JULIE LEIBOWITZ
The group of about 20 King Davidians aged 16 to 17 is raising funds for charity by holding Zoom webinars that appeal to different interests, thus allowing participants to give and receive in turn.
Name Y-MAD (Youth Making a Difference), they are organising at least 12 webinars on topics ranging from exercise classes, yoga, to boxing, art, cooking, a challah bake – even a Fortnite tournament for those obsessed with the game. Entrance fees range from R50 to R100 per event, but participants can donate more if they want to. Events are advertised on Facebook, Instagram and conventional media, with sign up via Google, and payment on the BackaBuddy platform.
The funds raised go to support the non-profit Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation (NCCF), which supports 75 charities including orphanages, day care centres, squatter camps, an informal settlement, and child-protection centres.
The NCCF’s most critical issue is how to feed children on lockdown who can no longer access school feeding schemes. The need for assistance has also increased as a result of the general rise in joblessness.
“The demand for food way exceeds our monthly budget,” says Helen Fraser, NCCF operations director. This is a huge statement from an organisation that conducts large charity drives supplying goods as various as groceries, cleaning materials, toiletries, school supplies, and housing infrastructure. It needs funds urgently – and fresh ideas.
“Helen approached me [Copans has been volunteering for the organisation for the past year] to come up with a fundraising concept. She wanted to tap my ‘youthful brain’ for something different,” says Jade Copans, in Grade 11 at KDHSL, and the spokesperson and organiser of the group. “We wanted to find a way for people to give and to receive.”
“Jade and her team are beyond incredible,” Fraser says of the King David group. “They are innovative, and want to help. They have visited the organisations we support. We contacted her to do something different. When they mentioned they might need help contacting celebrities, within two seconds, we had [boxer] Brian Mitchell on board [Mitchell will be conducting one of the webinars].”
The group is aiming to raise at least R20 000 from the initiative. It has already raised R14 000 from individual donors. The first webinar, on Tuesday night, is a “bar class” (a cardiovascular workout session) and already has 20 participants signed up.
“We’re excited about it,” says Copans. They are appealing across the spectrum to youngsters and adults, and are tapping participants for suggestions. They are also tapping their vast parent and friend network to find experts who can convene sessions. To date, nobody has turned them down.
Copans is no stranger to welfare. As well as volunteering for the NCCF, she is involved in the school’s outreach committee. She knows reaching decisions isn’t easy, but encourages the participants to work together (on WhatsApp) to find common ground by understanding that it’s for a greater cause.
“Even though you can’t go out and do it yourself, there are ways to have a positive impact on people’s lives from home,” she says of the group of teenage philanthropists – and as a message to teenagers in general.
