“Our first-ever, live global webinar will showcase not only MES’ journey of service, but also highlight the key achievements over the years, and the testimonies of lives that have been changed through our various programmes,” states Leona Pienaar, CEO at MES.
MES is a Christian social development organisation that started as an outreach programme handing out food parcels to the homeless and unemployed community of Hillbrow, Johannesburg in 1986. Since then, the organisation has grown to be actively involved in providing sustainable solutions to pervasive poverty in the inner cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Kempton Park.
“MES offers professional services to vulnerable or at-risk individuals, families, and communities. The core services are implemented in each branch depending on the need of the community and available resources. Using an integrated approach, we ensure that we deliver a holistic service that contributes to restoration and empowerment. Our model is one of intake/prevention; intervention and sustainable exit is followed,” she adds.
Over the past 35 years, MES has established a very strong outreach and social relief component that serves the immediate and short-term needs of the homeless and unemployed community. Hunger remains the greatest challenge facing the poor all over the world, and it is rife in the inner-city. Each branch engages with both local and international stakeholders to drive awareness, engagement, and support for their various initiatives.
“We are proud to say that beyond feeding the poor, MES has managed to provide inner-city pre-schoolers with credible crèches that enable school-readiness, children and youth with after-school support and career guidance, as well as adults with shelter and job rehabilitation programmes,” states Rev. Hannes Windell, Chairman of the MES Board. “It is a privilege to see the growth that MES has realised over the years and to be part of an organisation of people who are making real tangible change in their communities,” he adds.
Pienaar explains that each beneficiary that comes to MES is first assessed by a social worker. Immediately after this, the most urgent basic survival needs such as food, overnight shelter, clothing, blankets, and medical intervention if necessary, are addressed. Continuous assessment and follow-up on each beneficiary are done on a unique case-by-case basis.
“One of our greatest achievements is having successfully duplicated our model across four major cities in South Africa while maintaining a tailored offering that takes into account the unique needs of the city’s people and restoring dignity to each individual,” states Pienaar.
“As we turn 35 this year, we are incredibly grateful for the lessons learned and the unwavering support from all our donors and partners, as well as the commitment of our staff, and the trust of our beneficiaries. We look forward to many more years of service until we conquer poverty in our nation,” she explains.
“Our most valuable assets are our people. They serve relentlessly for long hours with so much passion. It is my wish that we can find creative ways during this year to express our gratitude towards them - ways of improving their work environment and safety. In the new virtualised normal there where we find ourselves, there is a great need to improve our IT infrastructure to enhance productivity to meet the growing need. At MES, we are actively looking for ways to take care of the caregiver,” Pienaar concludes.
Join MES’ live global webinar 35th birthday celebration by registering via this link: https://bit.ly/2RsJtsY
