By Louise and the Dream Team | Director
This last week we organized a visit from CORMSA (Consortium for Refugees and Migrants, South Africa). We have a high number of foreign nationals in our area who have escaped from war torn Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Congo and beyond. These people, some of whom escaped with only their lives from the land of their birth and have settled in South Africa, had children and grandchildren and who for all intents and purposes are South African, however they do not have the correct documentation to live full lives in this nation.
They live a shadow existence, until only recently due to the Children’s Act and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, has the nation become more sensitive towards the shadow dwellers.
KTD196 organized CORMSA with partners such as Lawyers for Human Rights, and Foundation for Human Rights to workshop with the parents of our Scouts, and SHG ladies. A number of the ladies and their families who are considered “Stateless”. In international law, a stateless person is someone who is "not considered as a national by any state under the operation of its law". Some stateless people are also refugees. However, not all refugees are stateless.
Imagine, you are brought by your parent, who is fleeing a war in another country, they do not have identity documents, they cross the border through Kruger National Park, where lions and all sorts of predators are waiting for them. They make it through, you live in South Africa, assimilate in South Africa, you learn the language, the culture, you have children of your own. Your parent passes away and you have no or minimal verbal history of where you are from and who your family is back in the land of your birth. Now, you have grandchildren, and no documentation to say who you are or where you are from.
Some of the people we are trying to help have lived in this country for 50yrs. By coming out of the shadows, they will be able to access a proper job, not small day to day jobs such as fruit picking or working in the rural areas for their neighbours but rather, go to university, access government or private employment which offer pension, medical aid etc. No longer live hand to mouth, but to live a life in the sun.
We had over 100 people attend, which is phenomenal because it is always scary to come to a venue where it could be trick by Home Affairs to deport you. Or it could be a scam. Now that we have held one of these workshops, we will be able to hold it annually to assist more people as the grapevine spreads the news.
The people left with such hope, it was wonderful. Your support enables us to do these “Add On” non-budgeted events for the people. We are able to identify the needs, and respond effectively. Plus, because of SHG, the ladies will have money to arrange a taxi, go to the relevant Embassy in Pretoria, pay for the processing of their documents and for the first time actually get Identity Documents whereby they will be able start the visa or citizenship process.
Thank you so much for all you do for the people of Greater Tzaneen.
Blessings
Louise
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By Louise and the Dream Team | Director
By Louise and the Dream Team | Director
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