The history of mankind is speckled with great individuals who, with their inherent traits of altruism, have improved the lives of the less fortunate. Can the history of mankind be complete without reference to Mahatma Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, and Mother Theresa among other luminaries? While Child Welfare South Africa: Duffs Road had its genesis as the Inanda Youth Movement in 1941 to promote the cultural and religious needs and general welfare of the people in rural Inanda, in 1943 it underwent a change in name due its objectives and became known as the Inanda Child Welfare Society. ( Until the 1990’s welfare societies were constituted along racial lines).
The society has functioned since its inception with the help of volunteerism. One of the remarkable features of volunteerism is that the people work without looking for compliments, recognition or for the monetary rewards. They do it because of their love for humanity, to espouse the ideals of the greats mentioned above. The volunteers, more often not, use their own resources eg. Motor vehicles, telephones, fax machines , business premises, stationary and time, sometimes foregoing family commitments to fulfil their tasks to serve the people. They do not ask for recognition or rewards, all they aim to achieve is bringing succour to the deserving poor. Besides providing material needs, members motivate families to move away from depending on hand-outs, to seek employment no matter how menial, to refrain from vices and to be spiritual. If all else fails, the Almighty is the best refuge.
The services provided by the society are to some extent circumscribed due to scarcity of resources. We cannot afford paid social workers or to rent offices at this stage. Members have assisted us in providing accommodation at their business premises or residences so that the functionality of the society is not compromised in any way. While the general trend in social services is for the clients to call at Social Welfare Offices to get help, we visit the families at their homes, enabling us to interact with the families and at the same time to make an accurate assessment of their living conditions and the environment in which they live.
In its 70 year history, this society has had only three presidents. Mr G. Mangrey, a local schoolteacher, whose foresight, initiative, dedication and spirit of goodwill spurred him on for 23 years to 0work for the betterment of the society. The next president was Mr D. Ganesh, his pupil who also was a teacher. He served as president for nearly four decades. He gave up his position and cajoled Mr Shiner Ramkisoon into taking up the position.
An extract from our Diamond Jubilee Brochure is worth quoting. “The high point in the history of this Society was when the Inanda Riots occurred in August 1985. Blacks by sheer force of numbers burnt and pillaged the homes of Indians forcing them to flee with only the clothes they had on. Their homes were looted, burnt and possessions stolen. This racial attack will be remembered in History as an indelible black spot. Even the Gandhi Settlement was not spared.”
School children and Indian well-wishers donated food, clothing and money, which were distributed to the victims. The Inanda –Phoenix Relief Fund was set up under the chairmanship of Mr Y.S. Chinsamy. Mr Ganesh and Mr Ramkisoon served on this Relief Fund Committee.
The field of social work is not lucrative where officials and social workers get a handsome salary. Social workers are a different brand of people whose day-to-day chores are intimately intertwined with the emotional, physical, psychological and familial lives clients. They offer guidance, comfort, hope and material support to those whose frayed lives would otherwise disappear into sinkhole of despair.
Traditionally the Management Committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month to attend to matters of governance, finance, casework, fund raising and a planned calendar of events. A Society like ours receives no state subsidy as we do not have paid social workers. We have to generate our own funds and it is those people who are endowed with the milk of human kindness that sustains us. It is hoped that the devotion, dedication inspiration and altruism of our members will not wane but will imbued with the spirit of goodwill for the welfare of our society.