The e8 Revolution, an initiative which facilitates collaboration between NGOs, donors and recipients, has established a tech-driven feeding scheme to combat hunger in SA.
Using the ADDaBIT fintech platform has enabled e8 to completely cut out the logistical nightmare of getting food into the hands of South Africans who are unable to make a living as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of its mandate, e8 is creating distribution channels for the delivery of food parcels, food vouchers, and other essentials to the people who need them most. The initiative is working with funders, local ambassadors and charities, and enables a donor to follow payment of a donation to the recipient.
The programme has been piloted with much success in Diepsloot, Kaya Sands and Fourways in Johannesburg, in Cape Town, PE and KZN.
Kirsten Langkilde from e8 says there are millions of people starving in SA, and there are people out there who want to help but have been put off by ineffectual delivery of food parcels as well as fear of travelling outside of their homes to deliver food into the communities that need it.
“Trust is also a concern of whether the donations are going to the beneficiaries correctly.”
According to her, the beauty of the programme is that it is all driven and managed by technology, which gives it a digital footprint for transparency while taking out the logistical challenges. “Anyone can make a contribution via EFT, online card payment or cash deposit and follow the fund to see all contributions and redemptions made for beneficiaries.”
The digital platform encourages crowdfunding on the ADDaBIT platform from corporates and individuals who would like to make a contribution to help the people in need – either for a food voucher or a set grocery basket filled with essentials.
How to donate
The process is simple. A stipulated value is loaded as a food voucher and a customised notification from the funder is sent via an SMS to recipients. They can choose items of their choice to spend the money on for their family’s needs. Only basic identification is required, such as an ID, passport and/or a selfie loaded onto the system, no one is refused. All beneficiaries are identified through the initiative’s partners, NGO’s, donors, funders, charities and suchlike. Once redeemed, the money is automatically transferred to Checkers, Shoprite or Pick 'n Pay, or participating spaza shop.
The ADDaBIT platform is also being used to distribute food parcels to beneficiaries.
This process completely strips away the bureaucracy usually associated with charitable acts by removing fat cat middlemen.
Kirsten Langkilde
Once identified as a recipient and on receiving their SMS code, an individual can go and fetch their parcel at the allotted collection point in their area. Many of these collection points are spaza shops, which are then paid for their service of holding stock on behalf of the organisation. In short, the spaza shop acts as a distribution point upon seeing proof of the voucher. No longer do food voucher or food parcel recipients have to travel to the city only to be disappointed as the stock has run out, nor does the initiative entail labour to assemble set food parcels.
The success of e8 Revolution is underpinned by the ambassador programme with ADDaBIT, which enables giving people purchasing power within their local communities.
“Our ambassadors are our lifeblood,” says Langkilde. “They are our window into the communities, and they are the sole reason that this system is so effective. Not only are we feeding our ambassadors, but they are creating revenue-generating opportunities within the community for themselves and spaza shops. They are often the link between the NGOs we work with and the people on the street. This process completely strips away the bureaucracy usually associated with charitable acts by removing fat cat middlemen.”
To find out more about e8 and how to get involved with helping those in need from your home, visit https://www.e8revolution.africa/ or contact Kirsten Langkilde on 082 822 4060 or Ira Halpern on 083 226 8221, or e-mail connect@e8revolution.africa.
Share