Author: BeweegAdministrator

The Solidarity Movement today called on public universities to proceed without delay with their planned online programme and not to let obstacles that can be overcome derail the academic programme.

This call comes amid universities such as the NWU, UP and other training institutions that have yet again postponed the start of online classes out of concern that not all students will have equal access to technology.

According to Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, it is not a solution to hold back all students because university administrations are concerned that some students will fall behind.

The solution is rather to start online classes as a matter of urgency and to then implement special measures to help those students who do not have access to the right technology. It does not help to prejudice the vast majority of students for fear that the minority will not have access to the classes. Although administrations argue that online classes will be exclusionary, the vast majority of students who do have access are now being excluded by the postponement of classes.

Thousands of lecturers and support staff have worked tirelessly over the past month to get the classes online while students have prepared themselves for classes that were supposed to start this week. Those people now had to find out that university administrations have decided unilaterally to postpone classes until May.

The prolonged lockdown has already resulted in enormous disruptions of university activities, and now university administrations are extending it even further. It is already much more difficult to study online instead of attending regular classes, and the postponement will inevitably lead to even greater challenges for students and lecturers.

Therefore, the solution is that classes should resume as soon as possible, and then extra classes and programmes could be set up after hours to assist students when the lockdown period is over.

“However, it is gratifying to see that some universities are already making plans to accommodate students by making certain websites available for free, setting up refund initiatives on data, and approaching the community for donations of computers and other devices,” Buys said.

Meanwhile, at the private higher education institution Akademia classes are continuing as usual, and students who experience problems with access to technology and data receive assistance.

Today, 7 April 2020, the Solidarity Movement will host an online helpmekaar day. The purpose of the day is to launch a huge helpmekaar (to help each other) effort by harnessing the power of the community to help people in social distress, to support businesses, and to help children so they can continue with school during these uncertain times. This day will be to the benefit of the Solidarity Movement’s emergency fund.

According to Flip Buys, Head of the Solidarity Movement, the Movement is founded on being a helpmekaar movement and communities must now stand together amidst the corona crisis. “This is the beginning of a helpmekaar (help each other) attempt. In the times ahead, we will need to help one another, and the Movement will harness all its institutions to achieve this,” said Buys.

According to Hannes Noëth, Managing Director of Solidarity Helping Hand, the social distress caused by the coronavirus is already and communities must now stand together to cope and deal with this crisis. The organisation is inundated with requests and is already helping thousands of pre-schoolers, families and elderly to receive food and other help daily. According to Noëth the organisation already spent R753 739 on emergency funding in March, which is why strengthening of the emergency fund is essential.

According to Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive Officer of Solidarity, the crisis has not reached its peak yet. Meanwhile, 53 000 learners have already registered on the School Support Centre’s Wolkskool, to continue with their education online. “Government will not carry us through this crisis, we are going to have to carry each other. Although we are all uncertain, we must help each other. It is time for us to work together and to carry each other because we cannot allow vulnerable people and children to be left behind in this time,” said Hermann.

On the helpmekaar day, the community will also be called upon to help small and medium enterprises. According to Kallie Kriel, Chief Executive Officer of AfriForum, the best help for businesses lies in the purchasing power of consumers. Thousands of enterprises has already registered with AfriForum’s network at www.afriforumnetwerk.co.za. Enterprises are encouraged to register here so that people can be encouraged to buy from them.

Supporters can contribute to the emergency fund, here.

Enterprises can register here on the AfriForum network.

 

 

 

The Virseker Trust announced that it will donate R1 million to the Solidarity Movement’s emergency fund. The fund’s goal is primarily to help children and the elderly with emergency feeding projects and to see to it that learners continue their education during the Covid-19 crisis thanks to the Schools Support Centre’s e-learning platform, Wolkskool.

Flip Buys, chairperson of the Solidarity Movement, welcomed the donation. “We are very concerned about the social crisis that will develop as a result of the corona crisis. Children and the elderly are often hit hardest. The income of so many people has been reduced overnight. We are calling on larger and smaller businesses to help, and to those who are already helping, such as the Virseker Trust, we want to say a big thank you,” Buys said..

According to Hannes Noëth, Solidarity Helping Hand’s executive director, a social crisis follows in the wake of an economic crisis. Before the Covid-19 crisis Helping Hand was already supporting 8 000 preschoolers thanks to its Lunchbox Project, an emergency nutrition project. This number is now increasing daily and Helping Hand is inundated with requests for help to vulnerable groups. In March alone, we spent R753 739 on emergency projects, which is why it is essential to boost the emergency fund.

Solidarity Helping Hand has established donation points for non-perishable food nationwide. These points are called Joseph’s Silos. Thousands of people and specifically children who have previously received help from Solidarity Helping Hand’s nutrition project will benefit from this initiative. Such help will be provided by Helping Hand’s countrywide network of offices and branches.

Half of the Virseker Trust’s donation will be allocated to social assistance, and specifically the Joseph’s Silos. The other half will be allocated to the further development of the e-learning platform, Wolkskool, to ensure that children do not fall behind with their schoolwork. A total of 53 000 learners have already registered for Wolkskool during the Covid-19 crisis time.

On 7 April the Solidarity Movement will organise a huge Helpmekaar Day in the spirit of helping each other in aid of the Solidarity Movement’s emergency fund.

Dirk Hermann, Solidarity’s chief executive, challenged the community to donate at least a rand for each rand Virseker has donated. “We dare not allow our vulnerable groups and children to suffer during the crisis. We must still the hunger for food and help as well as the hunger for knowledge,” Hermann said.

On the Helpmekaar Day an appeal will also be made to the community to assist small and medium businesses. According to AfriForum Chief Executive Kallie Kriel, the best help for businesses lies in the buying power of consumers. Thousands of businesses have already registered with AfriForum’s business network at afriforumnetwerk.co.za. Businesses are encouraged to register with the network so that people can be encouraged to buy from them.

Donations can be made at www.helpendehand.co.za, www.afriforum.co.za, or at www.krisisfonds.co.za

 

The Solidarity Movement’s emergency fund is audited by Solidarity Helping Hand’s auditors and a special oversight committee will ensure that the money is used in the appropriate way.

 

The Solidarity Movement today announced comprehensive plans to fight Covid-19. The Movement also made an offer to government to work together to stop the spread of the virus and to mitigate the impact of the drastic measures that have been announced.

Included in the Movement’s plans are, among other things, a Corona Crisis Centre, collaboration with government’s disaster management centre, safety strategy, social support to communities, help with detection, support offered to schools, parents and learners, support and access to information given to people in workplaces, and giving support to artists.

According to Flip Buys, the Solidarity Movement’s chairperson, Covid-19 can usher in a new world. This virus can become a new point of reference in world history. It could have incredible economic and political consequences. The Solidarity Movement will go into crisis management gear,” Buys said.

The Solidarity Movement also announced that a crisis committee will sit on a daily basis to implement action plans according to the latest information.

According to Dirk Hermann, Solidarity Chief Executive, civil society will play a pivotal role in combatting the virus. Solidarity also established a Corona Crisis Centre to support people in the workplace in particular.

AfriForum CEO, Kallie Kriel, emphasised the importance of cooperation. “Political and ideological differences must be put behind us for now. South Africa now has one common enemy and that is Covid-19,” he said. According to Kriel government’s disaster management centre has already been contacted with an offer to help and to cooperate.

AfriForum’s community safety division also launched a special control room that will, among other things, coordinate safety-related challenges and will help with detection efforts.

Solidarity Helping Hand’s Executive Director, Hannes Noëth, expressed his concern over the social consequences the drastic steps will have. For example, the 8 000 pre-schoolers who get daily meals from Solidarity Helping Hand at their nursery schools will now suddenly not have access to meals. He called on the community to help address the impending social crisis.

The Solidarity Schools Support Centre also announced that Wolkskool, its Cloud school, will make thousands of videos, exam papers and work sheets available free of charge until the end of June to support learners doing their schooling from home.

It was also announced that special steps are being planned to support artists.

Akademia announced that its classes continue on its online platform.

In a nutshell, the Solidarity Movement’s Covid-19 crisis plan is as follows:

1. Collaboration with government
   We have already reached out to government’s National Joint Disaster Management Centre. It is planned to collaborate at provincial and local level.
2. Solidarity’s Corona Crisis Centre to support employees
   Here employees can find all job-related questions and answers, information on the virus and general information. A special crisis line will be established.
3. AfriForum’s central community safety control centre
   Safety issues will be coordinated. Possible unrest will be dealt with. General strategic information will be received and processed.
4. Assistance with detection
   AfriForum Safety has already offered to assist the National Disaster Management Centre with detection efforts.
5. Economic activity
   Comprehensive plans to keep the economy functioning will be presented to the government. Solidarity will have talks with employers about the balance to be maintained between business and security.
6. Social support
   Solidarity Helping Hand will deploy 15 social workers countrywide to enable communities to overcome social challenges resulting from interventions to stop the virus, and to overcome illness due to the virus.
7. Support for learners and parents
   The Support Centre for Schools will make thousands of videos, work sheets, test papers and other assistance available on its Cloud School, free of charge, until 30 June to enable learners to continue their studies from home.
8. Information on the virus through e-learning and webinars
   Through its S-leer platform, Solidarity will present a series of e-learning courses to inform children and adults about Covid-19. Webinars will also be presented weekly.
9. Support for the Arts:                                           FAK (Federation of Afrikaans Cultural Associations), Maroela Media, the Solidarity Occupational Guild for the Arts and Dapper Media will roll out plans to protect artists. In the short term, efforts will be made to help alleviate immediate financial need, but in the medium and long term, we will look at electronic platforms and alternative forms of concerts.
10. National crisis committee and internal action
    The Solidarity Movement has established a national crisis committee that meets daily to adapt action plans in accordance with the latest information. The Movement also cancelled all international travels, and domestic travel is kept to a minimum. Drastic measures are in place to prevent staff members from contracting the virus.