everyone,” says Nsuku.
Coming from a home of a widowed single parent and three siblings, Nsuku has kept his dream of becoming a qualified medical physician to help the community alive.
Nsuku has raised R14 000 towards his fundraising goal of R45 000.
The Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme (ISFAP) was established in an effort to assist students with the costs of studying at Higher Education Institutions.
It aims to assist poor and ‘missing’ middle-income university students in selected fields of study to afford the university fees by means of providing financial aid provided the candidate meets certain prescribed requirements.
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R300 Million.
