NGOs desperate for funding, good volunteers

NON-profit-organisations work hard to assist everyday South Africans in fighting the many social problems they face – from food insecurity to women and child abuse.

As World Non-Governmental Organisation Day was celebrated yesterday, NGOs highlighted their lack of resources and funds to operate optimally.

Judy Strickland, founder of Hope House Counselling Centre, said funding from the government, private and public donors was how they kept going.

“One of our challenges is that funding is directed towards very specific social ills rather than holistic interventions. Counselling services, family programmes and substance abuse prevention are key to addressing the addiction levels and violence we see, but there is not always funding available.

“We live in a country with a dire need for mental health services, but low access to them,” Strickland added.

She said Hope House conducted 11 000 counselling sessions in 2015 and 2016, and saw 103 children weekly, with 98 on average on their waiting list.

Strickland said their limited funds did not allow them to permanently hire counsellors with specific skills such as child counselling.

“We manage as best we can with current staff and experienced volunteers. “

Andy Hadfield, chief executive of forgood.co.za, an online social impact platform that connects individuals and corporates with registered causes, said: “The ugly truth is the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. There are a bunch of NGOs stuck in the middle, losing the desperate battle to close that gap.

“There are over 1 700 different opportunities to help out. Our biggest problem is finding good volunteers.”