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Amy Foundation defends its plans to lay off staff in Cape Flats

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The Amy Foundation has defended its plans to lay off staff and cut back on some services on the Cape Flats. The organisation says it’s facing financial difficulties after many sponsors withdrew their support.

It currently helps about 2 000 youngsters daily in vulnerable communities.

Established in 1997, the Amy Foundation has been working with children and youth on the Cape Flats in various capacities.

Some of its services include nurturing, skills development and supporting youth cultural activities.

The foundation’s management says financial strain over the past eight months has forced the organisation to cut back some of its services.

Workers have called for an audit of its books.

They picketed at Cape Town International Airport against the managing director, accusing the foundation’s managing director Kevin Chaplin of planning to leave the country.

Elvis Sibeko an employee representative says: “We want Kevin to stop corruption. He’s been using a black child’s face going around the world, fundraising money and saying he’s going to feed the kids in Khayelitsha in Phillipi in Gugulethu, but those kids, he is feeding them jam, peanut butter, oros and fusion.”

Chaplin says the Foundation respects the right of workers to protest legally.

Kevin Chaplin Managing Director says: “Several unfound allegations were made against the foundation and me. It’s very unfortunate that my integrity is being questioned. We are committed to good governance, ethical management, as evidenced by clean independent audits over the years. We’re a very transparent credible organisation. The overall strategy that’s been implemented along with all the decisions that I’ve made have always been pre-approved by a very credible board of trustees and our management team.”

The Amy Foundation was formally named after US student, Amy Biehl, who was murdered in Gugulethu in 1993.

Meanwhile, another NGO, Catholic Welfare and Development is also reportedly planning to retrench workers.

 

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