Unisa online
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UNISA community donates masses of goods to xenophobic attack vic
Clothes and blankets that have been donated |
UNISA’s Departments of Geography and Political Sciences are indeed striving towards practically applying our vision "the African university in the service of humanity”, by pulling together and donating masses of goods to the victims of the recent xenophobic attacks.
Department of Geography Head Melanie Nicolau says “the newspaper, radio and television reports as well as the visuals of people in need prompted me to suggest to the Department of Geography and Political Sciences that this would a worthy outreach and could coincide with the Africa Celebrations this week”. “The two disciplines involved immediately took on the opportunity to practically apply the UNISA vision "the African university in the service of humanity," she adds.
She says that the Departments of Geography and Political Sciences are involved in the organisation of the outreach. The Department of Geography is responsible for receiving the donations and the transportation of the goods to the various places of need.
Nicolau says that the delivering of donations to the Red Cross in Pretoria North will have begun on Thursday 29 May 2008 to the Acacia area. “We wanted to donate to organisations involved in the Pretoria area. The Red Cross seems to be the most pro-active, and thus the reason for contacting them,” she says. “This is, however, not the only organisation we will approach and donate goods too. We have also made contact with a variety of refugee organisations in the Pretoria North area, and will probably deliver to a variety of shelters and camps over the next ten days,” she says. |
Donated goods
So far they have received a wide variety of donations:
Food: mielie meal, rice, samp, tinned foods, coffee, tea, sugar, creamer, biscuits
Baby food: milk formula, porridge and purity products
Hygiene products: received deodorant, a variety of soaps and cleaning products
Baby clothing: 500 disposable nappies, baby powder, a huge box full of baby bottles and dummies, and a huge variety of baby clothing and shoes
Box of toys (growing by the day)
Piles of blankets, clothing for children and adults (are also growing at a rapid rate)
Nicolau says that “over the last few days, the Department of Geography has had the opportunity to realise that the UNISA community truly does has a heart of gold. We would also like to thank the UNISA community for the estimated R8 000 of goods that we have collected in a total of three days”.
She says that they will be actively collecting goods until 6 June 2008. “There will be collection boxes outside the World Environment Day Event (5 June 2008). We will, however, continue receiving donations for as long as the UNISA community is willing to donate (Department of Geography, TvW 9-128 X6013/6031). We will continue to actively campaign for donations should the situation requires it after the 6 June.”
Food and baby bottles have also been donated
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