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.
Board member Pat September says: “The situation is dire, we are in great need of donor funding. 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 from all over the Western Cape. It currently houses 12 women and 13 children. The home receives R70 per day for adult women from the provincial Department of Social Development and R17 per day per child.
Children’s programme coordinator, Martin Gumpo, says the maintenance of the facility in Balfour Street was also a challenge, as the building was old.
Martin says: “Right now our geyser is broken, so I have to lodge a complaint with the insurance. While that is happening, the water is gushing out.”
The provincial Department of Social Development said its budgeting process for 2024-25 has not yet concluded.
However, it noted the R1.1 billion provincial budget shortfall as a result of reduced national budget allocations to provinces.
The department says: “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.”