Cape Town - Therapeutic services for destitute women at St Anne’s Home in Woodstock have had to be abandoned, as the 119-year-old shelter struggles to stay afloat.
With a monthly operational cost of around R250 000, which has been whittled down due to the forgoing of skills programmes like accredited computer courses, home-based care and hospitality management training, the non-profit organisation had to sell its bakkie in October to pay that month’s expenses.
“The situation is dire, we are in great need of donor funding,” said board member, Pat September.
“With there literally being no money for external programmes, the ripple effect is being felt.”
The home serves as a safe and rehabilitative space for abused and destitute women and their children. It currently has 12 women in its residency, and 13 children.
It operates in three phases, the first being its home in Balfour Street, Woodstock, where women receive counselling and the skills to rebuild their lives independently.
There is also an educare centre on the premises, which the home has opened to residents at a cost of R1 000 a child a month.
Once women progress from phase one after four months, they have the option of moving to phase two, at Peace Haven, also in Woodstock, if they find employment, which is where they pay R850 rental a month.
Thereafter, at phase three, the women can enter into a rental agreement to stay at a house in Ruyterwacht that provides further accommodation.
The home receives R70 a day for adult women from the provincial Department of Social Development, and R17 a day for each child.
Children’s programme co-ordinator Martin Gumpo said the maintenance of the facility was also a challenge, as the building was old.
“There are a lot of breakages that might happen. Right now our geyser is broken,” he said.
The Provincial Department of Social Development said its budgeting process for 2024/25 had not yet concluded.
However, it noted the R1.1 billion provincial budget shortfall as a result of reduced national budget allocations to provinces.
“This will impact the transfer allocations and number of NPOs the department is able to fund during the next funding cycle. These details will be communicated to NPOs,” the department said.
For one of the residents, a 29-year-old mother of a 10-month-old baby girl, the home has been her only refuge.
“My daughter and I came here on September 18, I love it here for my daughter. She is the person I am most worried about and concerned for.
“The social workers are always available, who I can speak with if I’m feeling overwhelmed.
“The workshops that we do really do make a difference. We are currently attending a parenting workshop to teach us how to communicate with our children and enforce discipline.”
To donate to the home:
NPO number: 002-947
PBO tax number: 18/11/13/3050
Bank account details: St Anne’s Homes Standard Bank
Account number: 07260702 Branch number: 020909