South Africa
Since 2006, Respond! has been working to alleviate poverty in some of the poorest regions of South Africa. Pressing concerns in these areas include:
- Widespread “absolute poverty”
- The HIV/Aids and Tuberculosis (TB) pandemic
- The high number of orphaned children (and the high number of orphaned children also affected with HIV/Aids) who are head of household with up to 40% infection rate
- The lack of support and medical facilities
- Very high levels of unemployment (ranging from 40% to 65%)
- The accelerating emergence of shanty towns with all of the resultant problems of anti- social behaviour, crime and drug abuse
Central to all of Respond!’s work in South Africa is sustainability – Respond! aims to provide people and communities with the resources and skills to improve their community and their lives. Respond! builds communities, not just houses and this philosophy is key to all of our work in South Africa.
Respond! aims to create sustainable economic projects in Kokstad, Hardenburg, Shayamoya and Bizana through:
- House and community building
- The provision of health and care services
- Nutrition and support programmes
- The provision of crèche and daycare centres
- The provision of training programmes
Currently we are seeking Engineers and Quantity Surveyors interested in volunteering on our house and community building projects in South Africa. We are looking for volunteers interested in spending a period of 6 months or more designing, planning and managing large construction projects in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region. Anyone interested can email pr@respond.ie for further information. If you would like more information, or would like to donate, please contact us at 0818 357901 or email info@respond.ie
Respond! South Africa WebsiteWatch some of the work of Respond! in South Africa by clicking on the link:
Respond! South Africa Film