A year in review
The first thing that came to my mind when asked to take the past financial year in review, is the fact that Abraham Kriel Bambanani was able to continue living its calling to protect, care for and develop children and young people in need of care. It is truly a privilege to have been able to serve, despite challenges and uncertainties.
Yes, the financial year 2023/24 was characterised by an ongoing tug of war between non-profit organisations (NPOs) providing services to the neediest in our society, and the Department of Social Development in respect of the funding of welfare service in the Gauteng Province, and yes, that battle is still raging on. In essence, the Department of Social Development adopted and initiated the execution of a policy whereby it is reducing its financial contribution to NPOs with the intention to be less dependent on services provided by the NPO sector. The NPO sector is convinced that this policy is motivated by political ambitions towards total control and power over financial resources in the Gauteng Province.
In its quest to improve the sustainability of Abraham Kriel Bambanani, the organisation is continuously working on the diversification of its income streams to be less dependent on the Department of Social Development, which is funding roughly thirty percent of our income. An important element of our diversified income streams is income generated by providing accommodation to university students. The funding for student accommodation is administered by universities and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). Sadly, the past three years have seen significant instability in the allocation and distribution of this funding, impacting severely on the revenue of Abraham Kriel Bambanani.
The challenges mentioned above harmed Abraham Kriel Bambanani financially, to the extent that we had to restructure and reduce some of our community services to children living in the communities of Westbury and Soweto. Although this was a sad and difficult process, it was necessary to ensure the sustainability of our organisation, enabling us to continue with services, albeit to fewer beneficiaries.
In all of this, we are immensely grateful for the continued support of our donors, who in some cases increased their contributions, enabling us to continue our service. While state-run institutions let us down in the past year, the donor community conscientiously stepped up. We salute you!
We tackle the new financial year with new hope, encouraged by the knowledge that God has been providing in the needs of our organisation through willing people and institutions for almost 122 years. In Him we trust!
‘N jaar in oorsig
Die eerste ding wat by my opgekom het toe ek gevra is om die afgelope boekjaar in oënskou te neem, is die feit dat Abraham Kriel Bambanani sy roeping kon uitleef om kinders en jongmense wat sorg nodig het te beskerm, te versorg en te ontwikkel. Dit is werklik ‘n voorreg om te kan dien, ten spyte van uitdagings en onsekerhede.
Ja, die finansiële jaar 2023/24 is gekenmerk deur ‘n voortdurende toutrekkery tussen nie-winsgewende organisasies (NWO’s) wat dienste verskaf aan die behoeftigstes in ons samelewing en die Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling in Gauteng. En ja, daardie stryd woed steeds voort. In wese het die Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling ‘n beleid aanvaar en geïnisieer waardeur hy sy finansiële bydrae tot NWO’s verminder met die doel om minder afhanklik te wees van dienste wat deur die NWO-sektor verskaf word. Die NWO-sektor is oortuig dat hierdie beleid gemotiveer word deur politieke ambisies na totale beheer en mag oor finansiële hulpbronne in die Gauteng Provinsie.
In sy strewe om die volhoubaarheid van Abraham Kriel Bambanani te verbeter, werk die organisasie voortdurend aan die diversifikasie van die inkomstestrome om minder afhanklik te wees van die Departement van Maatskaplike Ontwikkeling, wat ongeveer dertig persent van ons inkomste finansier. ’n Belangrike element van ons gediversifiseerde inkomstestrome is inkomste wat gegenereer word deur akkommodasie aan universiteitstudente te verskaf. Die befondsing vir studenteverblyf word deur universiteite en die Nasionale Finansiële Hulpskema vir Studente (NSFAS) geadministreer. Ongelukkig het die afgelope drie jaar aansienlike onstabiliteit in die toekenning en verspreiding van hierdie befondsing gesien, wat ‘n ernstige impak op die inkomste van Abraham Kriel Bambanani gehad het.
In dit alles is ons baie dankbaar vir die volgehoue ondersteuning van ons donateurs. In sommige gevalle het donateurs hul bydraes verhoog, wat ons in staat stel om ons diens voort te sit. Terwyl staatsbeheerde instellings ons die afgelope jaar in die steek gelaat het, het die donateursgemeenskap pligsgetrou opgeskerp. Ons salueer jou!
Ons pak die nuwe finansiële jaar met nuwe hoop aan, en met die wete dat God al vir byna 122 jaar deur gewillige mense en instansies in die behoeftes van ons organisasie en begunstigdes voorsien. Op Hom vertrou ons!