About the charities
About Ma Afrika Tikkun
Background
An increasing number of children in the townships of South Africa are losing one or both of their parents from HIV/AIDS and other causes. Today, an estimated 2.2 million children have lost their parents and are living in the townships. Latest research indicates that 800 children in South Africa are orphaned every day (Mail & Guardian, 1 Dec. 2006). A majority of these orphans live in child-headed households where the older children are forced to leave school in order to provide for their younger siblings. Some of the oldest in these child-headed households are not even in their teens while some of the youngest are barely toddlers. The most vulnerable of these children live in plastic-bag or canvas houses with scarcely any protection from physical and social elements. Others live in informal houses made of cardboard and corrugated sheets in extremely unstable circumstances. With no means of independent income, they experience very real needs in terms of basic necessities such as food and clothing as well as parenting support.
As a consequence, many children living in poverty have far fewer opportunities in life than other children and the effects of poverty will stay with them into adulthood.
Who we are
MaAfrika Tikkun is a non-governmental non-profit organisation that works toward the transformation of South African communities by caring for vulnerable children and orphans in townships. We foster empowerment by providing holistic services focused on caring for children ranging from one year to 19 years of age.
Our name is a representation of “MaAfrika”, the mothering, empowering African atmosphere, mixed with the word “tikkun” which loosely translated means change or transformation in Hebrew. Together, the Jewish value of Tzeddakah (compassion, caring and helping) and the African value of Ubuntu (community warmth and sharing) encompass the vision of this NGO, which is to care for vulnerable children in townships in a compassionate manner that is sustainable over time.
MaAfrika Tikkun is a symbol of hope for those who want to progress in life, but up until now have not had the means to do so. We are the bridge between government and private sector services in that our goal is to create community centers and embark on community projects that allow the community (within a period of 5 years) to then take ownership of the project and to continue with it. We place a high value / premium on local relevance, which is manifested by our contribution to the quality of life in South Africa. In doing so, we are sensitive to the national needs and social and cultural contexts of the regions in which we operate.
We hope this overview of our activities permits you a window into an organization that is a HELPING HAND rather than a HAND OUT.
Together we can make a difference. Please make either a ‘one off’ donation or a ‘regular’ donation by simply clicking here.
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