By Nasiha Khan
Humans for humanity is Singakwazi Aid’s motto, which articulately encapsulating the local public benefit organisation’s empathy and dedication towards the communities that they serve.
Though the PBO’s trust had been actively involved in working with the community since 2008, in 2016 the founder and director, Pete Graham, made the leap to take Singakwazi Aid to even greater heights after observing the dire need for hunger relief on the doorstep of Durban North while serving as a local ward councillor. He was limited as to what could be done on a political level and so he started the PBO which operates independently of any political party.
This has allowed Graham to engage with parties and religious organisations to uplift the lives of many communities in northern eThekwini. “What I learned very quickly after being elected as a ward councillor was that lots of people would not give to political parties. Being part of a political organisation was hampering my abilities to deliver. I am driven by Maslow Hierarchy of needs so I could not focus all my attention to one broken streetlight when there is 500 people starving on my doorstep,” said Graham.
Aside from personally assisting many individuals in various ways, according to their own unique needs, Singakwazi Aid is the proud beneficiary of six soup kitchens, two local crèches and two veggie farms in Mount Moriah and Khabazela that were started by the community. These farms help to provide food for the soup kitchens and the local community.
Graham sad that every week, the PBO implements a mass food drop-off whereby multiple tons of food are handed out to their beneficiaries. “The soup kitchens were started after the one in Mount Moriah was stripped down, for political reasons, after the opposition won the ward. I thought that it was unacceptable and so I started my own. Before the flood we did six soup kitchens directly or indirectly and now we have grown even more. A few places are transit camps where they are doing massive amounts of cooking and sending food out to be distributed to many parts of northern eThekwini.”
Graham added that the PBO’s success could not be possible without his team of six dedicated individuals and many volunteers whose passion for the people are unmatched.
He said: “Singakwazi means ‘we can’. We do not judge people based on their political affiliations or other beliefs and life choices. If someone needs help, we will help them. People often ask how do I choose who to help, the simple answer is whatever that touches my heart. That is the only criteria. We are also very mindful and present throughout our initiatives to ensure the right people are being helped.”
Graham expressed that the work that PBO’s and NGO’s do for communities are immeasurable in their worth, stating that many vulnerable South Africans have a chance of receiving some of their basic human rights after being let down by the government.
“Lets take Virginia Airport as an example, where the community and numerous organizations stepped up to the plate to help those affected by the floods. Whenever there are emergencies like the recent floods, the municipality calls PBO’s because we are the ones with the resources and ability to immediately get on the ground and provide support. PBO’s are the threads that are helping to stitch together the fabric of a falling society.”
To lend a hand or to become a donor to Singakwazi Aid contact Pete Graham on 082 881 0082.
