Trade plus Aid
Country: Lebanon, South Africa, India, Ghana, United Arab Emirates
Category: Children, Conservation & Protecting Biodiversity, Health, Poverty Alleviation
Total Raised: $168,712
How have we helped?
21st Century Leaders first started to fund Trade plus Aid programmes in South Africa in 2005. Between 2005-2009 and 2020-2023, the Trade plus Aid Nutritional Outreach Programme received $134,429 for the projects detailed below.
About Trade plus Aid Nutritional Outreach Programmes
Trade plus Aid managed its Nutritional Outreach Programme, which served 5 communities in the Johannesburg area. Over 650,000 meals and food parcels were delivered each year to the following:
Trauma Unit South African Police Station in Cleveland
Trade plus Aid supplied the Trauma Unit which is the police's own outreach programme. Food was collected from the Trade plus Aid workshop on a Friday morning and broken down into packets. These packets were distributed to the elderly and infirm in the area, as well as numerous child-run households. Trade plus Aid was one of the few donors to this programme and the people who run it do so on a voluntary basis.
Impelo - Place of Safety Orange Grove
Trade plus Aid provided maize meal for abandoned babies and often worked with the local police station and the Child Protection Unit to ensure that a safe place would be found for each deserted child.
The Central Methodist Church JHB
Trade plus Aid donated all the maize and soya needed by the Central Methodist Church, whose volunteers would go out onto the streets of Central Johannesburg twice a week to feed the hungry. They supplied 1,200 meals a night. Those in need are mainly 'illegal' immigrants, who have come to South Africa from its northern borders. Many of these people are not eligible for refugee status and therefore cannot benefit from the state 'system'.
Twilight Children in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa
Between December 2009-March 2010, the W Hotel Doha and Doha Marriott hosted Whatever It Takes sales and events to raise funds for several Trade plus Aid South Africa programmes — assistance for the Twilight Children’s Shelter, Denver Informal Settlement, Life Assistance Hampers for Grannies and the Denver Hospice.
This project was established in 1983 and provides support to boys aged 8–18 years who are living on the streets and other public places without adequate or apparent adult or family support. The counsellors at Twilight determine the boy’s family circumstances and try to encourage him to return to the care of family or guardian. In cases where boys are unable or unwilling to return home Twilight cares for boys’ physical, emotional, educational, health and developmental needs while giving him refuge from the streets in their shelter. For the older boys, Twilight Children provides vocational counselling and guidance as well as suitable training in basic life skills as well as assistance in finding secure employment and assistance in setting them up in alternative accommodation where they can become independent, productive citizens, in the community.
Funds raised from the sale of Whatever It Takes products have helped the Twilight Children develop an in house bakery programme to: teach the older boys a new skill; eliminate the monthly cost of purchasing bread for the centre (approximately 3000 USD/month); and create an additional income generating channel for the centre by selling the loaves and sweets to community stores. The Whatever It Takes sales also permitted Trade plus Aid South Africa to purchase food that created over 40,000 meals for the boys and homeless community in Hillbrow that depend on the centre's assistance.
The boys' bake shop became self-sustaining as they could now sell sliced bread and treats to the community. With the funds raised through Whatever It Takes sales in Doha they were able to purchase a bread slicer, uniforms, flour and meal.
Cleveland/Denver Informal Settlement
With the assistance and coordination of the traditional leadership within the Informal Settlement, it is ensured that the correct protocol is followed for distributing food stuffs to the reliable channels with minimal waste.
Funds raised through the Whatever It Takes sales allowed Trade plus Aid South Africa to purchase life assistance hampers for lost generation families in the Cleveland/ Denver Informal Settlement in the Johannesburg region of South Africa. These families are headed by 50-80 year old grandmothers who are raising and providing for four or more children between the ages of 4-18 as the parents have passed away or are no longer capable of caring for their children. The life assistance hampers provide each family with two months of food, basic hygiene products and toiletries.
Click here to view photographs of when 21st Century Leaders consultant Yana Fleming visited Twilight Children and several other Trade plus Aid programmes in South Africa.
Helping Ghanaian Schools
Trade plus Aid paid flights for Lisa Evans and her husband Nicholas to return to Accra in Ghana, where Lisa was a former Trade plus Aid employee. During this trip Lisa and Nicholas fundraised to help local Ghanaian schools, donating basic supplies such as pens, footballs and pumps. Donations Lisa collected also helped fund a street children’s project in Accra.
Fundraising for urgent medication required in Lebanon
Trade plus Aid assisted with a small donation and supply of medication to needy individuals in Lebanon during a time of crisis, specifically the port explosion disaster in Beirut.
Charlotte di Vita ran an extensive fundraiser on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, rallying the local Lebanese network. Once the funds had been raised, both by Trade plus Aid and the Lebanese local network for the medicines, Trade plus Aid divided these among the island’s neighbours who were repatriating and/or visiting family in Lebanon, as this was the best way of ensuring that medical supplies reached the beneficiaries cost effectively.
Financial and recruitment support for a needy individual and head of household in India
When an individual working with Trade plus Aid’s sponsors suddenly lost his job and had tremendous difficulty securing another one in the UAE, due to his older age, he was forced to return with his family to India. The family hit difficulties, exasperated by Covid-19. The family struggled to pay rent and food and were about to be made homeless.
Trade plus Aid stepped in and created a longer-term solution, sourcing a recruitment agency who found him a job in Poland. Trade plus Aid paid for his flight, visa, and outstanding family rental. The organisation also rallied the Indian community on Saadiyat Island to help pay for other costs.
Saadiyat Island’s Stray Cats
With no alternative support services available on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, donations from Trade plus Aid funds the care of wild Mau cats.
Trade plus Aid pays vet medical bills to neuter (TRN ‐ Trap, Neuter, Return), so that they are accepted by the local community and so that the colony remains stable. We also pay for vaccinations, vitamins, supply and dispense medicines, as instructed by Canadian Vet. We supply flea collars, feeding stations, organise regular health check ups and shelters.
Tree Planting Programme, Saadiyat Island
In January 2017, 2020, and 2022, there were significant storms on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. These storms uprooted 90% of the trees on the seaward facing road, in the areas where there weren’t hotels built to break the north wind coming in directly from the sea.
21st Century Leaders’ Founder donated funds for the replanting initiative in this area of the island, decreed as a Marine Reserve and Wildlife Corridor.
How have we helped?
21st Century Leaders first started to fund Trade plus Aid programmes in South Africa in 2005. Between 2005-2009 and 2020-2023, the Trade plus Aid Nutritional Outreach Programme received $134,429 for the projects detailed below.
About Trade plus Aid Nutritional Outreach Programmes
Trade plus Aid managed its Nutritional Outreach Programme, which served 5 communities in the Johannesburg area. Over 650,000 meals and food parcels were delivered each year to the following:
Trauma Unit South African Police Station in Cleveland
Trade plus Aid supplied the Trauma Unit which is the police's own outreach programme. Food was collected from the Trade plus Aid workshop on a Friday morning and broken down into packets. These packets were distributed to the elderly and infirm in the area, as well as numerous child-run households. Trade plus Aid was one of the few donors to this programme and the people who run it do so on a voluntary basis.
Impelo - Place of Safety Orange Grove
Trade plus Aid provided maize meal for abandoned babies and often worked with the local police station and the Child Protection Unit to ensure that a safe place would be found for each deserted child.
The Central Methodist Church JHB
Trade plus Aid donated all the maize and soya needed by the Central Methodist Church, whose volunteers would go out onto the streets of Central Johannesburg twice a week to feed the hungry. They supplied 1,200 meals a night. Those in need are mainly 'illegal' immigrants, who have come to South Africa from its northern borders. Many of these people are not eligible for refugee status and therefore cannot benefit from the state 'system'.
Twilight Children in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa
Between December 2009-March 2010, the W Hotel Doha and Doha Marriott hosted Whatever It Takes sales and events to raise funds for several Trade plus Aid South Africa programmes — assistance for the Twilight Children’s Shelter, Denver Informal Settlement, Life Assistance Hampers for Grannies and the Denver Hospice.
This project was established in 1983 and provides support to boys aged 8–18 years who are living on the streets and other public places without adequate or apparent adult or family support. The counsellors at Twilight determine the boy’s family circumstances and try to encourage him to return to the care of family or guardian. In cases where boys are unable or unwilling to return home Twilight cares for boys’ physical, emotional, educational, health and developmental needs while giving him refuge from the streets in their shelter. For the older boys, Twilight Children provides vocational counselling and guidance as well as suitable training in basic life skills as well as assistance in finding secure employment and assistance in setting them up in alternative accommodation where they can become independent, productive citizens, in the community.
Funds raised from the sale of Whatever It Takes products have helped the Twilight Children develop an in house bakery programme to: teach the older boys a new skill; eliminate the monthly cost of purchasing bread for the centre (approximately 3000 USD/month); and create an additional income generating channel for the centre by selling the loaves and sweets to community stores. The Whatever It Takes sales also permitted Trade plus Aid South Africa to purchase food that created over 40,000 meals for the boys and homeless community in Hillbrow that depend on the centre's assistance.
The boys' bake shop became self-sustaining as they could now sell sliced bread and treats to the community. With the funds raised through Whatever It Takes sales in Doha they were able to purchase a bread slicer, uniforms, flour and meal.
Cleveland/Denver Informal Settlement
With the assistance and coordination of the traditional leadership within the Informal Settlement, it is ensured that the correct protocol is followed for distributing food stuffs to the reliable channels with minimal waste.
Funds raised through the Whatever It Takes sales allowed Trade plus Aid South Africa to purchase life assistance hampers for lost generation families in the Cleveland/ Denver Informal Settlement in the Johannesburg region of South Africa. These families are headed by 50-80 year old grandmothers who are raising and providing for four or more children between the ages of 4-18 as the parents have passed away or are no longer capable of caring for their children. The life assistance hampers provide each family with two months of food, basic hygiene products and toiletries.
Click here to view photographs of when 21st Century Leaders consultant Yana Fleming visited Twilight Children and several other Trade plus Aid programmes in South Africa.
Helping Ghanaian Schools
Trade plus Aid paid flights for Lisa Evans and her husband Nicholas to return to Accra in Ghana, where Lisa was a former Trade plus Aid employee. During this trip Lisa and Nicholas fundraised to help local Ghanaian schools, donating basic supplies such as pens, footballs and pumps. Donations Lisa collected also helped fund a street children’s project in Accra.
Fundraising for urgent medication required in Lebanon
Trade plus Aid assisted with a small donation and supply of medication to needy individuals in Lebanon during a time of crisis, specifically the port explosion disaster in Beirut.
Charlotte di Vita ran an extensive fundraiser on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, rallying the local Lebanese network. Once the funds had been raised, both by Trade plus Aid and the Lebanese local network for the medicines, Trade plus Aid divided these among the island’s neighbours who were repatriating and/or visiting family in Lebanon, as this was the best way of ensuring that medical supplies reached the beneficiaries cost effectively.
Financial and recruitment support for a needy individual and head of household in India
When an individual working with Trade plus Aid’s sponsors suddenly lost his job and had tremendous difficulty securing another one in the UAE, due to his older age, he was forced to return with his family to India. The family hit difficulties, exasperated by Covid-19. The family struggled to pay rent and food and were about to be made homeless.
Trade plus Aid stepped in and created a longer-term solution, sourcing a recruitment agency who found him a job in Poland. Trade plus Aid paid for his flight, visa, and outstanding family rental. The organisation also rallied the Indian community on Saadiyat Island to help pay for other costs.
Saadiyat Island’s Stray Cats
With no alternative support services available on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, donations from Trade plus Aid funds the care of wild Mau cats.
Trade plus Aid pays vet medical bills to neuter (TRN ‐ Trap, Neuter, Return), so that they are accepted by the local community and so that the colony remains stable. We also pay for vaccinations, vitamins, supply and dispense medicines, as instructed by Canadian Vet. We supply flea collars, feeding stations, organise regular health check ups and shelters.
Tree Planting Programme, Saadiyat Island
In January 2017, 2020, and 2022, there were significant storms on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. These storms uprooted 90% of the trees on the seaward facing road, in the areas where there weren’t hotels built to break the north wind coming in directly from the sea.
21st Century Leaders’ Founder donated funds for the replanting initiative in this area of the island, decreed as a Marine Reserve and Wildlife Corridor.