The refugee crisis is an ongoing crisis happening in Africa. It has left hundreds of thousands displaced, and in South Africa alone there is a population of 586,000 asylum seekers and refugees living in destitute conditions, barely surviving. Most of the people fleeing from their home are doing so to escape political instability and persecution, and yet, some are making the decision to return home because of the unlivable conditions. Refugee struggles are real with an ongoing poverty cycle that spills over to future generations. The majority of the asylum-seekers are from Zimbabwe, the DRC, Somalia, Ethiopia and Burundi.
On average, 60,000 asylum applications are made in South Africa per year. With many asylum seekers only given temporary statuses or applications are placed on hold and families are not provided with documentation. Making it extremely hard for them to find jobs, and for kids to go to school and integrate into a normal life.
In 2020 many refugees were held up in the center of Cape Town but then relocated to camps as the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the country. One of these camps was Wingfield Refugee Camp, located in Kensington, one of the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Wingfield housed over 800 people including approximately 60% children ages 2-18 lacking basic necessities from baby formula, nappies, toiletries, and sanitary pads.
Young girls do not attend school during certain times of the month, or children feel ashamed to attend school as they cannot brush their teeth, or wash their bodies with soap. And mothers struggle to care for their babies without the basic needs required to do so.
In our effort to support the 300+ children, D.R.O.P.S. collaborated with its local volunteers located in Cape Town. On Sunday 28 March 2021, a group of 10 volunteers visited the Wingfield camp to distribute basic need packages to all the children, and to share tips on essential hygiene topics including the use of sanitary cups, and reusable nappies.
Thank you all for your contribution!
Every DROP counts!
In 2020 many refugees were located in camps as the Covid-19 pandemic gripped the country. Wingfield Refugee Camp housed over 800 people including approximately 60% children, lacking basic necessities. D.R.O.P.S. distributed basic need packages and shared tips on essential hygiene topics.
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