Autism SA battles for funds
AUTISM South Africa has funds to last them for only two months. It is one of the many NGOs that have been left in the lurch by the National Lotteries Board.
HIGH DEMAND: Lottery chair Alfred Nevhuthanda
FIGHTER: Jill Stacey
- Orphans left in lurch
- 'Please force Lotto to honour R20m grant'
- Charities lose R58m because of Lotto infighting
- 'Family stealing my Lotto winnings'
- DA: charities losing lotto funding to ANC
- March over lotto funds
- Lotto winner donates R1m to charity
- Outrage over lotto R40m gift
- Damning report on Lotto funds
- Soweto disabled NGO seeks lifeline
- Charities hope for lotto funds
- Lotto pays for Cosatu bash
- A-G to probe Lotto donation to Cosatu
- Brother and sister row over R7,5million lotto windfall
- Fraudsters cash in on Lotto
- Lotto's Nkosi to star in the wild
Last week hundreds of protesters gathered outside the National Lotteries Board (NLB) offices in Pretoria, claiming irregularities and demanding transparency.
NLB chairman Alfred Nevhuthanda said there had been an unprecedented demand for funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund because of harsh economicconditions.
He said since the inception of the national Lottery in 2000, a total of R153.3-billion had been allocated to more than 15000 beneficiaries across South Africa.
Autism SA needs about R90000 a month to stay afloat.
"We've always got the bulk of our donations from National Lottery. I am very disappointed in the new board. We need money for salaries and outreach programmes," Autism SA national director Jill Stacey said.
"There are about 400 special schools in the country and not enough teachers. They are reluctant to take our children because they are such hard work, so we also train teachers. With no funding, none of that is possible."
Autism is a genetic condition that results in abnormal brain development.
"People are not aware of autism, especially in the rural areas - they think it is a punishment from the ancestors. They also think that people with epilepsy and autism are possessed," Stacey said.
It is due to these reasons that parents need support from organisations such as Autism SA; and with no funding, Stacey fears that parents will not be able to get the much needed help.
"We have to come up with ways to make money. We've approached some organisations but there aren' t any responses yet. We are now going to have a poker evening and a jumble sale to raise funds," she said.
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Invasion of black culture, at some stage, it was belived that all ailment could be seen in either computers or scanners. Now they claim they cannot see this ailment on scanners. Invation of boloi.Report Abuse
Papage
I just can't understand people who accuse Lotto for small contributions, that money belong to us(Players), it does not belong to some Charity organisation, I play Lotto to win millions and now I understand why I dont win like before, someone is fidling with the balls so that many of us lose and they keep the money for Charities. What did Charities do before there was Lotto, they must continue doing that and not to rely on Lotto, what if we all win and the is nothing to distribute?Report Abuse