R350 000 Vehicles Donation Keeps the Association For Persons With Physical Disabilities KwaZulu-Natal On The Road, Supporting Rurally-based Clients

The donation of two new vehicles, collectively valued at some R350 000, has helped avoid the compromise of rural outreach services offered by the Chatsworth-based Association for Persons With Physical Disabilities KwaZulu-Natal.

The South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) interceded, donating a brace of vehicles, after learning that extreme wear-and-tear and ongoing mechanical issues were taking their toll on the Association’s elderly fleet of vehicles.

Commenting at the official hand-over of the new cars, Mr Gaf Osman, a representative of the SAMCT, said: “The Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities KwaZulu-Natal reaches out to the poorest of the poor; people living with disabilities who are at risk of being marginalised, but for the outreach services provided and that risk was being heightened almost daily, the consequence of transport issues.”

He added that the Association believed that the services it provides persons with physical disabilities in the remote regions of KwaZulu-Natal are crucial and deserves still greater effort, ensuring ‘that these persons may enjoy the same rights and privileges as every other South African citizen.’

“How right they are. Persons living with physical disabilities should not be ignored and forgotten, simply because they happen to live in rural areas; areas lacking the infrastructure and access their urban counterparts enjoy. This is the benefit the Association brings, but it is a benefit which extracts great cost. Vehicles are expensive to purchase and maintain, but comprise an essential resource, enabling the social work staff to decentralise their services in areas such as Ndwedwe, iLembe and surrounds, Hammarsdale and Umzumbe in the south. Its area of operation is vast and transport is essential for service delivery,” said Mr Osman.

“We recognise the Association’s amazing and invaluable work, as well as that of its dedicated and passionate staff; staff who set forth in the Association’s vehicles five days a week, transporting wheelchairs, grocery hampers, as well as people with disabilities, taking their services into the field, helping people who are simply unable to help themselves.”

“Such organisations and such committed people are to be commended for the selfless work they do under the most difficult of financial constraints. They should not have to live with the additionally heavy burden of worrying about transport issues,” he added.

He noted that without access to transport, some of those in the Association’s care would become marginalised.

Mr Osman said: “It truly would be a tragedy if those the Association exists to serve were to be denied access to its support simply because of a vehicle or two. It is sad that non-profit organisations, such as the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities KwaZulu-Natal, simply do not have the financial muscle to provide for capital items, like vehicles. However, this is where the SAMCT is able to make a telling contribution. We are very pleased to be in the position to provide a helping hand to a body whose personnel are so obviously committed to supporting people with physical disabilities across is broad area of operation.”

The SAMCT was created in 2008, the result of a partnership between Old Mutual Unit Trusts and Al Baraka Bank for the creation, marketing and distribution of a suite of Shariah Funds. Such partnership ensures that the SAMCT is the beneficiary of this Shariah suite of funds in order to provide funding, services and other resources for the improvement of the lives of the vulnerable, deprived and disadvantaged. The organisation has been singularly successful in delivering sizeable assistance solutions throughout South Africa – irrespective of race or religion – and continues to work to support needy organisations in the fields of health, social development, poverty alleviation and education.

He concluded: “I would hope that our humble contribution will make a significant difference to all those associated with the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities KwaZulu-Natal and that the organisation will go from strength to strength in the delivery of its good works.”

ends

For more information about SAMCT or
its Association for Persons With Physical Disabilities KwaZulu-Natal, Chatsworth, Durban, vehicles donation, please contact:

Rasheeda Motala

Social Responsibility Officer Tel: 084 506 2280
Email: samct@samct.co.za