Page 10 - Rural Voice III - Responding to a Pandemic

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RURAL VOICE III: RESPONDING TO A PANDEMIC
statement has resonated often in my mind as I consider what our grantees face daily. Most of our funders recognised that this would also be a difficult time for SCAT and that fundraising for the future would be a challenge. Ford Foundation increased our grant and extended our contract by a year giving us greater security. The CS Mott Foundation increased our grant so that we could pass on more funds to our grantees to cushion them, and the Social Justice Initiative allowed us flexibility with reporting and spending time frames.
The Irish Embassy and Dutch Embassy allowed SCAT to repurpose workshop and travel funds towards food. With additional donations from the Donald Gordon Foundation, DG Murray Trust and the Global Fund for Community Foundations, we distributed a total of R 2,4 million of funds toward food security grants to our grantees over the lockdown period. SCAT similarly increased core grants to our partners. Early on RAITH Foundation asked if we would assist with the distribution of food parcels on behalf of the Solidarity Fund. The RAITH Foundation allowed us to repurpose some of their funds to cover distribution costs of our grantees. Working with ten rural CBOs in the most remote areas of the Eastern Cape, we reached close to 200 villages and distributed 10 500 food parcels over three weeks. Our grantees faced issues of security for the people distributing food, accessing permits, storage, flooding, treacherous roads, distances and ensuring records were kept and every food parcel was accounted for. They were impressive in their willingness to step up to the challenge, negotiating with police, traditional leaders and local councillors to ensure the fairest processes were followed and the food reached the most vulnerable.
SCAT also decided that the digital divide with our rural partners had to be addressed with urgency and we bought and distributed computers, cell phones and data to all our partners who are now able to meet with us online, attend webinars and be connected with up to date information. Many had some technology, but mostly it was outdated and did not ensure accessibility. This was partly funded from SCAT’s reserve fund’s dividends and with repurposed funds from the Irish Embassy. Responding to a request from some of our grantees we included thermometers so they could check their clients before consulting them and provided masks as a result of a donation from a founder trustee. A number of our grantees are partnering with DG Murray Trust to distribute PPE to care workers in their communities.
Food parcels distributed over 3 weeks
10 500
Funds toward food security grants
R 2,4 million
Villages Reached
200