NPOS WELCOME SLA SIGNING WITH GDSD

By Tendamudzimu Goza and Lawrence Mashabela

• The signing of Service Level Agreements (SLA) with caregivers to Persons with Disabilities marks headway for the sector.

• “After almost two years of uncertainty and fighting, we’re ready to hit the ground running.” Bernice Michalec 

• “We rely largely on funding from GDSD. Without it, we struggle to survive and to deliver the quality of services our beneficiaries expect” Delisa Twala 

The signing of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) and residential care facilities providing services to Persons with Disabilities marked a significant moment for the sector. During the signing process, the Weekly Bulletin visited the Johannesburg regional office to hear what this milestone means for some of the NPOs and the communities they serve.

Bernice Michalec – Centre Manager, Avalon Association

“We are extremely delighted that the difficult times are now behind us. We’re looking forward to providing much-needed services to the most vulnerable people in our communities without delay. As an organisation, we are excited to have signed the SLAs today because we heavily depend on this subsidy. After almost two years of uncertainty and fighting, we’re ready to hit the ground running. It’s wonderful that this process is now concluded; it means we’ll have funds to operate our programmes this year.”

Mary Owen – General Manager, Novalis House

“We’ve been waiting for this moment, and it’s finally happening. We appreciate everything the Department is doing for us. The hurdle is over, and now we can fully focus on helping those in need. The past few months have been stressful as we rely heavily on Social Development funding to deliver quality services. We’ve been funded since 2011, and that support has allowed us to meet the needs of our beneficiaries. Without it, we couldn’t serve people with special needs. So yes, we’re truly happy and relieved.”

Delisa Twala – Chairperson, Tokologo Self-Help Centre

“As an NPO, we rely largely on funding from GDSD. Without it, we struggle to survive and to deliver the quality of services our beneficiaries expect. The funding will allow us to serve our clients better now that we’ve signed. We are truly grateful for the Department’s support and hope it continues for the benefit of our disabled clients, who really need these services.”

Oscar Heynes – Treasurer, The Hamlet Foundation

“The funding we receive goes directly toward providing basic needs such as food and medication and running our programmes for 125 clients. The foundation does important work, and I’m glad we are receiving this support so we can continue caring for our clients. Without this financial assistance, sustaining our services would be very difficult. We truly appreciate the support from the Department.”