In what is a remarkable feat, the South African Muslim community collectively raised more than R7 million in donations in week one of the national lockdown. The campaign is being spearheaded by the SA Muslims COVID-19 Response Task Team – which consists of various theological, civil society, and community organisations across the country – who have been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. The task team was initiated to consolidate the humanitarian and relief work conducted by the Muslim community across South Africa, during this unprecedented health crisis. The collective has been coordinating with the national and provincial government and other stakeholders to ensure the needs of vulnerable families are met.

Here follows a breakdown of the donations thus far:

GAUTENG PROVINCE: R4,14 million
Humanitarian relief and social welfare efforts in Gauteng are being coordinated by former Auditor General of South Africa, Shauket Fakie on behalf of the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF) and Yusuf Abramjee, co-founder of Operation SA. Working in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Government, the #OperationCovid19Fund has raised R3,33 million thus far – R551 000 in food donations and R2,78 million rand in cash donations.

These donations come from a range of sources including a donation of R300 000 from the Caring Women’s Forum expended on food, blankets, hygiene hampers, sanitizers, and face masks, as well as donations from several South African corporates. Donations are being delivered to the Gauteng government’s central warehouse, from where municipal distribution centres collect their aid allocations.

Africa Muslims Agency – as part of their #Humanitize and #12MillionMeals campaigns – distributed R450 000 worth of hygiene kits and food hampers across the province. In the Johannesburg CBD, 500 people received food hampers on Tuesday 31 March and blankets were distributed to the homeless in the Mayfair area.

Islamic Relief South Africa expended R367 000 in Gauteng on 685 one-month food hampers, 350 Hygiene Packs, and 200 Household packs. The Al Imdaad Foundation distributed 75 food hampers, 172 blankets, 72 hygiene packs, and 500 toothbrushes to the homeless and vulnerable groups in Lenasia South, Windsor, Eikenhoff, Grosvenor, and Eldorado Park. The organisation’s teams in Johannesburg will start providing breakfast for homeless persons being housed at the Grosvenor Recreation Centre, Mayfair. The team will be providing breakfast for the duration of the lockdown in partnership with FEED.

The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa has been assigned by the Ekurhuleni Disaster Management Team in partnership with the Gauteng Department of Social Development the responsibility of providing meals and hygiene items to two homeless shelters during the lockdown period.

KWA-ZULU NATAL: R2,07 million

The South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) and its division – the Caring Sisters Network – have raised R1 million in aid over the past week. The organisations have to date distributed R800 000 in the form of food hampers, with the remaining R200 000 to be distributed on Saturday, 4 April to needy individuals. This forms part of the #proudlysouthafricanmuslim campaign.

The Natal Memon Jamaat (NMJ) Welfare Team in collaboration with World Memon Organization (WMO), Jama’atun Nisa and Being Muslim Team distributed over 600 family food hampers and 600 hygiene packs in the 3 days, leading up to the lockdown. Since then, these organisations have
distributed almost 1430 family food hampers with hygiene content to various needy families residing in the following areas: Bonela (4 wards), Seaview, Canelands – Verulam, KaPata – Pietermaritzburg, Phoenix and many suburbs around Durban Central. They will also be running a feeding scheme for the homeless at shelters in Durban. The total expenditure to date, is R500 000.

Africa Muslims Agency, as part of their #Humanitize and #12MillionMeals campaigns, distributed R263 000 worth of hygiene kits and food hampers and will continue to distribute these much-needed items in the Durban and Newcastle areas.

The Al Imdaad Foundation has donated 30 JOJO tanks in the Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality. Additionally, they have distributed 415 hygiene packs and sanitizers and 120 mattresses to homeless shelters across the province and to old age homes in Ladysmith, eThekwini, Bergville, Dundee, and Phoenix.

Penny Appeal South Africa distributed 400 family food packs, which will benefit an estimated 1600- 1800 people across Chatsworth, Kwa Dabeka, and the Umgungungdlovu districts. Additionally, 89 hygiene packs and a handover of 200 pairs of gloves, 150 Masks and 400 sanitizers were made to the provincial Department of COGTA for their care workers and frontline workers. The total value of funds expended was R175 000.

Islamic Relief South Africa expended R145 000 in Kwa Zulu Natal, on 256 food hampers that can feed a family for a month, 3000 hygiene packs, and 50 household packs. The SANZAF Durban office distributes approximately 1200 breakfast items a day to various shelters. In additional, they are collaborating with the KZN Jamiatul Ulama and the Natal Memon Jamaat.

Collectively 500 food hampers are being distributed in the Chatsworth area. SANZAF Pietermaritzburg is distributing 1000 food hampers per week to areas such as PBM Central, Northdale, Copesville, Edenvale and Cogta.

 

WESTERN CAPE – R432 000
SANZAF received additional in-kind donations in the last week and is now able to distribute about 2000 food hampers per week to vulnerable families and informal settlements in areas such as Lost City, Athlone, Heideveld, Hanover Park, part of Mitchells Plain, Salt River, Woodstock, Facreton, Parow and many more.

Islamic Relief South Africa has expended R120 000, in the form of 135 one-month food hampers, 275 hygiene packs and R36 000 in cash grants. The Africa Muslims Agency, as part of their #Humanitize and #12MillionMeals campaigns, has distributed R255 000 worth of hygiene kits distributed to old age homes, homeless, the sick, the elderly, churches in the Western Cape.

The Al Imdaad Foundation has distributed 248 hygiene packs, 33 food hampers, 320 meals, and 167 warm hats to the homeless and vulnerable groups in Cape Town.

Penny Appeal South Africa provided 943 hot meals across the city safe space camps, refugees, homeless, informal dwellers, and Heideveld/Cathkin Village. 43 Hygiene packs and 280 sanitizers were distributed during awareness and education drives on infection prevention. The total value of expenditure was approximately R57 000.

SANZAF’s offices in Port Elizabeth, East London, and Kimberley are also active in responding to emergency cases. Food hampers per family of approximately R300 each are being distributed as the need arises. Throughout the regions, emergency numbers have been provided for the needy to reach SANZAF in these areas.

The Al Imdaad Foundation has donated 100 JOJO Tanks to 6 districts and municipalities in the Eastern Cape as part of its water relief programme to water-scarce areas within these municipalities.100 hygiene packs were also distributed in the Buffalo City Municipality.

PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE – R 375 000
The public health response is led by the Gift of the Givers Foundation, with assistance from the Islamic Medical Association, offering COVID-19 testing at several sites at a reduced fee of R750 per test. This rate has promoted the reduction in charges by other private laboratories, benefiting the broader public.

The testing sites have been set up at Wits University, in Mayfair, Roshnee, Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town. The Gift of the Givers is augmenting the South African public health services by supporting medical professionals with protective wear, supplying relevant essential medical equipment and providing medical consumables to the institutions in urgent need.

The Salaamedia campaign for personal protective equipment has distributed, approximately 2500 masks, mostly N95 masks, as well as some FFP2 and 3ply masks to doctors, Community Police Forums, and burial committees. 210 hazardous material suits, several boxes of gloves, 150 litres of sanitizer and 100 medical face shields have been donated to public hospitals. The total expenditure including the supply of soaps, food, N95, FFP2 and 3 ply masks, Hazmat suits, medical face shields, sanitizers and gloves was R357 000.

The IMA has announced an initiative to sew reusable fabric face masks for non-medical essential personnel and disadvantaged communities at a cost of R3,50 each. These masks will help flatten the curve by reducing the spread of droplets by infected individuals and will be distributed free of charge to those who need them. The target is to sew and hand out 10 000 masks by the end of lockdown.

The Islamic Medical Association (IMA) has also launched a campaign in partnership with the Gift of the Givers to raise funds for Personal Protective Equipment specifically for Doctors and Public Health workers.

Muslim theological bodies including the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and the Council of Muslim Theologians of South Africa (Jamiatul Ulama South Africa) continue to educate the remind the community to follow handwashing and social distancing measures, as well as to stay home during the lockdown period.

The Muslim Judicial Council has begun using mosque loudspeakers with the permission of the City of Cape Town to remind local communities of the required health and social distancing measures during the lockdown.

Meanwhile, the SA Muslims COVID-19 Response Task Team has launched a new web-based portal for relief organisations to share information about their programmes and to track their impact. This website can be accessed from the following link: www.muslimteam.co.za.

THE PROCESS IS SIMPLE:
Step 1 – Log onto muslimteam.co.za
Step 2 – Register your organisation on the portal
Step 3 – select a username and password
Step 4 – once logged in follow the simple instructions in the drop-down menu to upload your info.

Once completed, the distribution information will be captured and recorded on the web application. The capturing of information is very important so that an accurate record of relief work can be kept.