The Molo Songololo head office in Observatory.
Image: Wesley Ford
Non-profit Molo Songololo is trying to raise around R250 000 to continue their mission of fighting for children's rights.
The organisation has been around for over 45 years and provides services including support to victims of child abuse, protection against human trafficking and exploitation, child and youth empowerment, and capacity building to other service providers.
In addition to its Observatory head office, they have satellite offices in Atlantis, Beaufort West and Delft with 11 staff members who are supported by volunteers.
Molo Songololo director, Patric Solomons says if they are unable to raise the necessary funds, they will have to cut back on services to children in need of care and protection, as well as let go of staff and close satellite offices.
Mr Solomons says funding is always a challenge as a non-profit. “We rely on donors, funders, businesses, organisations and individuals to make charitable donations.”
He says their income is used to pay staff, who carry out functions such as counselling, referrals for abused children, advocacy and training in communities.
Annually Molo Songololo helps 90 to 120 child victims and survivors and families in the child protection and victim empowerment programmes they run.
They reach an estimated 5 000 children through empowerment activities, workshops and child and youth empowerment camps. They also train over 500 adults annually in workshops as part of their capacity-building programme.
While Molo Songololo does get support from individual and private business donors as well as from the provincial Department of Social Development (DSD), Mr Solomons says that after the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses and funding agencies have cut or even stopped their funding.
They are dependent on provincial DSD funding to survive until the next cycle, which is the end of March.
Provincial DSD spokesperson, Monique Mortlock-Malgas says their department currently funds Molo Songololo, along with over 1 000 organisations across various programmes and services such as victim empowerment, persons with disabilities, older persons, etc.
She says non-profits need to try to secure funding from private donors as the funding provided by their department is a partial subsidy and does not cover the full costs of an organisation’s operations.
Ms Mortlock-Malgas says despite the harsh economic climate with budget cuts across government departments, the provincial DSD has been able to maintain funding to many of its partner NGOs in the victim empowerment sector, due to the department’s commitment to support victims and survivors of abuse and violence. “ The Department is also in the process of establishing the Cape Care Fund in partnership with the Health Foundation, to provide an added safety net for organisations that are doing good work but are struggling financially.”
To support Molo Songololo, visit https://molosongololo.org/ or call 021 448 5421 or email info@molo.org.za