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Unisa is the first tertiary institution to respond to the Red Cross’s Haiti appeal
The University of South Africa pledged on Monday 12 March 2010 to help the South African 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 000,00 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."
In responding, Ms Kalako-Williams said that Unisa was the first tertiary institution to respond to their appeal for assistance. The University of Cape Town was second.
She said that the Red Cross had realised 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 people trying to trace missing relatives. The reconstruction of Haiti would be material and emotional, and would need millions of dollars.
In the past, people donated clothes, much of which was left standing in harbours because there was no-one to offload and distribute the clothing, as there were other more pressing needs, such as medical treatment, searching for survivors, and providing food and shelter. The SA Red Cross has now handed over the first R1-m to the relief fund but need 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 organisation. 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. | 
