media releases - Unisa first tertiary to respond to Red Cross' Haiti appeal

Unisa first tertiary institution to respond to Red Cross’s Haiti appeal

The University of South Africa today pledged to help the SA Red Cross with annual donations, not just on the occasion of an international tragedy, such as the tsunami and the Haiti earthquake.

In handing over a cheque for R200 000 to Ms Mandisa Kalako-Williams, Secretary General, South African Red Cross Society, Unisa’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor said, “I share with many South Africans an understanding that in the world we live in we are connected by something deeper and more important than the material world,” he said.

In responding, Ms Kalako-Williams of the SA Red Cross said Unisa was the first tertiary institution to respond to their appeal for assistance, and University of Cape Town had been the second.

She said from experience, the Red Cross had realized that money was more useful as they could buy what they needed to assist the people  immediately – medical care with mobile hospitals, medication, and  psycho-social support, for example trying to trace missing relatives. The reconstruction of Haiti would be material as well as emotional and would need millions of dollasr.

In the past people had donated clothes, which were left standing in harbours because there was no-one to offload and distribute as there were other more pressing needs, such as medical treatment, searching  for survivors, and providing food and shelter. The SA Red Cross had now handed over the first R1-m to the relief fund and needed to raise R30-million.

Prof Pityana said he would like to pledge that through staff at Unisa, the University would build a lasting relationship with the SA Red Cross and make an annual donation to the organization.  He hoped his successor would endorse this.

Ms Kalako-Williams said apart from the ravages of HIV/Aids with children being born only to die after a few days having being infected by the disease, climate change was affecting African countries.  Early frosts had destroyed crops and there would be far reaching consequences.  The Red Cross was always in need of funds to provide humanitarian relief.

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