The South African Red Cross Society launches a new resource mobilisation campaign focusing on long term sustainability

The South African Red Cross Society (SARCS) launched the world’s first digital humanity chain today in Cape Town. This new digital humanity chain campaign is going live today via the www.humanitychain.org website and the 40779 SMS line.

Aimed to alleviate human suffering in South Africa and beyond, the campaign brings a new twist to the impact and effects of a global community in the humanitarian/development sector with regards to donor relations and donor intermediaries. It brings to the fore the issue of sustainable development in the true sense of the word. It uses social networks and viral marketing as new mediums in resource mobilisation and getting the balance of all the elements at play in viral marketing right, is key to the success of such a campaign.

More than 80 per cent of the funds raised from this campaign will go directly to community level programming, which includes improving the capacity of the South African Red Cross Society to further develop programmes that directly respond to the needs of affected communities such as sustainable disaster preparedness initiatives and the establishment of community based disaster response mechanisms as the effects of climate change are becoming an evident reality everyday.

“Despite the fact that donor communities and donor intermediaries have been talking about and thriving for self sustaining approaches to development work since the turn of the 21st century, many NGOs /CBOs and CSOs are currently fighting for survival as they mostly look to foreign aid for the sustenance of their work and interventions at community level. This begs the question whether there has been meaningful and concentrated effort in making sustainable development a reality for the beneficiary communities or not really,” says Pumi Yeni, National Resource Mobilisation & External Relations Coordinator at SARCS.

“Our objective is to fight this trend by significantly scaling up South African citizens’ duty and responsibility to giving back to society through the support of humanitarian organizations by volunteering and donations. Let us begin by giving to our fellow South Africans in need through donations to humanitarian organization. Remember – Humanity begins at home!” adds Yeni.

To increase their efficiency, long-term resource mobilization strategies will be integrated with existing first aid and home based care training programmes for revenue, targeted at government departments (health, education, transport and social services) and the corporate sector. Vodacom, Fireworx and Student Village are already working in partnership with the South African Red Cross Society to make this campaign a success.

For further information or to set up interviews, please contact:

SARCS Resource Mobilisation & External Relations:
Pumi Yeni
Tel: + 27 21-532 0202
+27 82 450 3992
+27 79 887 0436
SARCS Communications Officer
Thami Mthembu
tel: +27 21-532 0202