Campaigns
Community HEART
What is Community HEART?
Community HEART (Health, Education and Reconstruction Training) is a charity supporting self-help projects in South Africa. It aims to redress the inequalities and damage caused by apartheid. The charity was founded by Denis Goldberg, who spent 22 years in jail before being released to live in exile in the UK. Community HEART and its partners in South Africa give priority to local health, education, and reconstruction training initiatives.
The Issues
Book and 10 pence campaign
Community HEART are asking you to donate a book plus 10 pence to pay for postage and shipping to South Africa. Books are in desperately short supply in South Africa, where English is the language of education. About 20,000 schools are struggling to educate 10 million pupils with no libraries and very few books.One million books have already been sent to South Africa - with the help of schools, youth organisations, local authorities, trades unions and individuals. These books are a vital resource for children who were denied a decent education during the apartheid years. Children in small country schools where there is no electricity and no running water, can now be seen enthusiastically using Community Heart 'libraries' - whether it's a bookshelf, a cupboard or a table holding a few hundred books.
Community support
Community HEART is also involved in a wide range of essential community projects including support for a mobile health clinic, a women's vegetable project to boost basic nutrition, literacy training, the purchase of a Science Laboratory Bus to tour rural schools and setting up a rape crisis centre.
What can I do?
Collect books in your branch
Community HEART are now working towards their new target of sending another million books to the children of South Africa. UNISON branches can help by collecting books - plus 10 pence per book to cover postage and shipping costs. Books can be fun as well as educational, but must be in a reasonable condition. The books go more than 6,000 miles by truck, ship and train, so they should be worth sending.Factual books and stories should be up-to-date, well illustrated, and accurate. Books should not be so culturally specific that they are inappropriate for South African children, and must not be racist or sexist. If your children have books they no longer need, why not start to raise funds in your branch or buy a new book and start a book collection?
Make a donation to Community HEART
If you're not able to collect books you can send a donation to Community HEART to be used in whichever one of their projects most needs your contribution.Why is it important to UNISON members?
UNISON, along with many other British trade unions, has a history of solidarity with South Africa's liberation movement. Now that apartheid has been defeated, there is still plenty to do in ridding the country of apartheid's damaging legacy.
The Book and 10 pence campaign gives UNISON members the chance to work with family, friends, community organisations and others outside of the union in a campaign with clear, practical results.
Community HEART is supported by trade unions such as UNISON, Public and Commercial Services and the Fire Brigade Union, by companies such as P&O Shipping and Pickfords, by scouts, guides and woodcraft folk, and by CND groups, churches and local authorities, amongst others.
CONTACT DETAILS
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