Afrika Tikkun – here they walk the walk all the way

SUZANNE BELLING

Former President Nelson Mandela, who became chief patron of the organisation, described it as “a miracle”, adding: “I never expected organisations of this nature, which have brought hope to the disadvantaged.”

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein succeeded Mandela as chief patron, which is not unusual considering the moral imperative of the Jewish obligation to the non-Jew, as set out by Rabbi Harris in his booklet by the same name.

Rabbi Harris put forward the challenge: “Faith in the essential unity of humankind, as creatures of one G-d and as descendants of one common ancestor, provides the foundation for the proper development of inter-community relationships.  

“Recognising the moral imperatives governing human affairs, men and women of goodwill can face up to the challenge of our time and make the caring society a reality.”

Now called Afrika Tikkun, the organisation has grown exponentially to include volunteers and a large staff, still retaining its Jewish ethos and involving workers from all walks of life.

Afrika Tikkun has implemented development programmes to help redress the inequalities of apartheid and reaches thousands of beneficiaries yearly.

Six varied and successful projects exist throughout the country – at Orange Farm, Diepsloot, Alexandra township and Hillbrow in Gauteng, and Emfuleni and Delft in the Western Cape.

The changing focus of Afrika Tikkun is clearly expressed by CEO Marc Lubner: “Afrika Tikkun has developed from a charity, initially focused on providing the very basics required for a healthy upbringing (nutrition, safe haven, health and educational support) to now engaging over 16 000 young individuals with programmes designed to prepare them for the world of work and indeed to assist them in finding the jobs to which they are well suited.

“The model developed over the last decade within Afrika Tikkun that migrates youngsters from infancy into jobs is no longer a philanthropic luxury but an economic and social imperative.”

The charity that began with between R200 000 and R300 000 now spends over R60 million on developing young individuals.

The numbers for 2015 reveal the winning blend of charitable and development work: over two million meals to children and families annually; almost a 95 per cent matric pass rate in that year; 1 200 unemployed youth became employable through work readiness programmes; and 85 per cent of Afrika Tikkun’s 550 staff members are from the local communities.

These figures reflect part of the organisation’s motto – developing young people from cradle to career.

This tagline encompasses early childhood development, child and youth development, youth skills development and placement programme, empowerment programme and primary healthcare.

“We believe that every young person deserves an opportunity to be the best they can be,” says Afrika Tikkun.

The organisation has translated its founders’ vision into reality.