Another week, another need met by a Common Change Group.
But this time it’s different!
Why? Because it was my ‘CONNECT’ Common Change group and because it was my need that I had shared.
Kayamandi is the name of an African township just outside Stellenbosch in Cape Town. It is also the township where, for eighteen months before I got married, I lived.
The recipient of this particular need is a friend of mine, Fezile. And by us meeting this need we will be helping him and some friends of his establish a group that helps keep youth off the streets in the K [as I like to call it] and doing something more productive with their lives.
They will be starting with cleaning equipment as they look to create an identity as a group and clean up some of the trash that tends to build up in some of the poorer parts of the township. Then they will be moving on to playing board games and creating space for soccer and a gymnasium. Their main focus, as mentioned, is providing an alternative for the youths of the township who might otherwise find themselves getting into trouble.
So when I think of why I like being a part of a Common Change group, this is always one of the reasons that comes up. The giving is connected to the recipient by one degree of separation. Somebody in the group ALWAYS knows the person who is receiving the benefit from the money at the end. So beyond simply throwing money at a need, we are empowering someone in the group [this time, me] to meet the need of a friend [Fezile] and to walk a journey with them. A journey of encouragement and accountability and cheering on.
Seeing needs being met is always an exciting and encouraging thing. But it is that little bit better when I know the person in mind and the community that this is going to impact.
This is as easy as grabbing a bunch of mates and saying to them, “Hey, let’s give this a try for six months.” What have you got to lose? Register today at www.commonchange.com.